How to Create Good AI Prompts in 7 Easy Ways

It seems like everyone’s talking about the capabilities of generative AI tools these days.

Sure, they don’t all agree on everything, but it’s undeniable that generative AI has its benefits across several use cases.

At least, if you’re feeding the tools good-quality prompts.

Here, we’ll show you how to create good AI prompts in seven easy ways to help maximize the potential of generative AI.

Key Takeaways (TL;DR)

1. Be clear and specific. Use direct language and avoid vague terms to guide the AI precisely.
2. Define the role or context. Inform the AI of the tone or approach it should take when generating content.
3. Use step-by-step instructions. Break complex tasks into smaller, ordered steps for better results.
4. Set guidelines. Mention what the AI should do when generating the output, such as stay within a specific word count.
5. Formatting is your friend. Specify if you want bullet points, tables, or bolded headings.
6. Include the target audience. Clarify who the message is for and how it should sound.
7. Iterate and refine. After the first response, tweak your prompt based on what worked or didn’t.

Then, as best practice, remember to stay up to date with Google’s latest algorithm updates and Search Quality Rater Guidelines, which include guidelines on AI use.

The Difference Between ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ AI Prompts

Let’s begin by considering the differences between good and bad AI prompts.

One of the best ways to see what separates the two is to break them down by key characteristics, like clarity and context.

Here’s a quick breakdown of how strong and weak AI writing prompts typically compare:

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Of course, it’s possible to get lucky and generate just what you need from a typical “bad” prompt. However, learning and practicing good prompting skills is often key to creating consistent, high-quality.

How to Create Good AI Prompts in 7 Ways

With that in mind, let’s look at some different ways to ensure your prompts fall into the ‘good’ category.

1. Be clear and specific

First, make sure your prompts are clear and specific by using direct language and avoiding vague terms. 

Large language models (LLMs) rely on patterns learned from their training data to interpret the exact words in your prompts. That means they can’t really understand nuance or ‘figure out’ what you meant to say.

For example, if you want to write a welcome email for a new subscriber to your running blog, you need to provide clear and specific instructions, like this:

Write a warm, energetic welcome email for a new subscriber to my running blog. The blog focuses on motivating beginner and intermediate runners with training tips, personal stories, and product recommendations.

Keep the email between 150 and 200 words.
Use simple, clear language with short paragraphs.

The tone should be friendly, encouraging, and inspiring.

In the email:

• Start with a heartfelt thank you for subscribing.
• Introduce the purpose of the blog briefly (helping runners stay motivated, improve, and enjoy the journey).
• Mention what kinds of content they can expect (e.g., weekly training tips, inspirational stories, gear reviews, and occasional free resources like training plans).
• Encourage them to reply and introduce themselves (their running goals or biggest challenges).
• End with a positive, forward-looking statement about their running journey.

Notice how the prompt is full of detailed information about structure, tone, readability, and content to allow the AI tool to really understand our expectations. 

2. Define the role or context

Another great way to improve your prompts is by asking your chosen AI tool to take on a persona when providing answers. 

Clearly defining the tool’s role or context can help ensure its output is appropriate for your audience. 

For example, let’s say you’re coming up with ChatGPT prompts to create an article outline on a specific subject. In this case, you can ask it to take on the role of a search engine optimization (SEO) expert to improve search engine rankings.

A good prompt here could look something like this:

Act as an SEO expert with 10+ years of experience specializing in content strategy, keyword research, on-page optimization, and technical SEO.

When you respond, prioritize strategies in line with Google's latest algorithm updates and SEO best practices as of 2025.

For any SEO question or task:

• Provide clear, actionable advice.
• Explain why each recommendation matters in terms of improving rankings, traffic, and user experience (UX).
• Suggest practical examples or tools, such as Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Google Search Console, when helpful.
• Focus on strategies that balance SEO with maintaining a natural, high-quality UX. Avoiding keyword stuffing and outdated methods.
• Always structure your answer with a clear headline, bullet points for key takeaways, and a concise summary highlighting the main point.

3. Use step-by-step instructions

It’s also important to break down your prompts into easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions. LLMs tend to perform better when complex tasks are divided into smaller parts because it:

• Reduces confusion
• Keeps the response focused
• Minimizes the chances of skipping steps

Even better, it saves time by cutting down on follow-up prompts.

If you look back at our previous two examples, you’ll see that we’ve used clear step-by-step instructions to help guide the AI in generating our desired output.

4. Set guidelines

Prompts typically focus on telling generative AI tools what they should do, but it’s always a good idea to specify what they  do as well. For example:

• "Don't use technical jargon."
• "Limit the response to 200 words."
• “Avoid mentioning competitor tools.”

This level of clarity is also extremely important, as AI tools tend to ramble or lose focus, especially when dealing with complex topics.

5. Specify formatting

If you want your output to follow a particular format, then you need to specify that in your prompt. AI tools have a lot to offer, but they aren’t mind readers.

Take this example. Let’s say we needed three quick, frequently asked questions for an article on ‘How to Make Sourdough Bread’. 

For maximum visibility, we want the questions to be relevant and the answers to be formatted in a way that fits the People Also Ask section of Google. Even better, that also increases the chances of ranking in a Featured Snippet, especially if the question matches a high-volume search term.

When we use the prompt “Give me three frequently asked questions about how to make sourdough bread with answers.”, here’s what we get:

Not bad, but the formatting isn’t ideal for aligning with the People Also Ask section.

Now, here are the answers when we use a much more detailed prompt: 

Give me frequently asked questions about how to make sourdough bread with answers. The questions should match the People Always Ask section of the Google SERP for this keyword phrase, and the answers should be provided in a way that is most likely to rank for a Featured Snippet. Be clear, concise, and use a format that is already ranking in the SERP as your structure for each one. Provide me with 5 that I can then pick from.

In the second version, the answers are formatted in a much better way for both the People Also Ask and Featured Snippets sections because:

• It uses numbered questions and bolded question text, followed by a concise paragraph under 50 words, similar to what you’d see in the two targeted sections
• The question text uses “you” instead of “I”, and these sections tend to favor second-person phrasing

Although the first version still technically delivered a correct response, the second one has cleaner formatting and structure that matches the People Also Ask sections.

Keep in mind that when creating content to rank well in Google, Google still prefers content that prioritizes people and offers unique insights and expertise.

6. Include the target audience

Another great way to ensure your generative AI results match your needs is to tell it about your target audience. Clarify who the message is for and how it should sound, and the output should be much closer to what you’re after.

Let’s say your sourdough bread article is meant for an audience of expert breadmakers. In this case, you don’t want your output to cover the basics of sourdough bread. 

Instead, you should include advanced tips from other breadmakers, maybe some technical jargon, and anything else that could be of value to those experts.

7. Iterate and refine

Finally, it’s important to keep in mind that an AI’s initial response to a prompt isn’t always the best one. You don’t need to take it. If its output doesn’t match what you want, refine your prompt.

Don’t be afraid to challenge AI responses, and check that the tool has factored in every aspect of your prompt.

You’ll want to be especially careful with any statements or claims from AI tools. 

ChatGPT, for example, produces answers with such confidence that it can be easy to assume the data is correct. However, it's known for making mistakes, and AI hallucinations and factual errors can get you into trouble. 

So, remember to always fact-check for sources and challenge anything that doesn’t look right.

A word on AI content and Google 

That said, even the best prompts can’t replace authentic human writing.

As previously mentioned, AI can make mistakes, and further, Google recently updated its Search Quality Rater Guidelines in 2025 to advise raters that if all of the main content on a page is AI or automated, it should be marked as lowest quality. Not to mention Google penalties for AI content that doesn’t comply with spam policies.

So, while learning how to create good AI prompts is a key skill as AI becomes increasingly integrated into multiple industries, it’s still essential to create high-quality people-first content for your audience.

Then, maintain transparency in the content you publish by using the Originality.ai AI Checker and Site Scan to flag AI-generated text in your content for further review.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to create good AI prompts with tools like ChatGPT can take a bit of practice, but it doesn’t have to be a steep learning curve. As long as you apply these tips with some consistency, you should start seeing better outputs in no time.

When you know how to prompt AI properly, it can be a powerful addition to your content toolbox. 

However, you still need to balance generative AI with human insight to ensure accuracy, maintain quality, and protect your brand’s credibility.

Looking for the best AI writing tools to use with your prompts? Check out some of our top reviews:

• ChatGPT Review
• Jasper AI Review
• Claude Review
• Google Gemini AI Review