How to Decide Which Questions to Optimise for on ChatGPT?

To decide which questions to optimise for on ChatGPT, start with your unique selling points (USPs) and map them across six prompt areas: purchase intent, competitive, sentiment analysis, brand-specific, discovery, and experimental. To get results fast, focus first on purchase intent and competitive questions, then expand later into the other categories.

Customer talking to receptionist at a beauty clinic, illustrating how businesses can use generative engine optimisation to decide which ChatGPT questions to optimise for.

Focus on USPs → anchor optimisation in what makes your brand unique.
Pick no more than 2 prompt areas to start → usually purchase intent + competitive.
Expand later into sentiment, brand-specific, discovery, and experimental prompts.
Use tools like Indexed Lab’s free AI SEO Target Prompt Generator to uncover high-value prompts.
Validate with real-life customer journeys → what people actually ask before buying.

Why this question matters

Search is shifting from blue links to AI answers. According to Pew Research, when Google shows an AI summary, people click traditional results only about half as often compared to queries without one.

Meanwhile, Google confirmed in May 2025 that AI Overviews now reach 200+ countries with 1.5 billion monthly users, and Semrush’s July 2025 study showed AI Overviews appeared in 13.14% of queries in March, which is double the rate from January.

These AI answers are most often triggered by purchase intent and comparison queries, which is the exact categories you should focus on first in generative engine optimisation.

Start with your USPs

Your unique selling points are the foundation. These are the reasons customers choose you over others. If ChatGPT gets asked a question directly tied to your USP, and you’re cited in the answer, you become the ideal recommendation.

Think:

If you’re a restaurant → healthy + fast + affordable.
If you’re a SaaS tool → free tier limits, integrations, or reliability.
If you’re a jeweller → quality vs. price, certifications, or ethical sourcing.

Optimising for USP-based questions means when users ask “Which [USP category] is best in Dubai?”, so your brand is naturally positioned to appear.

The six prompt areas

Here’s how to think about each type of AI prompt, with examples and whether to prioritise now or later:

Prompt Area	What it means	Example Prompt	Priority vs Later
Purchase Intent	Questions asked by customers close to buying.	“What is the best quick facial treatment in Dubai?”	Priority
Competitive	Questions comparing brands or alternatives.	“Is brand X better value than brand Y for engagement rings?”	Priority
Sentiment Analysis	Questions about trust, reputation, emotional perception.	“Do people trust ChatGPT to handle sensitive data?”	Later
Brand-Specific	Direct questions about your brand’s features, offers, or limits.	“Does Wondercraft.ai’s free tier allow you to produce a podcast end-to-end without hitting limits?”	Later
Discovery	Broad exploration or early research questions.	“What are the latest trends in nootropic supplements for focus in 2025?”	Later
Experimental	Creative, long-tail, or speculative prompts.	“Help me write a caption for showing off my engagement ring.”	Later

Real-life example: Flash Facial, Dubai

Flash Facial, a beauty clinic in Dubai, came to Indexed Lab invisible in AI search results. They weren’t showing up when users asked ChatGPT purchase intent questions like “Where can I get a quick facial in Dubai Hills Mall?” or “What’s the fastest skin treatment before an event?”

By focusing on their USPs (speed, affordability, convenience) and optimising content for purchase intent + competitive prompts, we helped Flash Facial move from invisible to a top AI recommendation.

The result? They started appearing in Gemini and ChatGPT answers and became a trusted choice for customers in Dubai looking for quick facials, which is driving new bookings directly from AI discovery. (Read the case study here)

How to pick your starting questions

When working with clients, we recommend this step-by-step:

Map your USPs: what 3 things really set you apart?
List customer questions: what do people ask before buying (sales calls, reviews, DMs)?
Sort them into prompt areas (purchase, competitive, sentiment, brand-specific, discovery, experimental).
Choose 2 areas to start: usually purchase intent + competitive.
Use tools to expand: try our free AI SEO Target Prompt Generator by inserting your domain.
Optimise content: create direct, structured answers (FAQ schema, short paragraphs, lists).

Common mistakes to avoid

Trying to cover all areas at once: it spreads your resources too thin.
Forgetting USPs: generic answers won’t win; AI needs strong signals of what makes you different.
Not validating with real user queries: if your sales team or reviews show people care about one comparison, start there.
Blocking crawlers: if AI can’t reach your site, none of this matters (see our 3 pillars guide).

Counterarguments & nuances

Some marketers argue you should optimise for brand-specific questions first, since those directly mention you. While useful, this only works if people already know your brand. If your visibility is dropping, the bigger opportunity is to win new discovery via purchase intent and competitive prompts.

Others ask: won’t AI models change what questions they prioritise? Yes, but according to Semrush’s July 2025 study, purchase intent and comparison queries remain the most common triggers for AI answers. Start where the volume and value already are.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many questions should I optimise for at once?
Focus on 5–10 high-value prompts tied to your USPs. It’s better to rank for fewer but stronger questions than scatter your effort.

Do I need to optimise for experimental prompts?
Not at the beginning. They can be creative but low-impact. Prioritise purchase and competitive queries first.

Can I track which questions I appear in?
Yes. Run regular tests in ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity with your target questions. Compare before-and-after results and adjust content accordingly.

Conclusion

To decide which questions to optimise for on ChatGPT, start with your USPs and map them across six prompt areas. Then prioritise purchase intent and competitive prompts, the ones closest to conversion, before expanding into sentiment, brand-specific, discovery, and experimental. By taking this structured approach, you ensure your brand becomes the ideal answer AI models deliver to your customers.