From Keywords to Prompts: The Future of Search 

When it comes to search, the rules are changing. We’re moving away from keyword-driven behaviour and towards something more natural, more conversational – prompts.

Back in November last year, when our agency first did ChatGPT training, my prompts were very basic. They looked a lot like Google searches. Short, simple and straight to the point. But as I’ve used it more, my approach has completely changed.

Now, I write prompts that include context. I tell ChatGPT what I want it to act as, what I’m trying to do, what format I need the output in, and what the result should look like. They’re longer, more specific and a lot more effective. It’s a totally different behaviour and a new skill I’ve picked up over time.

That’s the key difference. Searching and prompting might seem similar on the surface, but they’re not. Searching is quick and narrow. We’ve all been conditioned to do it a certain way, like using short phrases, generic terms and no fluff. Prompting, on the other hand, is much more like briefing a person. It’s detailed. It’s creative. It’s a conversation.

I often describe it like hiring a virtual assistant. You don’t just say “training plan”. You say “I need a 10K training plan, I’ve got two weeks, I already play football, I want to keep doing that. What should I do?” And that level of specificity gets you exactly what you need.

When we talk about how people are using AI, it’s easy to get stuck in our own little marketing-tech bubble. Most of us at Propellernet are using tools like ChatGPT every day. But what about everyone else?

To get a better picture, we partnered with research agency YouGov to survey 2,000 UK adults. We wanted to understand how people are actually using AI in their everyday lives such as how confident they feel, how much they trust it, and what they’re using it for.

This is the first round of what we’re calling the AI Pulse, and we’ll be running it quarterly to track how behaviours are shifting.

What the numbers are telling us

Let’s start with confidence. Right now, less than 7% of UK adults say they feel very confident using AI tools. That’s a small number, but it’s also our starting point. It’ll be interesting to see how quickly it grows.

Next up, usage. Around one third of people said they haven’t used AI for research at all. On the flip side, about 20% say they regularly use ChatGPT to find information. It’s not yet mainstream, but it’s starting to gain traction among certain groups.

There are some big demographic differences in the data. Men are more likely to be using AI tools than women. Younger people are far more confident with it than older generations. And geographically, London is leading the way, while regions like Yorkshire are slower to adopt.

Meet Jake, Sarah and Margaret

To help make sense of the data, we created three personas – fictional characters that represent real behavioural trends we’re seeing in the UK.

• Jake is our AI native. He’s young, lives in London, works in marketing and uses ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity daily. He trusts it. His friends are using it too. For Jake, AI isn’t the future – it’s already here.

• Sarah represents the average user. She’s tried AI a bit, mostly out of curiosity. She’s not using it every day and doesn’t fully trust the results yet, but she can see the potential.

• Margaret is our tech-resistant persona. She’s retired, lives in Yorkshire, and doesn’t really like tech, let alone AI. She’s heard about it, but hasn’t used it herself.

These characters aren’t meant to stereotype. They’re a reminder to think about where your customers really are when it comes to AI. Not everyone is a Jake. But some of your audience might be. And many more could be on the journey from Margaret to Sarah – and eventually to Jake.

So, what do we actually do with all of this?

We know that prompting is becoming more mainstream. We know people are using tools like ChatGPT in a totally different way to how they use Google. And we know not everyone is there yet – but many are on the journey. As marketers, that opens up whole new challenges and opportunities.

Rethink your content strategy

Traditional SEO has always been about keywords. We look at where the volume is. We create content to match that demand. But prompting doesn’t work that way.

Prompts are built around context, not keywords. Around real-life situations, not search volume. When someone types a prompt into ChatGPT, they’re not looking for the most popular answer. They’re looking for the most relevant one.

Take this example. A commuter with a new baby wants to run a marathon. That’s a real, human need. But if you type “marathon training plan for a sleep-deprived parent who commutes to London” into Keyword Planner, it’ll tell you no one’s searching for that.

That doesn’t mean no one has that need. It just means they’re not using Google to express it… yet.

Interestingly, if you go ahead and perform that search in Google then the sites ranking are niche blogs and sub-Reddits. Big brands aren’t creating content at this level because there’s no keyword volume to justify it, but engaged communities are discussing their specific needs all the time.

Create with context, not just keywords

This is the shift. Instead of casting a wide net, we need to get specific. We need to create content that speaks to real people in real situations.

Things like:

• Skincare routines for men in their 40s with sensitive skin who’ve never had a routine before; not just ‘skincare routines for men’

• Home workouts for people who hate the gym and only have a yoga mat; not just home workouts

• Financial advice for freelancers just starting out who are worried about tax season; not just ‘financial advice for freelancers’

These aren’t big keyword areas. But they’re real needs. And in a prompt-led world, they matter.

Your customers know what they’re dealing with. And if you know them well, you already have insight into what those specific needs are. That’s where your content should start if you want to win in an AI-led landscape.

Track the pace of change

We’ll be running the AI Pulse survey every quarter to keep an eye on how things are shifting. This first round gives us a benchmark and over time, we’ll see how quickly people move from Margaret to Sarah to Jake.

Because they will. The shift from keywords to prompts is already happening. And while it might take years to fully play out, we can start adapting right now.

By staying curious, thinking about real people, and creating content that’s rooted in their context, we can meet them where they are – and where they’re heading.

Curious where your audience sits on the AI spectrum? Let’s talk about how to shape your content for the prompt-led future. Get in touch!