How to Write Prompts That Get Better AI Answers

Most bad AI answers are caused by bad prompts. Here is how to fix that.

The problem

"Write something about websites."

This gives you a generic paragraph. Of course it does — you asked for generic.

The fix: give the AI a job

Weak prompt	Strong prompt
"Write about websites"	"Write a 300-word beginner guide to what a website is, for a small business owner"
"Make it SEO friendly"	"Give me 5 title tags for this article, each under 60 characters"
"Check my grammar"	"Fix the grammar but keep my casual tone"

The four-part formula

1. Role — "You are a friendly web developer..."
2. Task — "...explain DNS to a beginner..."
3. Format — "...in 5 bullet points with no jargon."
4. Constraint — "...under 150 words."

Try it:

You are an experienced SEO writer.
Write a 3-paragraph intro for a blog post about local SEO.
Use simple language, no jargon, and end with a question.

One more tip

Ask the AI to improve its own answer. Add: "Now rewrite that more concisely." Iteration beats hoping for perfect first drafts.