Reading a results page properly gets you three things at once: the format the search engine is rewarding, the subtopics you have to cover, and an honest answer about whether the term is worth your time.
What’s on this page
- A format audit that tells you what page type wins.
- A subtopic extractor that turns the results page into a coverage list.
- A gap finder for the questions nobody answered well.
- An intent mismatch detector for terms where the obvious page type is wrong.
- An angle chooser that gives you a reason to exist on that page.
The prompts
1. Result Format Audit
Here are the top 10 results for [keyword]: [paste titles, URLs and the first two lines of each]. Tell me what format each page uses — guide, listicle, product page, forum thread, video, tool — and group them. Then state which format dominates and what that implies for someone writing a new page.What it does: Reveals the format the search engine has already decided to reward.
How to use: Paste real titles and opening lines. If the results are mixed, that is useful information too — it means the intent is unsettled.
2. Subtopic Extractor
Based on these results: [paste headings and subheadings from the top 5 pages], list every subheading topic that appears in more than one page, and separately list the ones that appear in only one. Rank the shared ones by how often they appear.What it does: Builds a coverage list from the competition instead of from guesswork.
How to use: Copy the actual headings, not your summary of them. The shared list is your minimum coverage; the unique list is your opportunity.
3. Gap Finder
Compare these pages covering [keyword]: [paste a short summary of each]. Identify the questions a reader would still have after reading all of them, and any claim that none of them explains or demonstrates. Give me a list of gaps I could fill that would be genuinely useful rather than just different.What it does: Finds the useful space between what already ranks, rather than inventing a new angle for its own sake.
How to use: Summarise each page in three lines first. Then answer the gaps honestly — if there are none, the term is probably not worth targeting.
4. Intent Mismatch Detector
I want to rank for [keyword] with a [my page type] page. Based on these results: [paste titles and URLs], is my page type a match for the intent? If it is not, tell me what the searcher actually wants and what I should publish instead.What it does: Catches the expensive mistake of trying to rank a sales page for an informational query.
How to use: Run this before you write, not after. Replace [my page type] with what you actually plan to publish.
5. Angle Chooser
For [keyword], here is what already ranks: [paste summaries] and here is what I have that they do not: [describe your data, experience or tool]. Propose three angles for my page that use my advantage, and for each one say what would make it fail. Then recommend one.What it does: Converts a vague ambition to “write something better” into a specific, defensible angle.
How to use: Be honest in the second box. First-hand data, screenshots or a working example are real advantages; a fresher tone is not.
How to adapt these prompts
- For a term with no clear winner, run prompt 1 twice with two different date ranges to see if the format is shifting.
- Add “the searcher is likely a beginner” to prompt 2 if the shared subheadings assume knowledge your reader does not have.
- For local queries, paste the results with location set — the format often changes once a map pack appears.
FAQ
How many results should I analyse?
The top five is enough to see the pattern; the top ten is better if the format is mixed. Beyond that you are reading for pleasure.
What if I can’t beat any of them?
Then find a narrower version of the query where the competition is thinner. A long-tail sibling you can win beats a head term you cannot.
Should I paste whole pages into the prompt?
Paste titles, headings and opening lines. Whole pages waste context and rarely change the conclusion.
Keep going
- Browse the SEO prompt library
- 5 ChatGPT prompts for keyword research
- 6 Gemini prompts for blog post templates
Want more like this? Browse the full free library at GuPrompt.