Last Updated on August 18, 2025

My article follows from the article by openai.com: cookbook.openai.com/examples/gpt-5/gpt-5_prompting_guide

You can read more about using AI in your marketing right here: warrenlainenaida.net/category/artificial-intelligence-online-marketing

Before diving into the full guide, here’s what you need to know: AI is only as smart as the instructions you give it. Vague prompts lead to vague results, but a well-structured prompt can turn GPT-5 into a precision tool. The essentials:

How to Write Prompts That Work
- Define the Role: Tell the AI who it should act as to set perspective and tone.
- State the Task Clearly: Specify exactly what output is expected.
- Provide Context: Boundaries and extra info make answers practical and relevant.
- Guide the Reasoning: Show the AI how to think, verify, and optimize clarity.
- Specify Output Format: Structured outputs (tables, lists, etc.) ensure usability.
- Set Stop Conditions: Clearly define when the task is complete.
Reusable Prompt Keyword Research for SEO
Worked Example: Keyword Research for “SEO”

With these principles, you can craft prompts that consistently deliver precise, actionable results.

The Anatomy of a GPT-5 Prompt: How to Write Prompts That Work

Artificial intelligence is only as good as the instructions you give it. If you’ve ever wondered why your AI responses come back vague, incomplete, or just plain wrong, the problem usually isn’t the model – it’s the prompt. And that is no different from when you try to cook a meal – it’s all in the recipe and the instructions you give the chef.

Crafting an effective prompt is less about magic words and more about structure. A well-designed GPT-5 prompt has:

a clear role,
a defined task,
useful context,
logical reasoning,
a specific output format,
and strict stop conditions.

Let’s break down each component.

1. Define the Role

Always start by telling the model who it should be. This sets the tone and ensures the AI answers from the right perspective. For example:
“Act as an expert travel guide focused on recommending lesser-known, unique outdoor hikes within two hours of San Francisco.”

Instead of a generic assistant, the AI is now a specialist with authority, aligned with your needs.

2. State the Task

Next, be crystal clear about what you want the AI to do. This eliminates guesswork. In the example prompt:
“Identify and present the top 3 medium-length hikes (not among the most popular) within a two-hour drive from San Francisco.”

That instruction leaves no room for ambiguity. The AI knows it must deliver three options and that those options can’t be the obvious tourist favorites.

3. Add Context

Context makes the difference between a bland answer and a useful one. Good context sets boundaries and expectations:

Exclude overly popular hikes like Mount Tam or Golden Gate Park.
Ensure the hikes offer distinctive qualities such as remoteness or unique scenery.
Verify names and distances against official listings.

By tightening the scope, you force the AI to think carefully and avoid filler answers.

4. Guide the Reasoning

AI doesn’t just spit out facts – it simulates reasoning. You can tell it how to think:

Cross-check results with reliable sources.
Optimize for clarity and practicality.
Internally vet suggestions before responding.

This step makes responses more reliable and aligned with your standards.

5. Specify the Output Format

Formatting is where many prompts fall short. If you need structured results, spell it out:

| Hike name  | Address | Distance | Duration | Summary |
|------------|---------|----------|----------|---------|
| Example 1  | [XX]    | [XX]     | [X:XX]   | ...     |
| Example 2  | [XX]    | [XX]     | [X:XX]   | ...     |
| Example 3  | [XX]    | [XX]     | [X:XX]   | ...     |

This ensures you get information in a usable format – ready for a report, blog post, or comparison chart.

6. Set Stop Conditions

Finally, define when the task is complete. For example:
“Task is complete when three verified, unique medium-length hikes are returned in the specified format, excluding overly popular options, and validation confirms compliance with all requirements.”

Stop conditions prevent the AI from over-explaining, looping, or drifting away from the task.

Why This Matters

Most people still prompt wrong because they treat AI like Google search. But GPT-5 thrives when given structure. A well-formed prompt turns the AI from a guessing machine into a precision tool.

By breaking your prompt into Role, Task, Context, Reasoning, Output, and Stop Conditions, you take control of the conversation – and the quality of the output skyrockets.

✅ Pro Tip: Save a few reusable prompt templates for roles you often need – like SEO consultant, travel guide, business analyst, or content strategist. Then just swap in the specific task and context.

Reusable Prompt Keyword Research for SEO (copy/paste)

Is your SEO still keyword-centric? Keywords aren’t just interesting for the words – keywords can be used to structure your website.
Read more: warrenlainenaida.net/how-to-structure-your-website-with-keywords

Role:
Act as a senior SEO strategist for a WordPress-focused digital agency.

Task:
Create a focused keyword research plan on the topic “SEO” that surfaces high-intent, publishable opportunities and turns them into a content plan.

Context:

Target audience: marketers and founders (US/UK), beginner→intermediate.
Prioritize long-tails and commercial-investigation terms over generic head terms.
Include a mix across the funnel (TOFU/MOFU/BOFU).
Avoid brand names (except WordPress).
Emphasize the agency/WordPress angle where relevant.

Reasoning (how to think):

Start with seed terms, expand into semantic variants, and tasks people try to complete.
Cluster by topic; infer search intent and likely SERP features.
Qualitatively score Difficulty (H/M/L) and Opportunity (H/M/L).
Map each term to the best content type and a concrete angle.
Produce crisp, ready-to-ship titles. Validate internal consistency (no duplicates; intent matches format).

Stop conditions:
Return 20 unique keywords across 5 clusters, no volumes, no brands (except WordPress), all rows complete.

Worked Example: Keyword Research for “SEO”

What I did (quick checklist)

Identified task-based long-tails around on-page, technical, strategy, link building, and WordPress.
Clustered and inferred intent/funnel from the query pattern.
Assigned qualitative Difficulty/Opportunity from typical SERP competitiveness and specificity.
Chose the best content format + persuasive hook; drafted titles.
Added notes for SERP features / internal links.

Keyword Plan (20 terms, 5 clusters)

Cluster	Keyword	Intent	Funnel	Difficulty	Opportunity	Content Type	Angle/Hook	Example Title	Notes
On-Page SEO	on-page seo checklist	Informational	TOFU	High	Medium	Checklist/Guide	Updated, printable	On-Page SEO Checklist (2025): 25 Steps You Can Ship Today	Expect listicle SERPs; add downloadable PDF
On-Page SEO	title tag best practices	Informational	TOFU	Medium	High	Guide	With real examples	Title Tag Best Practices: 15 Real Examples That Win CTR	Include SERP snippets gallery
On-Page SEO	internal linking strategy	Informational	MOFU	Medium	High	Strategy Guide	Graph thinking & hubs	Internal Linking Strategy: How to Build Topic Hubs That Rank	Cross-link to “topic clusters”
On-Page SEO	image seo alt text	Informational	TOFU	Low	High	How-to	Accessibility + SEO	Alt Text for SEO: A Simple Formula (With 30 Examples)	Add template cheatsheet
Technical SEO	technical seo audit checklist	Informational	MOFU	High	Medium	Checklist	90-minute audit flow	Technical SEO Audit Checklist: The 90-Minute Version	Offer CSV/Sheet download
Technical SEO	xml sitemap best practices	Informational	TOFU	Medium	Medium	Guide	Edge-cases & FAQs	XML Sitemap Best Practices: What to Include (and Exclude)	Internal link to robots.txt
Technical SEO	robots.txt examples	Informational	TOFU	Low	High	Examples + Template	Copy-paste snippets	Robots.txt Examples You Can Copy (and the Mistakes to Avoid)	Add validator tips
Technical SEO	core web vitals for seo	Informational	MOFU	Medium	High	Guide	Non-developer friendly	Core Web Vitals for SEO: Plain-English Guide With Fix Priorities	Include CWV triage table
Content Strategy	keyword clustering tutorial	Informational	MOFU	Medium	High	Tutorial	Manual + AI workflow	Keyword Clustering Tutorial: The Hybrid (Manual + AI) Method	Link to internal linking guide
Content Strategy	seo content brief template	Transactional/Info	BOFU	Low	High	Template/Download	Fill-in-the-blanks	SEO Content Brief Template (Free Download + Example)	Gate optional
Content Strategy	topic clusters for seo	Informational	MOFU	Medium	High	Strategy Guide	Case study led	Topic Clusters for SEO: A Step-by-Step Case Study	Pair with hub/silo visuals
Content Strategy	eeat guidelines for seo content	Informational	TOFU	Medium	Medium	Guide	Checklist + examples	E-E-A-T Guidelines for SEO Content: What Actually Matters	Add author schema tips
Link Building	digital pr for seo	Informational	MOFU	High	Medium	Playbook	Repeatable campaign ideas	Digital PR for SEO: 12 Campaign Angles That Earn Links	Include outreach scripts
Link Building	link building strategies for startups	Informational	MOFU	Medium	High	Guide	Budget-first roadmap	Link Building for Startups: A 6-Week Plan on $500	Emphasize low-cost tactics
Link Building	guest post outreach email template	Transactional/Info	BOFU	Low	High	Templates	Tested subject lines	Guest Post Outreach: 5 Email Templates That Get Replies	Provide SPF/DKIM sending tips
Link Building	unlinked brand mentions backlink	Informational	MOFU	Low	Medium	How-to	Fast-win workflow	How to Turn Unlinked Brand Mentions Into Backlinks in 30 Minutes	Include operator queries
WordPress SEO	wordpress seo checklist	Informational	TOFU	Medium	High	Checklist	Agency-ready	WordPress SEO Checklist (Agency Edition)	Add printable version
WordPress SEO	wordpress seo plugin comparison	Commercial Investigation	MOFU	High	Medium	Comparison	Feature matrix	The Best WordPress SEO Plugins Compared: Feature Matrix + Picks	Stay neutral; add use-cases
WordPress SEO	wordpress site speed optimization	Informational	MOFU	Medium	High	Guide	Non-coder fixes first	WordPress Speed Optimization: The Non-Coder’s Guide to Under 2s	Pair with CWV guide
WordPress SEO	schema markup wordpress tutorial	Informational	BOFU	Medium	High	Tutorial	Plugin + code paths	Schema Markup on WordPress: A Step-by-Step Tutorial	Include JSON-LD snippets

How to use this immediately

Pick 3 clusters that fit your roadmap and publish one MOFU + one TOFU piece per cluster.
Turn “Template/Checklist” rows into downloadables for list-building.
Add internal links between: Topic Clusters ↔ Internal Linking; CWV ↔ Speed; Robots/Sitemap ↔ Technical Audit.
Validate volumes/competition in your favorite tool and keep the qualitative Difficulty/Opportunity buckets if you don’t want to chase exact numbers.

Thanks for the featured image for this article: https://unsplash.com/@nimfardo