What is Prompt Research?
Prompt research is the process of finding and prioritizing the questions your potential buyers ask AI assistants, so you can track them and make sure your content answers them. It is the AI counterpart of keyword research: instead of a list of search terms, you end up with a prompt set that reflects how real people ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity for advice.
The biggest difference is the input. A keyword is a few words typed into a search box, such as "payroll software". A prompt is usually a full sentence with context: "Which payroll software works for a 40-person company with part of its staff in Germany?" People describe their situation, budget and constraints. They also ask follow-up questions.
There is also less data to work with. AI companies do not publish how often prompts are asked, so every prompt volume figure is an estimate. Prompt research therefore combines several sources and focuses on topics and needs rather than exact wording.
Why Prompt Research matters
Your AI visibility data is only as good as the prompts behind it. A prompt set built on internal jargon or guesswork measures questions nobody asks. A set full of branded questions flatters your results, because AI models almost always mention a brand that is named in the prompt. Solid research anchors your tracking in the questions where buyers actually form their shortlist.
It also shapes your content plan. The questions you collect show which topics, comparisons and objections your site should cover. An AI content gap analysis then reveals which of them competitors already own.
How to do Prompt Research
Mine sales and support. Collect the questions prospects ask in calls, demos, chats and tickets, in their own words.
Check Search Console. Filter for long, question-style queries, such as those starting with "how", "which" or "best". They are the closest thing to prompts in search data.
Read People Also Ask and communities. Google's related questions, forums, Reddit and review sites show how buyers phrase their requests for advice.
Use AI suggestions. Autocomplete and suggested follow-up questions in AI assistants reveal common phrasings.
Rewrite, group and prioritize. Turn each need into a natural, full-sentence prompt. Group the prompts by topic and search intent, then rank them by business value.
Then track the set. Trackbase Prompt Tracking runs your prompts every 24 hours across 11 AI models, and its Google Search Console and People Also Ask integration shows which questions and search results drive your AI visibility.
Examples of Prompt Research
A B2B payroll software vendor reviews a quarter of sales call notes, finds that prospects keep asking about paying staff in Germany and adds three prompts on international payroll.
A Dutch bicycle webshop filters Search Console for question-style queries and turns long searches about e-bikes for daily commutes into a set of Dutch-language prompts.
A skincare brand reads forum threads and notices that buyers ask for fragrance-free products for sensitive skin, a need that was missing from its prompt list.
An agency rewrites a client's keyword list: "CRM software small business" becomes "Which CRM is best for a 10-person consultancy that also needs invoicing?"
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between prompt research and keyword research?
Keyword research looks for the short terms people type into search engines and measures their search volume. Prompt research looks for the full questions people ask AI assistants, including context such as audience, budget and location. There is no official volume data for prompts, so prompt research relies more on real customer questions and groups them by topic and intent. The two work best together.
Where can I find the prompts my customers ask AI assistants?
AI companies do not share what users ask, so you work with proxies. The best sources are the questions prospects ask your sales and support teams, long question-style queries in Google Search Console, People Also Ask boxes, forums, review sites and the suggestions AI assistants show while you type. Combine them and rewrite each need as a natural, full-sentence prompt.
How often should I repeat prompt research?
Review your prompt set every quarter and after major changes, such as a product launch, a new market or a new competitor. Keep the core prompts stable so your trends stay comparable, and add new prompts next to them instead of rewriting the existing ones. Buyer questions shift over time, and AI answers can surface competitors or topics you were not watching.