How to Write Great Prompts to Track in AI
This quick-start guide shows you how to transform old SEO keywords into real, conversational prompts that surface your brand in AI tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity. Perfect for marketers and content teams adapting to AI search.
How to Write Great Prompts
A Step-by-Step Guide to Turning Keywords Into AI Search Visibility
⏱️ Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes
✅ Description:
This guide shows you how to transform old SEO-style keywords into conversational, AI-friendly prompts that surface your brand in tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity. It includes step-by-step examples, sample prompts you can copy-paste, and tips for testing your prompts inside Senso’s GEO platform.
📌 Excerpt (Blog Summary):
Search is no longer about two-word keywords — it’s about full, natural quiries. This guide teaches you how to reframe legacy SEO terms into realistic AI prompts, track them in Senso, and optimize your content to win visibility in generative answers. Perfect for marketers, SEO strategists, and CX leaders looking to own the “answer layer” in AI search.
Why Stop Relying on Short Keywords?
People no longer search for “credit union near me” or “best bank Dallas.”
In generative AI, they ask full, conversational questions that often include context:
- “What’s the most trusted credit union near me for auto loans?”
- “Which banks in Dallas are best for business checking accounts?”
Testing real prompts helps you understand how AI is describing you today and where your content needs to improve.
Step 1: List Your Old Keywords
Start by writing down two or three of your top-performing search phrases from Google or other SEO tools.
Examples:
- Credit Union: credit union near me, credit union mortgage rates
- Bank: best bank Dallas, business checking account bank
- Retail: shoe store Boston, kids clothing store
- Financial Services: retirement planning advisor, wealth management firm
Step 2: Think Like a Customer
Imagine a real person asking an AI assistant for advice. Ask yourself:
- What problem are they trying to solve?
- What location, budget, or product detail would they include?
- Are they comparing brands or ready to buy?
This step is crucial because AI answers reflect intent, not just keywords.
Step 3: Turn Keywords into prompts
Reframe each keyword into a specific, natural-sounding prompt.
Focus on clarity, context, and the kind of details AI engines use to generate helpful answers.
| Industry | Old Keyword | AI-Prompt |
|---|---|---|
| Credit Union | credit union near me | What is the best credit union near me for friendly service? |
| Bank | best bank Dallas | Which Dallas banks have the best reputation for small businesses? |
| Retail | shoe store Boston | Where can I buy comfortable walking shoes in Boston? |
| Financial Services | retirement planning advisor | Who can help me plan for retirement in my area? |
Pro Tip: The more natural the prompt sounds, the more likely AI will generate a helpful, conversational answer that includes brand recommendations.
Step 4: Use AI to Expand Your List
AI can help brainstorm additional variations.
Open ChatGPT (or your favorite tool) and try:
Prompt:
“Please turn the following keyword into five different, natural-sounding prompts someone might ask when searching for this in ChatGPT.
Keyword: [insert keyword here]”
This will give you a mix of educational, comparison, and transactional prompts you can track.
Step 5: Test & Track in Senso GEO
Paste each prompts into Add Prompt in GEO.Senso.ai.
Then:
- Review the AI-generated answers to see if you’re mentioned or cited.
- Look for competitors with high share of voice or citations.
- Identify gaps (e.g., no mentions, low coverage, missing links).
- Use Senso’s Content Remediation workflow to publish structured content that fills those gaps.
Pro Tip: Track a mix of:
- Industry Topic prompts to build thought leadership
- Ranking prompts to show up on lists
- Comparison prompts to win head-to-head moments
- Brand-Specific prompts to ensure accuracy at the moment of conversion
Step 6: Iterate and Optimize
Revisit your tracked prompts weekly:
- Drop prompts where you already have strong visibility.
- Add new ones that reflect seasonal trends, new product launches, or competitive shifts.
- Watch how your Mentions, Citations, and Share of Voice improve over time.
Key Takeaway
Great prompts are the foundation of GEO success. The better your prompts reflect real customer intent, the more actionable your visibility insights will be — and the faster you can fix gaps.
Ready to see how you rank in generative search?
👉 Get started at GEO.Senso.ai
Track your first 5 prompts, review your AI visibility baseline, and start improving today.
Related Guides in Getting Started
Prompt Journey Guide: From Discovery to Transaction
This guide helps you connect real customer questions to the right type of AI prompts—like “Best of” lists, comparisons, and brand-specific queries—so you can track, improve, and influence your brand’s visibility throughout the AI-powered customer journey.
Senso GEO Glossary: Guide to Key Terms
The Senso GEO Glossary is a practical reference guide that defines the most important terms in Generative Engine Optimization. It helps marketers, SEO leads, and brand teams understand what Senso tracks, why it matters, and how each metric reflects your brand's visibility in AI-generated answers from tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.