Prompt group
A prompt group is a set of prompts you track and read together, usually about one subject, worded different ways on purpose.
A prompt group is a set of prompts you track and read as one. The prompts in it are usually about the same subject, and they're worded in different ways on purpose: some name your brand and some don't, some ask what to buy and some ask how something works.
One prompt on its own tells you very little. Answers change from day to day, and one way of asking can favour you or count against you by chance. A group gives you a fairer reading of how the platforms treat a subject.
What goes into a good group
Think about the different people who might ask about the subject, and how each of them would put it. A useful group usually mixes:
- Questions from someone learning about the subject
- Questions from someone comparing options
- Questions from someone ready to buy
- A few that name your brand, kept apart from the rest
For example, Fernhill Coffee might build a group for office coffee with four prompts. "How much coffee does a 20-person office drink?" asks to learn. "Is a bean-to-cup machine worth it for an office?" compares. "Best office coffee subscription in Manchester" is ready to buy. "Does Fernhill do office coffee?" names the brand. Each one shows a different side of the same subject.
Read the group, then the prompts
Start with the group's overall numbers to see where you stand on the subject. Then open the prompts that pull it down. If you're named for learning questions and never for buying ones, that tells you where to work.
Keep branded prompts in a separate group, or tag them. They name you almost every time because you're in the question, and mixed in with the rest they make you look better than you are.
Prompt groups in AnswerOrbit
We call them topics. A topic groups your prompts by subject, such as coffee subscriptions or office coffee, and shows your visibility on each. Tags let you slice prompts another way, across topics, like by price or comparison. See Topics and prompts.