GUIDE · PART OF AI PROMPT RESEARCH
What buyers ask ChatGPT,
stage by stage.
Buyers don't ask an assistant the way they search. They write a sentence, put their situation in it, and follow up. Across categories the questions fall into a small number of patterns, and knowing them makes it far easier to build a list for your own. This guide sets out the patterns, with examples you can adapt.
What do buyers ask ChatGPT before they buy?
Buyers ask AI assistants four kinds of question on the way to a purchase. First they ask what something is and whether they need it. Then they ask which options exist and how they compare. Next they ask whether a particular product fits their situation: their size, their budget, their country. After buying, they ask how to do things with it. The questions are longer than searches, they carry the buyer's circumstances, and they usually come in a series.
Key facts
- Buyer questions fall into four stages: learning, comparing, choosing and using
- They are longer than searches and usually include the buyer's own situation
- They come in a series. A first answer leads to a narrower follow-up
- Choosing-stage questions name constraints: company size, budget, country, existing tools
- The same patterns appear in most categories, with the details swapped
- The best source for your own list is what your sales and support teams already hear
Last reviewed 15 October 2026 by the SEORCE team.
Buyers don't ask the way they search.
Keyword habits don't transfer. A buyer who would search "invoicing software" will tell an assistant who they are, what they've tried and what they can spend.
"We're a 12-person agency with clients in the EU"
The context is in the question, and the answer is shaped by it.
"Which of those handles VAT?"
The second and third questions are narrower, and closer to the decision.
"Which would you pick?"
Buyers ask an assistant to choose for them in a way they'd never ask a search engine.
Four stages, and the patterns in each.
Take the patterns and fill in your own category. The examples here are for an invoicing tool.
"What is it, and do I need it?"
Early questions are about the problem. The buyer may not know your category has a name.
- What is [thing]?"What is multi-currency invoicing?"
- How do I [do the job]?"How do I bill a client in another country?"
- Do I need [thing]?"Do I need invoicing software or is a spreadsheet enough?"
"What are my options?"
Now the buyer knows the category and wants a shortlist. These are the questions where being left out costs you a place.
- Best [thing] for [situation]"Best invoicing software for a small agency."
- [A] or [B]?"Ledgerly or a spreadsheet for retainers?"
- Alternatives to [X]"Alternatives to my current invoicing tool that handle VAT."
"Will it work for me?"
The last questions before a purchase are specific, and they name the product. After the purchase, the questions turn practical.
- Does [product] do [thing]?"Does Ledgerly invoice in euros and dollars?"
- Is [product] right for [my situation]?"Is Ledgerly suitable for a 12-person agency?"
- What does [product] cost for [my case]?"How much is Ledgerly for five users?"
- How do I [task] in [product]?"How do I set up recurring invoices in Ledgerly?"
Building your own list from the patterns.
An hour with these patterns and your own sales notes will give you a first list.
Take each pattern
And write it for your category and your product.
Add the buyer's situation
Size, budget, country, the tool they use now.
Check against buyer questions
Sales calls and support tickets will correct your wording.
AI prompt research guide →Ask an engine, and read the follow-ups
The questions it suggests next are prompts too.
Check the page you'd want it to quote.
Once you know what buyers ask, look at the page that should answer it. The extension shows whether an AI bot can read it, and whether a heading asks the question.
The patterns, in one table.
| Stage | Pattern | Example | Page that should answer it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning | What is [thing]? | What is multi-currency invoicing? | An explainer. |
| Learning | How do I [job]? | How do I bill a client abroad? | A how-to guide. |
| Comparing | Best [thing] for [situation] | Best invoicing software for a small agency | A fair comparison. |
| Comparing | [A] or [B]? | Ledgerly or a spreadsheet? | A direct comparison. |
| Choosing | Does [product] do [thing]? | Does Ledgerly handle VAT? | The product page. |
| Choosing | What does [product] cost for [case]? | How much for five users? | The pricing page. |
| Using | How do I [task] in [product]? | How do I set up recurring invoices? | A help article. |
The examples are illustrative. Your own buyers' wording is always the better guide.
Your list, tracked on every engine.
AI Beacon runs the questions you choose on 7 AI engines + Google AI Overview, AI Mode & Search, sorted by stage, and shows who is named for each. Keyword Explorer supplies question searches and People Also Ask for your topics, which are a good way to fill out the learning stage.
Frequently asked questions.
Four kinds of question: what something is and whether they need it, which options exist, whether a particular product fits their situation, and, after buying, how to do things with it.
They're longer, they include the buyer's circumstances, and they come in a series. A search is a short phrase. A prompt is usually a sentence with context, followed by narrower questions.
No. Conversations are private, and no tool can show you other people's. You can ask the engines the questions your buyers ask, and see how they answer.
The choosing-stage ones, where a buyer is picking between options or checking a product fits. Being missing there costs the most.
Use both kinds. Questions about the category show whether you're on the shortlist. Questions that name you show whether the facts are right.
In your sales calls, your support tickets and the reviews people write about your category. They give you the wording, which matters as much as the topic.
Ask it yourself, and read the follow-up questions it suggests. No tool can show you other people's conversations. The free tools help with the next step: checking that your pages can be read.
See who's named for your buyers' questions.
Add your site and a first list of questions. Each one is run on every engine, and you'll see where you're missing.
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