SEO with AI: From Zero to Top 10
Briefings, outlines & on-page optimization — step by step with ready-to-use prompts
Who this is for: intermediate marketers and creators who want to move faster without sacrificing quality.
Goal: publish one search-ready article today and leave with a repeatable AI-assisted system.
The workflow at a glance
You’ll move through a clean sequence: research and clustering, briefing and outline, title and meta creation, drafting with on-page optimization and FAQs, FAQ Schema in JSON-LD, an internal linking plan, and finally a quick QA pass and measurement in Google Search Console. Expect about 60–90 minutes end to end once you’ve done it once.
Step 1 — Keyword research with AI
Ask AI to produce an intent-aware keyword set tailored to your niche, then prioritize it quickly in a spreadsheet.
Prompt:
Act as an SEO lead. List 50 keywords for [Niche/Product], grouped by search intent (Informational, Comparative, Transactional, Navigational). For each term include: Parent topic (cluster), Subtopic, Primary persona, Funnel stage, “Search intent in 1 line”, Content angle ideas, Common SERP features (PAA, videos, map pack, etc.). Return a table.
Copy the table to a sheet and add a Priority column. You can score each keyword by business fit, intent match, SERP opportunity, originality of angle, and competitor gap. A simple way to combine those is to rate each on a 0–2 scale and sum them. Pick one focus keyword with a high score for today’s article.
A practical tip: intent match tends to be higher for “how to…”, “best … for …”, and “compare … vs …” searches. SERP opportunity is higher when the first page is thin, dominated by forums, or missing FAQs and rich media.
Step 2 — Briefing and outline with AI
Generate a short editorial brief first, then the outline. The brief prevents generic drafts and forces a differentiator.
Briefing prompt:
You’re an editor. Create a brief to rank for “[focus keyword]”. Include: reader’s job-to-be-done, article thesis, differentiation vs. the current SERP, entities and semantic terms to cover, H2/H3 table with bullets, People-Also-Ask to answer, assets to include (images, tables), and a best-fit CTA.
Outline prompt:
Using the brief, produce a detailed outline (H1, H2, H3) with actionable sub-points and concrete examples. Include five FAQ questions, five “quick wins” to implement, and three natural CTAs embedded in the flow.
Edit the outline to inject E-E-A-T. Add your own data, screenshots, and first-hand experience you actually have. That human layer is what upgrades “AI-written” into “publishable and trustworthy.”
Step 3 — Title and meta description
Your title should be under about 60–65 characters and convey the benefit clearly. A useful pattern is primary benefit plus proof or scope and a qualifier. For example: “SEO with AI: From Zero to Top 10 (briefings, outlines & on-page).”
Your meta description should be under about 150–160 characters and combine the reader’s situation, your solution, a hint of proof or resources, and a small call to action. For example: “A practical AI-SEO flow: research, outline, titles, FAQ schema and internal links. Templates included. Start today.”
Title and meta prompt:
Generate 10 titles (≤ 65 chars) and 10 meta descriptions (≤ 160 chars) to rank for “[focus keyword]”. Keep them clear, value-driven, and non-clickbaity. Mark your top three of each for CTR potential.
Pick one title and one meta and adjust the tone to your brand.
Step 4 — Draft, on-page optimization, and FAQ
Have AI produce a first draft from your outline, then you’ll edit for clarity, examples, and structure.
Draft prompt:
Write the full article using the outline below. Follow these rules: single H1; scannable H2 and H3; short paragraphs; an intro that presents the problem, the promise, and what’s coming next; practical examples and tables where helpful; suggested internal link anchors in square brackets; a closing execution checklist and next steps; consistent professional tone.
Do a focused edit pass. Add one or two screenshots of your actual process. Keep the slug short and stable, such as /seo-with-ai-top-10. Use the focus keyword naturally in the H1, in the opening paragraph, in one H2, and in one image alt. Avoid stuffing.
Step 5 — Add FAQ Schema (JSON-LD)
If your page genuinely answers common questions, add structured data to enable rich results. Place the following near the bottom of the article and adapt the text to your answers.
Validate the page with Google’s Rich Results Test before publishing.
Step 6 — Plan internal links
A simple habit is to create symmetry between outgoing and incoming links. From the new article, link internally to one pillar page, one related supporting article, and one bottom-funnel page that aligns with the reader’s next step. Then add three incoming links from existing relevant posts that point to this new article with descriptive, natural anchors. To find candidates quickly, use a search like site:yourdomain.com "cluster term" and add a short paragraph in those posts where the new link fits.
Anchor suggestion prompt:
Suggest ten natural internal anchor phrases (three to five words) to link to [your URL] from posts about [related clusters]. Avoid exact-match repetition and keep anchors conversational.
Vary your anchors across exact, partial, semantic, and sentence-based phrasing to keep the profile natural.
Step 7 — On-page QA and publish
Before you hit publish, ensure the slug is short and readable, the title is unique and within length, the meta description is within length and includes a benefit and a subtle call to action, the intro states the problem, promise, and preview, the H2 and H3 structure matches intent and covers common People-Also-Ask, the focus keyword appears naturally where described earlier, key entities and semantic terms are present, images are compressed and sized explicitly, internal links out and in are planned and implemented, the FAQ schema is valid, and your CTA matches the reader’s stage. After publishing, request indexing in Google Search Console.
Measurement and fast iteration
Open Google Search Console and filter the Performance report to this page. Track impressions, CTR, and average position over seven, twenty-eight, and ninety days. If position is respectable but CTR is weak, test a new title and meta that emphasize a stronger benefit or clearer angle. If impressions are healthy but clicks remain thin, strengthen the snippet by adding a tight summary paragraph near the top, a short numbered process section, or concise FAQs. If the page hovers between positions eleven and twenty, reinforce it with additional internal links and add one missing section that targets a People-Also-Ask question you didn’t cover.
Copy-paste prompts you can reuse
Clustering by intent:
Cluster this keyword list by parent topic and search intent. For each cluster, propose one pillar page title, three supporting articles, and five natural internal anchors. Return a table.
Title variations:
Generate fifteen titles under sixty-five characters for “[keyword]” across angles such as step-by-step, ROI, “in X minutes,” checklist, and common mistakes. Mark the top three for CTR.
FAQ drafting:
Based on the outline and the current SERP, write five FAQ Q&As under seventy-five words each. Make answers plain-English and immediately useful.
Editorial review:
Act as an SEO editor. Critique the draft for clarity, scannability, repetition, and missing proof. Propose the top five concrete fixes and where to place them.
Example section skeleton
Conclusion
AI does not replace SEO; it compresses the time it takes to do the right work. When you consistently move through intent-led research, a differentiating outline, a compelling snippet, helpful FAQs, and deliberate internal links, top-ten placements become a by-product of your process rather than a guess. Publish quickly, measure weekly, and iterate with purpose.
CTA: Want the complete prompt pack and the prioritization sheet to run this in under ninety minutes? Grab the templates and duplicate the system for your next article.