SearchFit Prerequisites: What You Need Before Starting
Before you run any of the 10 prompts below, make sure you have the following in place:
1. A SearchFit Account You'll need an active SearchFIT account to access the Claude plugin and pull real data about your brand's visibility across AI search engines. The plugin integrates directly with your SearchFit dashboard, so you can reference your actual rankings, citation counts, and visibility metrics while working in Claude.
2. Claude Access (Paid or Free) You can use Claude through the web interface at claude.ai or through the Claude app. If you're using the free tier, you'll have rate limits, but all 10 prompts below work on the free plan. Paid subscribers (Claude Pro or API users) get higher rate limits and faster responses, which is useful when running batch audits or generating large amounts of optimized content.
3. The SearchFit Claude Plugin Installed Navigate to the plugins section in Claude and search for SearchFit. Install it, then authenticate with your SearchFit credentials. Once installed, you can invoke the plugin by typing @SearchFit in any Claude conversation, and it will pull your real-time data directly into the chat.
4. Your AI Search Visibility Baseline Before running these prompts, log into SearchFIT's analytics dashboard and note:
- Which AI engines are citing your brand (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Grok)
- How many citations you're getting per engine
- Which keywords are driving citations
- Which competitors are outranking you for your target keywords
Having this baseline makes the prompts much more actionable, you'll know exactly which gaps to fill.
5. A Content Library or URL List Ready Have your top 10-20 URLs, blog posts, or product pages ready to paste into Claude. The prompts work best when you feed them actual URLs or content, so gather your key pages before starting.
Understanding Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and Why Prompts Matter
Answer Engine Optimization is fundamentally different from traditional SEO. While Google rewards keyword density and backlinks, AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini reward clarity, structure, and citation-worthiness. An AI engine doesn't rank pages, it reads thousands of pages and decides which ones to cite when answering a user's question.
This means your content strategy has to shift. You're no longer optimizing for algorithms that crawl and index; you're optimizing for large language models that read your entire page, extract the most relevant information, and cite you if you're the clearest, most authoritative source available.
The SearchFit Claude plugin lets you automate this analysis. Instead of manually checking which AI engines cite your brand (which would take hours per week), you can ask Claude to pull your real SearchFit data, analyze it, and generate a content roadmap, all in one conversation.
That's where these 10 prompts come in. Each one is designed to solve a specific AEO problem: identifying citation gaps, auditing existing content, finding keywords you're missing, and generating new content that's engineered to rank in AI search.
Prompt 1: Audit Your AI Search Visibility Across All Engines
The Problem: You have no idea which AI engines are citing you, how often, or for which keywords. You might rank on Google but be completely invisible to ChatGPT and Perplexity.
The Prompt:
@SearchFit Show me my complete AI search visibility across all engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Grok). For each engine, list:
1. Total citations in the last 30 days
2. Top 5 keywords driving citations
3. Citation rate trend (up or down)
4. My top 3 competitors in each engine
Then tell me which engine is my biggest opportunity (lowest citations relative to my competitors) and why.What It Does: This prompt pulls your complete AI tracking data from SearchFit and gives you a snapshot of your AI visibility across all six major engines. Claude will rank your engines by citation volume and highlight which ones are underperforming.
How to Use It: Run this prompt first, before any others. It's your baseline. Screenshot the results. If you see that Perplexity is citing you 50 times per month but Gemini is citing you only 5 times, you know Gemini is your biggest opportunity. All your subsequent content work should prioritize keywords that Gemini users are asking about.
Pro Tip: If Claude returns "plugin error" or "no data," make sure you're authenticated. Go back to your SearchFit account settings, copy your API key, and re-authenticate the plugin.
Prompt 2: Identify Your Citation Gaps (Keywords You're Missing)
The Problem: Your competitors are getting cited for keywords you're not targeting. You're losing visibility because you're not even in the conversation.
The Prompt:
@SearchFit Pull the top 20 keywords that my competitors are getting cited for in ChatGPT and Perplexity. Cross-reference against my own citation keywords. Which keywords do my competitors rank for that I don't?
For each gap, tell me:
1. Search volume (if available)
2. How many competitors are cited for this keyword
3. The difficulty (easy/medium/hard to rank)
4. A recommended content angleWhat It Does: This prompt identifies the keywords driving citations for your competitors but not for you. These are your fastest wins, you're not starting from zero; you're just filling a gap your competitors already proved is valuable.
How to Use It: Look at the "easy" keywords first. These are often long-tail questions or specific use cases where you have expertise but haven't written about yet. Create one piece of content per easy keyword, optimized for AI citation (more on that below).
Pro Tip: According to research on prompt engineering for Claude, Claude performs better when you ask for structured data like lists and tables. This prompt returns a clean table, which you can copy directly into a spreadsheet.
Prompt 3: Generate an AEO-Optimized Content Brief
The Problem: You know what keyword you want to target, but you don't know how to structure the content so AI engines cite you instead of your competitors.
The Prompt:
I want to create content optimized for AI citation on the keyword: [INSERT KEYWORD]
@SearchFit Tell me:
1. What are the top 3 angles this keyword can be answered from?
2. What information do ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini currently cite for this keyword?
3. What's missing from current answers (gap I can fill)?
4. What format works best (how-to, comparison, data-driven, case study)?
5. What subheadings should I include to maximize citation likelihood?
Then write me a detailed content brief (500 words) that I can hand to my writer.What It Does: This prompt does the research for you. It tells you exactly what AI engines are currently citing, what's missing, and how to structure your content to be citation-worthy. Claude will generate a brief that's ready to send to a writer or to use as your own outline.
How to Use It: Paste the brief into your content management system or send it to your team. The brief will include:
- A clear thesis
- 5-7 subheadings
- Data points or examples to include
- A recommended word count (usually 1,500-2,500 words for AEO)
- Internal linking opportunities
Pro Tip: According to Anthropic's official documentation on prompt engineering, Claude excels at structured output when you ask for it explicitly. This prompt asks for a "detailed content brief," which tells Claude to go deep rather than surface-level.
Prompt 4: Audit Your Existing Content for AEO Gaps
The Problem: You have 100+ pages of content, but you don't know which ones are optimized for AI citation and which ones are dead weight.
The Prompt:
Here are my top 10 URLs:
[PASTE YOUR URLS]
For each URL, tell me:
1. Is this content currently being cited by AI engines? (Check SearchFit data)
2. If yes, which engines and how often?
3. If no, why not? (Missing keywords, poor structure, outdated info, thin content)
4. What's one change I could make in the next 30 minutes to improve citation likelihood?
Rank these URLs by citation potential (highest to lowest) and tell me which 3 I should update first.What It Does: This prompt audits your existing content library and tells you which pages are citation-ready and which need work. It's much faster than manually checking each page in SearchFit.
How to Use It: Start with the top 3 pages Claude recommends. Make the quick 30-minute fixes (add missing keywords, improve structure, add data). Then re-run Prompt 1 in two weeks to see if your citation volume increased.
Pro Tip: The "30-minute change" is key. You're not rewriting entire pages; you're making surgical edits that improve citation likelihood without requiring a full content overhaul. Examples include adding a clear definition in the first paragraph, breaking up long paragraphs into scannable lists, or adding a data table.
Prompt 5: Create AI-Optimized Subheadings and Structure
The Problem: You have good content, but it's structured for Google readers, not AI readers. AI engines need clear, scannable structure to extract and cite your information.
The Prompt:
Here's my current content:
[PASTE YOUR FULL ARTICLE TEXT OR URL]
Rewrite the subheadings and structure to maximize AI citation likelihood. Specifically:
1. Make each subheading a question that an AI user might ask
2. Add a 1-sentence summary after each subheading (tl;dr)
3. Break long paragraphs into 2-3 sentence chunks
4. Add a "Key Takeaways" list at the top
5. Add a data table or comparison chart if relevant
Show me the new structure (don't rewrite the full content, just show me the skeleton).What It Does: This prompt restructures your content to be more citation-friendly. AI engines prefer clear, scannable content with explicit summaries and data visualizations.
How to Use It: Copy Claude's new structure back into your CMS and update your existing page. This is a 15-minute job that can significantly improve citation rates.
Pro Tip: Research on prompt techniques for Claude shows that Claude responds better to explicit constraints. By asking for "just the skeleton" instead of a full rewrite, you're constraining the output, which makes Claude more focused and useful.
Prompt 6: Find Competitor Content You Should Respond To
The Problem: Your competitors are being cited, but you're not. You need to know what they're writing about so you can write something better.
The Prompt:
@SearchFit Show me the top 10 pieces of content that my competitors are getting cited for (across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini). For each piece, tell me:
1. The URL and title
2. Which engines cite it and how often
3. What keywords it ranks for
4. Why AI engines prefer it (is it more recent, more detailed, better structured?)
5. How I could create a better version
Then prioritize by "citation potential", which competitor content should I beat first?What It Does: This prompt shows you exactly what your competitors are doing right. It's competitive intelligence on steroids, you're not guessing; you're using real SearchFit data to see which competitor pages are actually getting cited.
How to Use It: Pick the competitor piece with the highest citation potential. Create a better version:
- More recent data
- Better structure
- More detailed explanations
- Original research or case studies
- A clearer answer to the user's question
Once published, share it in relevant communities (Reddit, LinkedIn, industry forums) and wait for AI engines to discover it. Most AI engines re-crawl the web weekly, so you should see citations within 2-4 weeks.
Pro Tip: Don't just copy your competitor's structure. Use their structure as a starting point, then add something they don't have: original data, a case study, a tool, or a unique perspective. AI engines will cite you over them if you're more authoritative.
Prompt 7: Generate a 30-Day AEO Content Calendar
The Problem: You know what to optimize, but you don't have a plan. You need a roadmap to stay consistent.
The Prompt:
@SearchFit Based on my AI visibility data, create a 30-day content calendar for me. I want to:
1. Fill my top 5 citation gaps
2. Update my top 3 underperforming pages
3. Create 4 new pieces of content on keywords my competitors own
For each week, tell me:
- What content to create or update
- Why (which keyword gap or competitor it fills)
- Estimated effort (quick update vs. new piece)
- Expected citation impact
Format as a table I can share with my team.What It Does: This prompt turns your AEO strategy into a concrete, weekly action plan. It prioritizes by impact, so you're not wasting time on low-value work.
How to Use It: Share this calendar with your content team. Assign one person per week to execute. Track results in SearchFit's analytics dashboard every Friday to see what's working.
Pro Tip: The prompt asks for "expected citation impact," which Claude estimates based on your data. Treat these estimates as hypotheses, not guarantees. Some pieces will outperform expectations; others will underperform. The point is to have a prioritized plan, not a perfect prediction.
Prompt 8: Analyze Why You're Not Being Cited (Diagnostic)
The Problem: You're creating good content, but AI engines still aren't citing you. You need to know why.
The Prompt:
@SearchFit I have 0 citations on [KEYWORD]. I know my competitors are getting cited. Why isn't my content being recommended?
Please analyze:
1. Is my content even being crawled by AI engines?
2. Is my content too thin, too promotional, or poorly structured?
3. Am I missing critical keywords or context?
4. Is my domain authority too low? (Compare to competitors)
5. Is my content less recent/authoritative than competitors?
Give me a ranked list of the most likely reasons, with fixes for each.What It Does: This prompt diagnoses why you're invisible. It's not always obvious, sometimes it's a crawlability issue, sometimes it's authority, sometimes it's just that your content is less complete than competitors'.
How to Use It: Start with the top reason Claude identifies. If it says "your content is 800 words but competitors average 2,500," then you know what to do: expand. If it says "your domain authority is too low," then you know you need to focus on building backlinks first.
Pro Tip: This prompt is especially useful for new brands or brands entering new categories. If you're completely invisible in one AI engine but visible in another, it's usually a crawlability or domain authority issue, not a content quality issue.
Prompt 9: Generate Optimized Meta Descriptions and Snippets for AI
The Problem: Your meta description is written for Google, not for AI engines. When AI engines cite you, they pull a snippet from your page. You should control what that snippet is.
The Prompt:
Here are my top 10 pages and their current meta descriptions:
[PASTE YOUR PAGES AND DESCRIPTIONS]
Rewrite each meta description to be AI-citation-optimized. Specifically:
1. Lead with the answer, not a teaser
2. Include the primary keyword naturally
3. Make it scannable (use colons, dashes)
4. Keep it 150-160 characters
5. Avoid marketing language; be direct and factual
Also, for each page, tell me what snippet (2-3 sentences) I should add to the beginning of the content to maximize citation likelihood. This snippet should directly answer the most common user question.What It Does: This prompt optimizes your on-page snippets. When an AI engine cites you, it pulls a snippet from your page. If your first paragraph is vague, the AI engine might cite a competitor instead. This prompt ensures your first few sentences are citation-worthy.
How to Use It: Update your meta descriptions in your CMS. Update the first paragraph of each page to match Claude's recommended snippet. Both changes take 5 minutes per page.
Pro Tip: According to research on Claude's prompt capabilities, Claude excels at constraint-based tasks. By asking for "150-160 characters" and "2-3 sentences," you're giving Claude clear guardrails, which makes the output more usable.
Prompt 10: Create a Competitive Differentiation Strategy
The Problem: You're in a crowded market. Multiple competitors are being cited for the same keywords. You need a unique angle to stand out.
The Prompt:
@SearchFit For my top 5 target keywords, show me:
1. All competitors currently cited
2. The main angle each competitor uses
3. What's missing or underexplored
4. A unique angle I could own
Then recommend:
- Which angle I should focus on (most defensible)
- How to position it (what makes it different)
- What content I should create to own this angle
- How long it will take to see citation results
Make this specific to my industry and brand.What It Does: This prompt finds your competitive moat. Instead of competing on the same angle as everyone else, it identifies an underexploited angle you can own. This is the difference between "me too" content and content that actually wins citations.
How to Use It: Look at the "unique angle" Claude recommends. If it says "your competitors focus on features, but no one covers ROI," then you know your angle: ROI-focused content. Create 5-10 pieces around this angle and watch your citations climb.
Pro Tip: This prompt requires real SearchFit data to be useful. Make sure you're pulling actual competitor data, not guessing. The more data you feed Claude, the better the recommendations.
Pro Tips for Getting the Most Out of These Prompts
Iterate and Refine The first response from Claude is rarely perfect. If you don't like the output, ask follow-up questions. For example, after running Prompt 3, you might ask: "Can you make the brief more technical?" or "Can you add competitor analysis?" Claude will refine based on your feedback.
Combine Prompts You don't have to run these prompts in order. Run Prompt 1 first, then pick whichever prompts are most relevant to your gaps. If you have no citations at all, run Prompts 2 and 3. If you have citations but they're declining, run Prompts 4 and 8.
Use Real Data The SearchFit plugin pulls real data from your account. The better your data (the more keywords you're tracking, the longer your history), the better Claude's recommendations. If you just set up SearchFit, wait 2-3 weeks for data to accumulate before running these prompts.
Export and Share Claude's output is formatted for sharing. Copy the tables, briefs, and calendars directly into Slack, Google Docs, or your project management tool. This keeps your team aligned and accountable.
Track Results After you implement Claude's recommendations, check your SearchFIT analytics weekly. You should see citation increases within 2-4 weeks for new content and 1-2 weeks for updated content. If you don't, re-run Prompt 8 to diagnose why.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Mistake 1: Treating AI Citation Like Google Ranking Google rewards backlinks and domain authority. AI engines reward clarity and citation-worthiness. Your content can rank #1 on Google and get zero AI citations. These are different games. Use these prompts to optimize for AI, not Google.
Mistake 2: Creating Content Without a Keyword Gap Don't write content just because you think it's good. Run Prompt 2 first to identify gaps. Write only content that fills a gap or beats a competitor. This ensures every piece you create has a shot at citations.
Mistake 3: Ignoring Competitor Content Your competitors have already done the research. Use Prompt 6 to see what's working for them, then create something better. This is faster than starting from scratch.
Mistake 4: Not Updating Existing Content Your best ROI is often updating existing content (Prompt 4), not creating new content. A quick structural update can 2x your citations. Don't overlook this.
Mistake 5: Forgetting to Re-Check SearchFit After you implement changes, check SearchFit's AI tracking dashboard to see if your citations increased. If they didn't, diagnose why (Prompt 8). This feedback loop is how you get better.
What Happens After You Run These Prompts
Once you've executed these 10 prompts, you'll have:
1. A Complete Audit of Your AI Visibility You'll know which engines cite you, which keywords drive citations, and where your biggest gaps are.
2. A Prioritized Content Roadmap You'll have a 30-day (or 90-day) plan to fill gaps, update underperforming content, and beat competitors.
3. Optimized Content Briefs Your writers will have clear, data-driven briefs instead of vague assignments. This speeds up production and improves quality.
4. Structural Improvements Your content will be restructured for AI citation, with clear subheadings, summaries, and data visualizations.
5. Competitive Intelligence You'll know exactly what your competitors are doing and how to differentiate.
6. A Feedback Loop You'll be checking SearchFit weekly to see what's working and adjusting your strategy accordingly.
The result: measurable citation growth within 2-4 weeks, especially for new content. Updated content usually sees improvements within 1-2 weeks.
Next Steps: Scaling Your AEO Strategy
After you've run these 10 prompts and seen results, here's how to scale:
Week 1-2: Run Prompts 1-3. Identify your gaps and create your first content brief.
Week 3-4: Create the content from your brief. Update your top 3 underperforming pages (Prompt 4).
Week 5-6: Check SearchFit for citation increases. If citations are up, create your 30-day calendar (Prompt 7). If citations are flat, run Prompt 8 to diagnose.
Week 7-8: Execute your 30-day calendar. Create new content, update existing content, and focus on your competitive differentiation angle (Prompt 10).
Week 9+: Repeat. Every 30 days, run Prompt 1 to see your updated visibility, then run Prompt 2 to identify new gaps. This keeps you ahead of competitors.
The key is consistency. AEO is not a one-time project; it's an ongoing discipline. These 10 prompts are your toolkit. Use them every month to stay competitive.
Final Thoughts: Why These Prompts Matter
Answer Engine Optimization is new, but it's not complicated. You need to understand what AI engines are citing, why they're citing it, and how to create content that's more citation-worthy than your competitors'.
These 10 prompts automate that analysis. Instead of spending 10 hours per week manually checking SearchFit, running competitor analysis, and brainstorming content ideas, you can get all of that done in 30 minutes with Claude.
The SearchFit Claude plugin bridges the gap between your data (what AI engines are citing) and your action (what content to create). Use it.
Start with Prompt 1 today. Run it, screenshot the results, and share them with your team. Then pick the prompt that addresses your biggest gap. Execute. Check SearchFit in two weeks. Iterate.
That's it. That's the entire AEO playbook, and these 10 prompts are your shortcut to executing it.
For more on effective prompting techniques and how to get the most out of Claude, check out this guide on stopping the use of Claude like ChatGPT and Anthropic's official prompt engineering documentation. Both resources dive deeper into advanced prompt techniques that can enhance your AEO work even further.
You can also explore Anthropic's official prompt library for additional templates and examples that you can adapt to your specific AEO needs. The more you understand how Claude works, the better you can leverage these prompts.