ChatGPT & Prompt Engineering

A prompting technique where you ask AI to explain its reasoning step-by-step before providing an answer. Why it matters: Chain-of-thought prompting dramatically improves accuracy for complex SEO tasks like keyword clustering, content gap analysis, and technical audits. It's the difference between getting a generic answer and getting a strategic recommendation you can actually use.

The maximum amount of text (measured in tokens) an AI can process in one interaction. GPT-4 has a 128K token context window, roughly 96,000 words. Why it matters: Context windows determine how much content you can analyze at once. Larger windows let you feed entire competitor articles, site audits, or keyword lists for comprehensive analysis without splitting tasks.

A technique where you provide 2-5 examples in your prompt to show AI exactly what you want. Why it matters: Few-shot prompting is the fastest way to get AI to match your brand voice, formatting preferences, or output structure. Instead of explaining what you want, you show it, dramatically improving output quality and reducing revision cycles.

OpenAI's latest multimodal model that can process text, images, and audio simultaneously in real-time. Why it matters: GPT-4o represents the future of AI-powered content creation and analysis. It can analyze competitor pages visually, generate alt text for images, and create comprehensive content strategies by understanding multiple content formats at once.

Methods used to bypass AI safety guardrails and content policies. Why it matters: While jailbreaking is often associated with malicious use, understanding these techniques helps you recognize when AI tools might generate inappropriate content. It's also useful for understanding AI limitations when creating content policies for your own AI implementations.

A curated collection of proven prompts for specific SEO tasks. Why it matters: Building a prompt library saves time and ensures consistency across your team. Instead of reinventing prompts daily, you refine and reuse what works, compounding your AI efficiency over time. Top SEO teams have libraries with 50-100+ specialized prompts.

A parameter (0-2) controlling AI creativity vs. consistency. Low temperature (0.1-0.3) gives predictable, factual outputs; high temperature (0.8-1.5) produces creative, varied responses. Why it matters: Use low temperature for technical SEO tasks and data analysis where accuracy matters. Use high temperature for brainstorming content ideas and creative headlines where variety is valuable.

The units of text that AI models process, roughly equivalent to 4 characters or 0.75 words. Why it matters: Tokens determine AI costs and context limits. Understanding token economics helps you optimize prompts for efficiency, reducing costs while maintaining quality. A well-crafted 500-token prompt can outperform a bloated 2,000-token one.