31 SEO Prompts for Content Writing That Rank on Page 1

Writing content that ranks isn't luck. It's structure.

AI can help you create Google-ranking content—but only with the right prompts.

Here are 31 prompts that every content marketer should have in their arsenal.

Keyword & Topic Research

Keyword Research Prompt: "Find 20 long-tail keywords related to '[main topic]'. Target audience: [audience]. Include: search volume estimates, competition level, intent (informational/transactional), and opportunity score."

Content Gap Analysis: "I found these top-ranking articles for the keyword '[keyword]'. Analyze what they cover. What important angles are missing? What could a new article do better?"

Topic Expansion: "I'm writing about '[main topic]'. What are 10 related subtopics that would rank well? Rate each by: search volume, competition, relevance to my audience."

Search Intent Identification: "For the keyword '[keyword]', is the search intent: informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional? How should content be structured to satisfy this intent?"

Outline Creation

Blog Post Outline for Ranking: "Create an outline for a blog post about '[keyword]'. Target: rank for '[keyword]' on Google. Include: hook, 5-7 main sections (with H2s), conclusion. Make each section answer a specific user question."

Comprehensive Guide Outline: "Create a detailed outline for a comprehensive guide on '[topic]'. Include: introduction, foundational concepts (H2s), practical strategies (H2s), advanced tactics (H2s), common mistakes, FAQ section, conclusion."

Listicle Outline: "Create an outline for a '[number]' [item type] listicle about '[topic]'. Each item should: solve a specific problem, include a subheading, have 2-3 practical points, include actionable advice."

Comparison Article Outline: "Create an outline for a comparison article: '[Option A] vs [Option B]'. Include: intro explaining why comparison matters, feature-by-feature breakdown, pros/cons, use-case recommendations, conclusion."

Content Writing

SEO-Optimized Introduction: "Write a compelling introduction for a blog post about '[keyword]'. Must include: hook, clear problem statement, why readers should care, what they'll learn. Target: [word count]. Make it SEO-optimized."

SEO-Optimized Section: "Write an H2 section about '[subtopic]' for a blog post ranking for '[keyword]'. Include: subheading, explanation, 3-5 bullet points, practical example. Target: [word count]."

Listicle Item: "Write listicle item #[number]: '[title]'. Structure: brief explanation, 3 key benefits/points, practical tips. Include specific examples. Make it scannable with bolding."

Transition Paragraphs: "Write transition paragraphs connecting these sections: '[Section 1]' → '[Section 2]'. Maintain flow, remind readers what they learned, preview what's next."

Conclusion with CTA: "Write a conclusion for a blog post about '[topic]'. Summarize key points, reinforce main message, include specific call-to-action: [desired action]."

Keyword Optimization

Keyword Integration: "Review this text for keyword optimization for '[keyword]'. Ensure keyword appears: in H2 headers, first 100 words, conclusion. Suggest natural placement if needed: [text]"

LSI Keyword Integration: "Suggest 8-10 LSI keywords related to '[main keyword]'. Write 2-3 sentences incorporating them naturally: [topic description]"

Semantic Keyword Placement: "I'm writing about '[topic]'. These are my target keywords: [keywords]. Suggest how to naturally incorporate them in: title, intro, H2s, conclusion without keyword stuffing."

Meta Optimization

Title Tag Creation: "Write 5 title tag options for '[topic]'. Each should: include target keyword, be under 60 characters, include emotional hook or number. Rate by CTR potential."

Meta Description: "Write 3 meta description options for a blog post about '[topic]'. Each must: include keyword, be 150-160 characters, include CTA, match search intent: '[intent]'."

URL Slug: "What would be an ideal URL slug for a blog post about '[topic]' ranking for '[keyword]'? Should be: SEO-optimized, readable, under 75 characters."

Internal & External Linking

Internal Linking Strategy: "I'm writing a blog post about '[topic]'. Here are my existing articles: [list]. Which should I link to internally? Suggest: anchor text, placement, why each link adds value."

External Authority Links: "For a blog post about '[topic]', suggest 5 authoritative external sources to link to. For each: source name, why it's relevant, suggested anchor text."

Link Anchor Text: "Generate 10 natural anchor text variations for linking to an article about '[target topic]'. Make them diverse, natural, and keyword-relevant."

Research & Data

Research-Based Content Hook: "Research and suggest 3 surprising statistics about '[topic]' that would hook readers. Include: statistic, source, relevance to article."

Case Study Integration: "I'm writing about '[topic]'. Suggest 2-3 real-world case studies or examples that would illustrate key points. Explain why each strengthens the article."

FAQ Content: "Generate 10 FAQ questions people ask about '[topic]'. Format: question, 2-3 sentence answer, internal link suggestion. These become H3s in FAQ section."

Optimization & Editing

Readability Optimization: "Edit this for SEO readability. Add: bolding on key terms, bullet points where appropriate, shorter sentences, clearer structure: [text]"

Keyword Density Check: "Analyze this text for keyword optimization for '[keyword]'. Current keyword density: [current]. Suggest improvements without stuffing: [text]"

Freshness Update Prompt: "I published this article on '[date]'. What sections need updating? What new information should I add? What's changed in the industry? [text]"

Technical SEO Prompts

Schema Markup Generator: "Create JSON-LD schema markup for a blog post with: title '[title]', author '[author]', publish date '[date]', word count '[count]'."

Image Alt Text: "Write descriptive alt text for images in an article about '[topic]'. Include keyword naturally. Make text: concise, descriptive, helpful for accessibility."

Heading Structure Audit: "Review the heading structure of this article. Is it logical for SEO? Suggest fixes if: H2s skip levels, no keyword in H2s, structure isn't scannable: [text]"

How to Use These 31 Prompts

Step 1: Keyword Research (Prompts 1-4) Understand what you're ranking for. What's the search intent?

Step 2: Outline (Prompts 5-8) Structure your content to rank. Answer user questions systematically.

Step 3: Write Content (Prompts 9-14) Use AI to draft sections, transitions, conclusions.

Step 4: Optimize (Prompts 15-20) Integrate keywords, links, and meta elements naturally.

Step 5: Polish (Prompts 21-26) Ensure readability, accuracy, freshness.

Step 6: Technical (Prompts 27-31) Add schema, alt text, and heading optimization.

Real Example: From Outline to Published

Using these prompts in order:

Research: "What keywords rank for [topic]?" → Find "best [item] for [use case]"
Outline: "Create outline for '[keyword]' that ranks" → Get 7-section structure
Write: "Write H2 section about [subtopic]" → Get publication-ready section
Optimize: "Integrate '[keyword]' naturally" → Improve SEO without stuffing
Publish: Submit article knowing it's optimized

Result: Article ranks in 4-8 weeks instead of 3-6 months.

Pro Tips for SEO Prompts

✅ Always specify: word count, keyword, search intent, target audience

✅ Ask for specifics: "Structure for featured snippet" or "Optimize for voice search"

✅ Iterate: If content isn't ranking, re-optimize with updated prompts

✅ Monitor: Track which prompts lead to fastest rankings. Refine over time.

The difference between content that ranks and content that doesn't? Usually the prompts used to create it.

Use these 31 prompts, follow the process, and watch your organic rankings improve.

Organize your SEO prompts by topic and keyword. Track which prompts drive the best rankings.

Master Content Prompting

Start with fundamentals in our prompt engineering guide for beginners.

Explore different techniques in our comprehensive guide to types of prompts.

Learn to structure content with chain-of-thought prompting for logical flow.

Use mega-prompts for long contexts to write comprehensive SEO articles.

Master copywriting prompts in our guide to copywriting and sales prompts.

Organize all your SEO prompts with our prompt management guide.

Integrate into workflows using our AI productivity guide.