Why You Can’t Optimize for Prompts (and What to Do Instead)
As AI reshapes how people search, the way we measure and optimize visibility is starting to break down.
Most strategies still focus on prompts. But prompts are inconsistent, unpredictable, and often bear little resemblance to how real users explore, refine and make decisions. The same person won’t ask the same thing twice, and AI systems don’t operate on isolated queries.
The value sits in the conversation.
Users move through multi-step journeys, expanding context, comparing options and redefining intent as they go. Brands may appear early, but disappear as the conversation evolves and decisions become more specific.
In this webinar, Jon Earnshaw and David Sayce move beyond the single-query mindset to explore what it really means to optimize for the full search conversation.
Meet your webinar hosts 👇🏼
Jon Earnshaw
With over two decades of digital expertise, Jon Earnshaw is a pioneering force in SEO and academic research, renowned for coining the term ‘keyword cannibalization.’ A sought-after speaker and commentator on the SEO industry, Jon has headlined brightonSEO, and has featured in leading publications including Search Engine Watch and The Telegraph. As the Chief Product Evangelist and Co-Founder of Pi Datametrics, Jon drives innovation in search intelligence for global brands and agencies.
David Sayce
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One of the questions that followed this webinar was:
“If I shouldn’t optimise for prompts, what should I be tracking instead?”
In his latest article, Jon Earnshaw explores why individual prompts only tell part of the story, how AI search journeys evolve into multi-turn conversations, and how Pi Datametrics maps conversation spaces to understand visibility across the conversations that matter most.
You’ll also learn how conversation mapping, citation doorways and the Conversation Presence Index (CPI) are helping brands measure and improve their presence across AI search.
Overview
Digital strategy is evolving rapidly as search shifts from blue links to conversational AI and personal agents. Hosted by Jon Earnshaw (Chief Product Evangelist, Pi Data Metrics) and guest expert David Se (Digital Marketing Consultant), this session covers 30 years of SEO evolution, the practical differences between keywords and prompts, how B2B/professional services can win AI citations, and the impact of Google’s Gemini Spark agent.
Executive Summary
Modern search behavior is no longer limited to short keyword queries; users now input multi-intent, complex problems averaging over 10 words (and 200+ words in ChatGPT). As search engines evolve into conversational agents that filter choices based on machine-readable attributes, brands risk losing visual identity. To capture high-intent leads before competitors, organizations must focus on intent over exact prompts, eliminate generic content, and ensure strong technical and off-site reputation signals.
Key Takeaways
Keywords vs. Prompts vs. Intent: Tracking exact 30-word prompts is impractical and inefficient. Optimization strategies must focus on underlying audience intent and multi-turn decision paths rather than specific phrasing.
The Rise of B2B/Legal AI Discovery: Professional services and regulated industries are seeing high-intent leads originate directly from AI conversations (e.g., ChatGPT recommendations). Users trust AI guidance when selecting legal and financial partners.
Why B2B Content Gets Compressed: Corporate “vanilla” content that mimics competitors gets filtered out by LLMs. Opening citation doorways requires DUO content (Deep, Unique, Original) featuring explicit numbers, jump links, clear author credentials, and transparent data.
Preparing for Personal Agents (Gemini Spark): With native browser agents like Gemini Spark managing background tasks (negotiating, searching, scheduling), users will visit websites less frequently until a final decision is made.
Critical Service Attributes for Machines: In professional services, AI agents evaluate brands using specific attributes rather than standard copy:
Trust & Regulatory Compliance
Firsthand Author Expertise
Win Probability / Success Rates
Clear Fee Structures & Value Transparency
Rethinking Legacy Metrics: High-volume traffic and superficial keyword rankings are declining in importance. Modern reporting should focus on conversational presence, off-site ecosystem sentiment, and actual business conversions.
