Here’s a prompt library you can adapt. Replace the brackets with your own products, services, and ICP details, then run each prompt across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Claude to see whether your brand appears.
1. Awareness: the person has a problem but no solution in mind
- “Why is [problem] happening in my [team/business/process]?”
- “How do [ICP role]s usually handle [problem]?”
- “What are the signs that a [company size] business needs [solution category]?”
- “What’s the cost of not fixing [problem]?”
- “How can I reduce [pain point] without hiring more people?”
2. Education: they’re learning what solutions exist
- “What is [solution category] and how does it work?”
- “What types of [solution category] are there, and which suits a [industry] company?”
- “What features should I look for in [solution category]?”
- “Do I need [product A] or [product B] for [use case]?”
- “What mistakes do companies make when buying [solution category]?”
3. Consideration: they’re building a shortlist
- “Best [solution category] for [company size] [industry] companies”
- “Top [solution category] tools that integrate with [tool they already use]”
- “What’s the best [product type] for [specific use case] under [budget]?”
- “Which [solution category] is easiest to set up without a technical team?”
- “Alternatives to [competitor] for [ICP]”
4. Comparison: they’re weighing named options
- “[Your brand] vs [competitor]: which is better for [use case]?”
- “Compare [competitor A], [competitor B], and [your brand] on pricing, support, and integrations”
- “What do users dislike about [competitor]?” (this shows where you can differentiate)
- “Is [your brand] worth the price compared to [competitor]?”
- “[Your brand] vs building it in-house”
5. Decision: they’re close to buying
- “How much does [your product] cost for a team of [size]?”
- “Does [your brand] offer a free trial or demo?”
- “What’s the implementation timeline for [your product]?”
- “Is [your brand] compliant with [regulation/standard]?”
- “What do customers say about [your brand]’s customer support?”
- “What should I ask [your brand] before signing a contract?”
6. Onboarding and retention: they’re already customers
- “How do I set up [feature] in [your product]?”
- “How do I get more value from [your product]?”
- “Does [your product] integrate with [tool], and how?”
- “How do I migrate from [competitor] to [your brand]?”
- “What are best practices for [workflow] using [your product]?”
7. Product- and service-specific variations
Repeat the stages above for each offering, using prompts like:
- “Best [specific product/service] for [niche use case]”
- “Which [service] is best for [industry] with [specific constraint]?”
- “How does [your product] handle [specific feature or edge case]?”
- “What’s the difference between [your product A] and [your product B]?”
- “Is [your service] suitable for [small/mid-size/enterprise] teams?”
8. Persona and context modifiers
The same question changes with who’s asking. Add these modifiers to your core prompts:
- Role: “…as a CFO / marketing head / founder / IT manager”
- Size: “…for a 10-person team” vs “…for 500+ employees”
- Constraint: “…with a tight budget,” “…with strict data privacy needs,” “…that needs fast onboarding”
- Stack: “…that works with Salesforce / Shopify / Slack”
- Goal: “…to cut costs,” “…to scale quickly,” “…to improve compliance”
How to use these well
- Build a matrix. List each product or service in rows and each journey stage in columns, then write at least two or three prompts per cell.
- Use natural language. Write prompts the way real buyers talk, long and specific, not as keyword strings.
- Test regularly. Run the set monthly across multiple answer engines and record whether you’re mentioned, cited, recommended, or missing, and how you’re described.
- Fix the gaps. Where you’re absent, create content that answers that exact prompt (comparison pages, FAQs, use-case guides, pricing explainers) and build presence on the third-party sources AI engines cite.
- Track competitors too. Note who shows up when you don’t, and what sources the AI relies on.
