In a perfect world, you could call up a top customer to pick their brain about a piece of content. But in reality, it can be extremely difficult and time-consuming to conduct audience interviews every time you need to create a new topic or refresh an old piece.\u00a0<\/p>
A few years ago, content marketing was simpler \u2013 keyword intent and quality content was enough to rank at the top of Google\u2019s SERP to get clicks. But in the new era of AI, expectations are different.<\/p>
Audience research has become critical. However, some companies may not have the resources to perform it. <\/p>
One way to better understand your target audience is to create a custom GPT in ChatGPT, configured with your persona research. These aren\u2019t replacements for audience research or interviews, but they can help you quickly identify what might be missing or wrong in your content.\u00a0<\/p>
Below, I\u2019ll explain how GPTs work so you can use them for audience research.<\/p>
Perform audience research<\/h2>
Now that the SEO landscape is evolving, audience research is one of your strongest tools to understand the \u201cwhy\u201d behind search intent.\u00a0<\/p>
Here are several easy-to-use methods and tools to get you started on research.\u00a0<\/p>
- SparkToro<\/strong>: Search by website, interest, or specific URL to segment different audience types. Research can be in-depth or give an overview of your audience.\u00a0<\/li>
- Review mining<\/strong>: Create automations through various tools and scrape reviews of your company or competitors to see what users are saying, and then analyze them. What does your target customer like? Why did they like it? What didn\u2019t they like? Why?<\/li>
- Listen to calls\/review leads<\/strong>: Listen to sales team interactions with customers to hear questions in real time and what led up to a call with a particular client.<\/li> <\/ul>
Dig deeper: How to do audience research for SEO<\/em><\/strong><\/p>
Create a customer persona<\/h2>
After completing your research, create a persona \u2013 a representation of your target audience. Figma and FigJam are strong tools for building them.<\/p>
Your persona should include:\u00a0<\/p>
- Name, bio, and trait slider.<\/li>
- Interests, influences, goals, pain points.<\/li>
- User stories.<\/li>
- The emotional journey during and after.<\/li>
- Content focus, trigger words, and calls to action (CTAs).<\/li>
- Full customer journey steps.<\/li>
- Reviews that support data.<\/li> <\/ul>
Your customers search everywhere. Make sure your brand shows up<\/span>. <\/p>
The SEO toolkit you know, plus the AI visibility data you need. <\/p> <\/p><\/div>
Start Free Trial<\/span> <\/p>
Get started with<\/p>
![\"Semrush](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2025\/11\/semrush-one.webp\" "\\"How")
<\/div> <\/p><\/div> <\/p> Create a custom GPT of your persona<\/h2>
Now that you have all your research and your persona, it\u2019s time to make a GPT.\u00a0<\/p>
First, log in to ChatGPT, then go to Explore GPTs<\/em> in the sidebar.\u00a0<\/p>
In the upper right corner, click on Create<\/em>.<\/p>
![\"ChatGPT](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/02\/ChatGPT-Create.png\" "\\"How")
<\/figure> <\/div> Once there, prompt ChatGPT with your audience research data and persona information. You can paste in screenshots of your data to make it easier.\u00a0<\/p>
![\"ChatGPT](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/02\/ChatGPT-prompt-audience-research.png\" "\\"How")
<\/figure> <\/div> ![\"ChatGPT](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/02\/ChatGPT-Hank-persona.png\" "\\"How")
<\/figure> <\/div> Once all your data is in and a GPT is created, you can start talking to it. Under the Configure<\/em> tab, you can use conversation starters to ask it about changes, updates, and copy.<\/p>
![\"ChatGPT](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/02\/ChatGPT-conversation-starters.png\" "\\"How")
<\/figure> <\/div> These GPTs, like all AI models, aren\u2019t 100% accurate. They don\u2019t replace a real audience survey or interview, but they can help you quickly identify issues with a piece of content and how it might not connect with your audience.\u00a0<\/p>
Here\u2019s an example of an optimized page. GPT \u201cHank\u201d helped make sure the section above the fold did what was intended.\u00a0<\/p>
![\"GPT](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/02\/GPT-Hank-1.png\" "\\"How")
<\/figure> <\/div> ![\"GPT](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/02\/GPT-Hank-2.png\" "\\"How")
<\/figure> <\/div> ![\"GPT](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/02\/GPT-Hank-3.png\" "\\"How")
<\/figure> <\/div> Hank has said what\u2019s working, what isn\u2019t working, and where to improve.<\/p>
But should you take his advice 100% of the time?\u00a0Of course not.\u00a0<\/p>
But the GPT helps quickly identify issues you may have missed. That\u2019s where the real benefit of using a GPT comes in.\u00a0<\/p>
Dig deeper: 7 custom GPT ideas to automate SEO workflows<\/em><\/strong><\/p>
<\/p>
Get the newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p> <\/p><\/div> <\/p><\/div> <\/div>
<\/p>
Ensure data from your GPT is accurate<\/h2>
Nothing analyzed or generated by AI is conclusive evidence. If you\u2019re unsure your GPT is giving you accurate information, double-check by prompting it to provide evidence from the sources you gave it.\u00a0<\/p>
![\"GPT](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/02\/GPT-Hank-data-accuracy.png\" "\\"How")
<\/figure> <\/div> The GPT can correct itself if the information sounds off. When it does, again ask for evidence from the persona information you provided to double-check the new information.\u00a0<\/p>
Update your persona-based GPT<\/h2>
You can always add more information to your GPT to make it more robust.\u00a0<\/p>
To do this, go back to Explore GPTs<\/em> in ChatGPT.\u00a0<\/p>
Instead of Create<\/em>, go to My GPTs<\/em> in the top right-hand corner.\u00a0<\/p>
Click on your persona.\u00a0<\/p>
![\"GPT](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/02\/GPT-Hank-Haul.png\" "\\"How")
<\/figure> <\/div> Click on Configure<\/em> to update, add, or delete your current information. <\/p>
![\"GPT](\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2026\/02\/GPT-Hank-Haul-configuration.png\" "\\"How")
<\/figure> <\/div> Remember that a persona is never a one-and-done situation. The more you learn about your audience and the more information you give a GPT, the better, to keep it up to date.\u00a0<\/p>
Leverage persona GPTs for SEO content<\/h2>
Personas aren\u2019t absolute, and AI can hallucinate.\u00a0<\/p>
But both tools can still help you optimize content.\u00a0<\/p>
Once you\u2019re comfortable creating personas, you can build them for your general audience, specific segments, and individual campaigns.<\/p>
SEO and marketing are always changing, and you can\u2019t just set it and forget it. As you gain audience insights or if audience intent shifts, update information or delete anything no longer relevant in your GPT.\u00a0<\/p>
When leveraged correctly, these tools can work with SEO to drive traffic and gain more conversions.<\/p> <\/div>
Contributing authors are invited to create content for Search Engine Land and are chosen for their expertise and contribution to the search community. Our contributors work under the oversight of the editorial staff and contributions are checked for quality and relevance to our readers. Search Engine Land is owned by Semrush. Contributor was not asked to make any direct or indirect mentions of Semrush. The opinions they express are their own.<\/em> <\/p>
Opinion#create #persona #GPT #SEO #audience #research1771344884<\/p> ","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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- Review mining<\/strong>: Create automations through various tools and scrape reviews of your company or competitors to see what users are saying, and then analyze them. What does your target customer like? Why did they like it? What didn\u2019t they like? Why?<\/li>