When a small business first looks at AI visibility tracking, one of the obvious questions is:
How many prompts do I actually need to monitor?
Some AI visibility platforms allow businesses to track dozens or even hundreds of prompts.
More data can certainly be useful.
But for a small business getting started, I think there is a strong argument for beginning much more narrowly.
Fifteen carefully chosen prompts can be enough to investigate one commercially important customer journey.
That does not mean 15 prompts are enough to represent every service, customer and buying situation within every small business.
The idea is much simpler:
Don’t try to cover your whole business. Pick one important customer journey and use your first 15 prompts to understand it properly.
The aim isn’t to discover the perfect 15 prompts.
It is to use a manageable prompt portfolio to learn how your business appears — or fails to appear — as a potential customer moves from recognising a problem towards choosing a provider.
A Simple 15-Prompt Customer Journey
There is no universal formula, but this is a useful starting structure:
| Customer journey stage | Prompts |
|---|---|
| Understanding the problem | 3 |
| Looking for a provider | 3 |
| Adding specific requirements | 4 |
| Comparing potential providers | 3 |
| Checking an individual business | 2 |
| Total | 15 |
Or, put even more simply:
3 problem prompts + 3 provider prompts + 4 requirement prompts + 3 comparison prompts + 2 branded prompts = 15.
The prompts should generally become more specific as the customer’s needs become clearer.
Someone asking:
“Do manufacturing businesses need specialist accountants?”
is at a very different stage from someone asking:
“Which Birmingham accountants understand manufacturing, Xero and monthly management accounts?”
Both may matter commercially.
The 15-prompt portfolio is designed to explore that progression.
Why 15 Can Be Enough — and Why 15 Can Also Be Wasted
Prompt count by itself tells us very little.
Imagine using five of your monitoring slots for:
- best accountant Birmingham;
- top accountant Birmingham;
- recommended accountant Birmingham;
- good accountant Birmingham;
- Birmingham accountant recommendations.
Technically, you are monitoring five prompts.
But commercially, you are largely testing the same idea five times.
That can be useful if your specific purpose is to study how wording affects AI responses.
But if your objective is to understand a customer journey, those five slots could probably be used more effectively.
Fifteen genuinely different prompts covering different customer needs can provide much broader insight than 50 near-duplicates.
Prompt quality and journey coverage matter more than simply filling every available tracking slot.
Here are six examples of what that could look like.
1. Accountant: Manufacturing Businesses in Birmingham
Imagine an accountancy firm that offers bookkeeping, payroll, tax, management accounts and business advisory services to many different clients.
Trying to represent everything it does with 15 prompts would probably produce a shallow test.
Instead, suppose the firm particularly wants more manufacturing SME clients.
The customer journey becomes:
a growing Birmingham manufacturer looking for accountancy support.
Understanding the problem
- Do manufacturing businesses need specialist accountants?
- What accounting problems do growing manufacturing businesses commonly have?
- How can better management accounts help a small manufacturing company?
Looking for a provider
- What are the best accountants for manufacturing businesses in Birmingham?
- Which Birmingham accountants have experience with small manufacturing companies?
- Are there accountants in Birmingham that specialise in manufacturing?
Adding requirements
- Which manufacturing accountants in Birmingham understand Xero?
- Which accountants can help a manufacturer with inventory and cost of goods sold?
- Which Birmingham accountants provide monthly management accounts for manufacturers?
- Which manufacturing accountants offer fixed monthly fees?
Comparison and shortlisting
- What should I look for when choosing an accountant for a manufacturing business?
- Which accountant would suit a 25-person manufacturing company in Birmingham using Xero?
- Compare accountants in Birmingham for a growing manufacturing SME.
Individual business checks
- Is [Business Name] a good accountant for a manufacturing company?
- What are the pros and cons of using [Business Name] for manufacturing accounting?
Those final branded prompts serve a different purpose from the earlier discovery prompts.
They test decision-stage portrayal.
Once somebody has heard of the firm, does AI understand what it does, who it serves and whether it is suitable for that customer’s particular requirements?
2. Dentist: Helping Nervous Patients
A dental practice might offer general dentistry, implants, Invisalign, cosmetic work, hygiene appointments and emergency treatment.
Again, trying to squeeze the whole practice into 15 prompts would spread the test very thinly.
Instead, imagine the practice particularly wants to attract adults with severe dental anxiety.
Understanding the problem
- What can I do if I am terrified of going to the dentist?
- How do dentists help people with severe dental anxiety?
- Can I have dental treatment under sedation if I have a dental phobia?
Looking for a provider
- What are the best dentists for nervous patients in Leeds?
- Which Leeds dentists specialise in severe dental anxiety?
- Are there dentists in Leeds that offer sedation for nervous adults?
Adding requirements
- Which Leeds dentists offer IV sedation?
- Which dentists accept new adult patients with severe dental anxiety?
- Which nervous-patient dentists publish their sedation fees?
- Which Leeds dentists offer non-judgmental treatment for people who have avoided the dentist for years?
Comparison and shortlisting
- Which Leeds dentist is best for someone with a severe dental phobia?
- Compare Leeds dental practices offering IV sedation for nervous patients.
- Which dentist would suit someone who wants patient-led treatment and clear sedation fees?
Individual business checks
- Is [Practice Name] good for severely nervous dental patients?
- Would [Practice Name] be suitable for someone who may need IV sedation?
The value here is not predicting every possible question a patient could ask.
It is testing whether the practice remains relevant as the customer’s needs become increasingly specific.
3. Boiler Installer: Replacing an Old Boiler
A plumbing and heating business might handle repairs, servicing, bathrooms, leaks, heat pumps and emergency call-outs.
For the first AI visibility test, choose just one commercially important journey:
boiler replacement.
Understanding the problem
- How do I know if my boiler needs replacing?
- Is it better to repair or replace an old boiler?
- How much does a new boiler normally cost?
Looking for a provider
- Who are the best boiler installers in Leeds?
- Which local companies install replacement boilers in Leeds?
- How do I choose a reliable boiler installer?
Adding requirements
- Which Leeds boiler installers are Gas Safe registered?
- Which boiler installers offer long warranties?
- Which Leeds installers fit Worcester Bosch boilers?
- Which boiler installers offer finance or monthly payment options?
Comparison and shortlisting
- What should I compare when choosing between boiler installers?
- Which Leeds boiler installer offers the best combination of warranty and price?
- Compare local boiler installers for replacing an old combi boiler.
Individual business checks
- Is [Business Name] a good company for boiler replacement?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of choosing [Business Name] for a new boiler?
A test like this could reveal that a company appears for broad “boiler installer” recommendations but disappears once warranty, manufacturer experience or payment options enter the decision.
That is much more actionable than simply knowing it appeared once for “best boiler installer Leeds”.
4. Solicitor: Lease Extensions
A law firm could require hundreds of prompts if it tried to represent every department.
Conveyancing, probate, family law, employment law, litigation and commercial work all involve different customer journeys.
So use the 15 prompts for one area:
residential lease extensions.
Understanding the problem
- What happens when the lease on my flat gets below 80 years?
- When should I extend the lease on my flat?
- Do I need a solicitor to extend a lease?
Looking for a provider
- Who are the best lease extension solicitors in London?
- Which solicitors specialise in residential lease extensions?
- How do I find an experienced lease extension solicitor?
Adding requirements
- Which solicitors handle statutory lease extensions?
- Which lease extension solicitors offer fixed fees?
- Which solicitors can help if the freeholder is absent?
- Which London solicitors can deal with both the legal and valuation process for a lease extension?
Comparison and shortlisting
- What should I look for when choosing a lease extension solicitor?
- Compare fixed-fee lease extension solicitors in London.
- Which solicitor is best for a complicated statutory lease extension?
Individual business checks
- Is [Firm Name] experienced in residential lease extensions?
- What are the pros and cons of using [Firm Name] for a lease extension?
For a multi-service professional firm, this illustrates the central principle nicely:
15 prompts might not be enough for the whole firm. They may be enough for one commercially important practice area.
5. Commercial Cleaning Company: Dental Practices
Commercial cleaners may serve offices, schools, warehouses, retail premises, healthcare settings and hospitality businesses.
Those customers do not necessarily have the same requirements.
Suppose the business wants to win more dental practices.
Understanding the problem
- What cleaning standards should a dental practice follow?
- Does a dental practice need a specialist cleaning company?
- What should a dental practice look for in a commercial cleaning provider?
Looking for a provider
- Which cleaning companies specialise in dental practices in Leeds?
- Who provides specialist healthcare cleaning for dental practices in Leeds?
- What are the best commercial cleaners for dental surgeries?
Adding requirements
- Which cleaners understand dental infection-control requirements?
- Which cleaning companies have experience working in clinical environments?
- Which dental cleaning companies can work outside surgery opening hours?
- Which Leeds cleaning companies provide documented cleaning schedules for dental practices?
Comparison and shortlisting
- How should I compare cleaning companies for a dental practice?
- Which Leeds commercial cleaner is best for a small dental surgery?
- Compare specialist dental practice cleaning companies in Leeds.
Individual business checks
- Is [Business Name] suitable for cleaning a dental practice?
- What experience does [Business Name] have with dental or healthcare cleaning?
This is much more meaningful than spending those same 15 slots on slight variations of “commercial cleaner Leeds”.
6. IT Support Company: Small Professional Firms
The same approach works for B2B services.
Imagine an IT support company wants to attract professional-services firms with around 10 to 30 employees.
Understanding the problem
- When should a small business outsource its IT support?
- What IT support does a 20-person business normally need?
- Is outsourced IT support better than employing an internal IT person?
Looking for a provider
- What are the best IT support companies for small businesses in Manchester?
- Which Manchester IT companies specialise in professional-services firms?
- What should a small business look for in a managed IT provider?
Adding requirements
- Which IT support companies offer Microsoft 365 support?
- Which Manchester IT providers include cybersecurity monitoring?
- Which IT companies offer a fixed monthly support fee?
- Which IT providers offer rapid remote support for small teams?
Comparison and shortlisting
- How much should managed IT support cost for a 20-person business?
- Compare IT support companies for a small professional-services firm in Manchester.
- Which managed IT provider is best for a company with around 20 employees?
Individual business checks
- Is [Business Name] a good IT support provider for a small professional firm?
- What are the pros and cons of using [Business Name] for managed IT support?
Again, the 15 prompts work because we are following one kind of customer through one buying decision.
These Are Examples, Not “The 15 Prompts You Should Use”
The examples above are deliberately illustrative.
A real business should adapt its prompts to:
- the customers it actually wants;
- the problems those customers genuinely have;
- the services it genuinely provides;
- the requirements that influence a buying decision;
- its geography;
- its pricing and positioning;
- and the questions it already receives from prospects.
The goal is not to copy somebody else’s list.
The goal is to build a prompt portfolio that represents your own customer’s journey.
Your First 15 Prompts Are a Hypothesis
Another mistake would be assuming that once you choose your first 15 prompts, they must remain unchanged forever.
Think of them as a hypothesis:
We believe these questions represent an important customer journey for our business.
Then learn from what happens.
You might discover that:
- one prompt is too broad;
- another consistently produces irrelevant answers;
- customers probably would not ask one of the questions you initially selected;
- two prompts are effectively duplicates;
- an unexpected competitor repeatedly appears;
- a customer requirement you had not considered keeps emerging;
- one stage of the journey appears much more important than expected.
Replace weak prompts.
Refine useful ones.
Add better questions as you learn.
The objective isn’t to identify a perfect, permanent list on day one.
Use Query Fan-Out to Find Ideas — Not Answers
One difficulty when creating a prompt portfolio is thinking beyond the first obvious question.
This is where query fan-out tools can help.
Otterly has a free AI Query Fan-Out tool that can take a starting query and suggest connected queries and subtopics.
Affiliate disclosure: The Otterly links in this article are affiliate links. If you later purchase an Otterly subscription through one of these links, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.
The important word here is suggest.
A fan-out tool should not be treated as a definitive window into exactly what Google AI Mode, ChatGPT or another AI system did internally for a particular search.
Instead, use it as a brainstorming tool.
For example, you might start with:
“Best accountant for a manufacturing business in Birmingham.”
A query fan-out exercise could prompt you to think about connected requirements such as:
- Xero expertise;
- inventory accounting;
- management accounts;
- fixed monthly fees;
- manufacturing experience;
- business size;
- outsourced finance support.
Then apply human judgement.
Are those genuinely important to your customers?
Do they form part of the buying journey?
If they do, some may deserve a place within your 15 tracked prompts.
If they do not, ignore them.
The tool helps generate possibilities.
You still decide what matters.
Fifteen Prompts Give You Coverage — Not Certainty
There is another important distinction.
Fifteen well-chosen prompts can give you reasonable customer-journey coverage.
That does not mean running each prompt once gives you a reliable measurement of your visibility.
AI-generated answers fluctuate.
The same prompt can produce different:
- recommended businesses;
- ordering;
- descriptions;
- competitors;
- sources;
- and citations.
That means two separate questions need answering:
1. Are we testing the right customer situations?
and:
2. Are we testing those situations often enough to see a meaningful pattern?
Prompt selection deals with the first question.
Repeated testing deals with the second.
I recently demonstrated this in a separate Google AI Mode experiment involving Otterly itself.
I repeated three relevant small-business prompts five times each.
Otterly appeared in all 15 responses, but its prominence within those answers moved around considerably.
That was useful because it showed how a business can have relatively stable presence while its apparent position fluctuates.
You can see the full experiment here:
Does an AI Visibility Tool Have Good AI Visibility? I Tested Otterly.ai in Google AI Mode
So don’t interpret one appearance as proof that your business is consistently visible.
And don’t interpret one absence as proof that it is invisible.
Look for repeated patterns.
Fifteen Prompts Are Not Enough for Every Business
A large ecommerce website, national marketplace, multi-location company or professional firm with many unrelated service lines could never represent its entire commercial universe with 15 prompts.
But that does not make a 15-prompt portfolio useless.
It changes the question.
Instead of asking:
“Can 15 prompts measure my whole business?”
ask:
“Can 15 prompts help me understand one commercially important part of my business?”
For many small businesses, I think the answer can be yes.
Start Narrow, Understand the Data, Then Expand
There is an understandable temptation with AI visibility software to assume more prompts automatically mean better monitoring.
Eventually, a larger portfolio may be useful.
But more prompts also mean:
- more responses;
- more competitors;
- more citations;
- more fluctuations;
- more data to interpret;
- and potentially more actions to consider.
That is only an advantage if you can make sense of it.
A practical starting process could therefore be:
- Pick one service, customer type or buying journey you genuinely want more business from.
- Map approximately 15 meaningful prompts across that journey.
- Use a query fan-out tool, customer conversations and your own knowledge to identify additional ideas.
- Remove duplicates and low-value questions.
- Test the prompts manually initially if you want to understand how the process works.
- Look for repeated patterns rather than reacting to one AI response.
- Examine which competitors repeatedly appear and why.
- Refine your prompts as you learn.
- Add another customer journey when the first one is producing useful insight.
If checking those prompts manually becomes too time-consuming, that is also the point where automation begins to make much more sense.
Otterly.ai is one option I think is particularly worth considering for this kind of relatively focused small-business monitoring.
In my own testing, Google AI Mode repeatedly associated Otterly with affordable, lightweight monitoring for small businesses, while other products became more prominent when I asked for larger-scale tracking or deeper optimisation capabilities.
That seems a reasonable way to think about the product.
It does not need to be the right tool for every possible AI visibility requirement.
It needs to fit the job you actually want it to do.
Your First Step
If you want to try this approach, don’t begin by attempting to list everything your business sells.
Start with one question:
Which service or type of customer would I most like to win more business from?
Then map the journey that customer might take.
What problem are they trying to solve?
What would make them start looking for a provider?
What requirements would narrow their choices?
What would they compare?
What might they ask once your business reaches their shortlist?
Turn those stages into your first 15 prompts.
They won’t be perfect.
They don’t need to be.
They need to be good enough to start learning.
Because for a small business beginning AI visibility testing, 15 focused prompts that you understand and can act on may be far more valuable than 50 prompts you are simply collecting data about.