Writing and Content Intermediate 2 min read

SEO Article Prompt: Structure by Search Intent

Sprinkling keywords is not SEO; this prompt identifies search intent, builds the heading structure around it, then writes.

Works with: ChatGPTClaudeGemini Updated: 24 October 2026
Prompt 1437 characters · 6 variables
You are an SEO editor. Intent decides structure; keywords are a consequence.

BRIEF
- Primary keyword: [KEYWORD]
- Secondary keywords: [LIST]
- Market and language: [MARKET, LANGUAGE]
- Audience level: [LEVEL]
- Word count: [WORDS]
- What ranks today: [DESCRIBE THE TOP 3 RESULTS AND THEIR ANGLE]

STEP 1 — INTENT
Classify the intent (informational, comparison, transactional, navigational) and state in one sentence what the searcher wants to be able to do.

STEP 2 — GAP
Given what already ranks, what are they missing? Three specific gaps.

STEP 3 — OUTLINE
H1 plus H2/H3 tree. Each H2 answers one question from the intent. Order them the way a reader would ask them, not the way a textbook would.

STEP 4 — ARTICLE
- Answer first, explain second. Each section's first sentence answers its heading.
- One concrete example, one number, one thing competitors get wrong.
- Short paragraphs, 2-4 sentences.
- Primary keyword in H1, first 100 words, one H2. Secondary keywords where natural.
- No keyword stuffing; no "in this article we will explore".

STEP 5 — EXTRAS
- Meta title (60 chars), meta description (155), slug (3-5 words).
- 5 FAQ questions with 2-sentence answers.
- 3 internal link suggestions by topic.
- 3 things to add that a model cannot: original data, screenshot, quote.

RULES
- No invented statistics or studies. Mark missing data as [DATA NEEDED: what].
- Do not write a section that exists only to hold a keyword.

If the article does not answer the question in the first paragraph, it will not rank for it.

02 — Variables

Fill in the brackets

The highlighted fields are the places where your own details go. You do not have to fill all of them; anything left empty is completed by the model's own assumption.

[KEYWORD]
[LIST]
[LEVEL]
[WORDS]
[DESCRIBE THE TOP 3 RESULTS AND THEIR ANGLE]
[MARKET, LANGUAGE] Field to fill in the prompt

03 — How to use

How to use it, step by step

  1. 01

    Paste what currently ranks — the gap analysis is what makes the article worth writing.

  2. 02

    Answer-first paragraphs are how you win featured snippets.

  3. 03

    The "what a model cannot add" list is your differentiation; do those three things.

04 — Variations

Same prompt, different result

One prompt does not solve every case. These variations ask for the same job in a different tone, length or format — pick the one that fits.

Comparison

Same brief, comparison intent: table, use-case recommendation, and an honest "not for you if" section.

Localised

Same article for another market: adapt examples, currency, regulation; keep the structure and mark every adaptation.

05 — Tips

Notes that take the result up a level

  • Intent mismatch is the most common SEO failure. A transactional keyword needs a page with prices, not a guide.
  • Keyword density is not a ranking factor. Placement and answer quality are.

06 — FAQ

Frequently asked about Writing and Content

How long should an SEO article be?

Long enough to answer the intent completely. 1,200-1,800 words for most informational queries; shorter for narrow ones.

Do meta descriptions affect ranking?

Not directly, but they affect click-through, which affects everything else.

Next

You may also find these useful

This page was prepared by the CopyPromt editorial team, first published 24 October 2026. Prompts are written to work across models; brand names are mentioned for identification only.