AI Prompting Guidelines
In the age of generative AI, professionals across industries are leveraging tools like ChatGPT, Midjourney, and others to boost productivity and creativity. A recent survey found 78% of organizations use AI in at least one business function, illustrating how widespread this trend has become. Below, we provide an industry-by-industry overview of how prompting can be applied, guidelines for effective prompts, and example prompts (with recommended AI tools, difficulty level, and expected outcomes).
SEO AI Prompting Guidelines
Industry Overview
SEO specialists incorporate AI prompting to perform keyword research, optimize content, and even conduct technical SEO audits. Over half of marketers have reported using AI tools to optimize content for search engines (for example, integrating keywords or refining meta tags) . By using well-crafted prompts, SEO professionals can quickly generate meta descriptions, brainstorm content that targets specific search intents, or analyze site content for improvements, thereby streamlining their workflow.
Prompting Guidelines
- Include Target Keyword(s): Clearly state the keywords or phrases that need to be included or emphasized in the output.
- Specify Format & Length: For meta descriptions or titles, mention character limits (e.g., "155 characters max for meta description").
- Indicate Intent: Describe the search intent or audience (informational, transactional, etc.) so the AI tailors the content appropriately.
- Use SEO Tone: If crafting content, ask for an engaging tone but avoid keyword stuffing. The prompt can mention to use the keyword naturally.
- Iterate for Variations: Generate multiple suggestions (titles, descriptions, headings) by asking for a list, which can then be refined or A/B tested.
Example Prompts
"Generate a list of 10 long-tail keywords related to [Main Keyword] with high search intent for buying [Product/Service]."
"Write a meta description (max 155 characters) for a blog post about [Topic], including the keyword '[Keyword]' and a call-to-action."
"Analyze the following webpage content for SEO improvements and list 5 suggestions (e.g., missing keywords, title tag issues, internal link opportunities): [insert content]"
"Provide 5 blog post title ideas that effectively incorporate the keyword '[Keyword]' and appeal to an informational search intent."
"Explain the search intent behind the query '[example query]' and suggest what kind of content would rank well for it."