Build a blog outline for the target keyword: {{target_keyword}}. Produce, in this order: 1. The keyword's search intent (informational, commercial, navigational - and which way it leans). 2. Total target word count (between 1,200 and 2,500). 3. H2 sections with: section title, target word count, and a one-line rationale explaining why the section earns its place. Constraints: - 5-7 H2 sections, no more. - One section must be extractable as a featured snippet (clear list, table, or definition). - Last section must be opinionated ('what we'd do today,' a recommendation, a contrarian take) - not generic 'conclusion.' My angle on the topic (one line, optional): {{my_angle}}
Blog outline from a target keyword
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the prompt
Example output
Target keyword: 'how to choose a database for a saas startup'
Search intent: informational, leaning commercial (reader is shopping)
Total target: 1,800 words
H2: The wrong question (200 words) - rationale: opens with the framing readers don't realize is wrong - 'which database is best.' Earns trust by reframing.
H2: The three real questions to ask first (450 words) - rationale: this is the core argument and what the reader will quote later. Largest section.
H2: When Postgres is obviously right (300 words) - rationale: handles 80% of cases; gives the reader a fast exit if they were going to land here anyway.
H2: When you actually need something else (450 words) - rationale: the 20% case, with named scenarios. Where commercial-intent readers will pause.
H2: The decision flowchart (200 words) - rationale: extractable summary for AI Overviews + featured snippets.
H2: What we'd do today (200 words) - rationale: opinionated close - signals authorship in a sea of AI-written outlines.
Common mistakes
Don't skip the search-intent line - it changes the whole outline. An informational outline opens with framing; a commercial outline opens with the decision. Also: do not write the post in the same chat. Outlines and prose have different voice requirements; switch chats so you don't get an outline that reads like a draft and a draft that reads like an outline.
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Why it works
Blog outlines are the highest-leverage AI task in content marketing - the rest is execution. The mistake is asking for 'an outline for X' and getting a generic table of contents. This prompt forces three things competitors miss: search intent (informational vs. commercial vs. navigational), word count per section so you don't write a 4,000-word piece by accident, and a one-line rationale per section explaining why it earns its place. The rationale is doing the work - it's the difference between an outline you can hand to a writer and one you have to redo yourself. Use this as the first step of any blog you publish, then write or assign from there.