TL;DR. Every prompt carries one of three intents: Information (learning), Consideration (comparing options), Transaction (ready to buy). AI engines read intent from phrasing, including very short phrasing. Your most valuable prompts are consideration and transaction, because they are closest to a purchase decision.
How engines read intent
AI engines infer intent from very few words. A long natural-language question like "Which CRM is tailored to a small business with 10 employees?" makes the information intent explicit, but you do not track it that way. A short prompt like "CRM" already signals information, "best CRM" already signals consideration, and "CRM pricing" already signals transaction. The engine expands the rest.
This matters because the shorter the prompt, the more stable the output run-to-run. Long questions introduce volatility. Use long questions only to design the scenario in your head, then track the short form.
The three intent levels, tracked short (Mint Mobile worked example)
| Intent | Short prompt to track | What it signals |
|---|---|---|
| Information | mobile phone plans | Learning what exists |
| Consideration | best mobile phone plans | Comparing options |
| Transaction | mobile phone plans price | Filtering for purchase conditions |
The playbook uses this Mint Mobile pattern as the canonical example. Apply the same 2–4 word pattern to your own segment.
Why intent matters for prioritization
Conversion potential rises with intent. Appearing in transaction answers drives leads or revenue directly. Appearing in information answers drives awareness. Both matter, but you prioritize transaction and consideration first for business impact.
How you tag
Intent is one of the three required tag dimensions on every prompt variation. If you leave it out, it will be more difficult to act on it later.
Do this now:
Take your core segment from lesson 1 (2–4 words). Write one short variation for each intent level. Example for CRM: "CRM" (information), "best CRM" (consideration), "CRM pricing" (transaction). You now have 3 of your 12 variations.
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