A modern prompt engineering framework for every stage of the funnel

Summary:

One of the most useful prompt engineering frameworks is 70 years old and wasn’t built for AI.

Bloom’s Taxonomy, developed in 1956 to classify learning objectives, is a powerful framework that helps you understand what potential customers are asking LLMs about you or your clients. Instead of thinking in terms of “keywords” or “topics,” you can think in terms of cognitive tasks buyers are trying to perform with ChatGPT: recalling facts, making sense of them, applying them to their situation, comparing options, judging tradeoffs, and designing solutions.

There are six levels in the taxonomy: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create. Most prompts live in the bottom tiers: retrieval and basic explanation. “List the features of X.” “Summarize this article.” More interesting behavior appears as you move up the pyramind. Each level exposes a different kind of mental model, from memory to meaning to invention. Viewed through that lens, prompts map cleanly to ToFu, MoFu, and BoFu queries and imperatives, which gives you a structured way to think about generative engine optimization (GEO), content planning, and product positioning.

We’ll explore two examples throughout this article—a COO at a mid-sized manufacturer, who is looking to engage with a consulting firm; and, a director of HR at a 100-person firm looking for a cloud-based HRIS solution.

In this article, we answer:

• What kinds questions customers are asking about my brand at each stage of the funnel?
• How do I audit the prompts my customers use at each stage of the funnel?
• How do I write prompts that match my customer’s buying journey?
• Tell me the different types of questions customers would ask at ToFu, MoFu, BoFu for [industry].

Remember / Knowledge

Stage: Predominantly TOFU

“Knowledge” is the foundation of cognitive learning. At this level, buyers are exploring the problem they have and learning the landscape of solutions available. They aren’t analyzing or evaluating options. Buyers construct a mental glossary of terms, players, and possibilities. They can’t yet explain how the problem will be solved.

Note: I prefer to call this stage “knowledge”, as “remember” feels very specific to pedagogy.

Examples

COO at a mid-sized manufacturer: Your production costs are 15% higher than competitors. The board suggested hiring consultants, but you’ve never worked with them. Before exploring firms, you need to understand what they actually do.

Questions they may be asking:

• How do management consultants work with manufacturers?
• What types of consulting exist?
• Who are the major consulting firms?
• What deliverables do consultants provide? (maybe followed up by “specifically in manufacturing”)
• How long does a typical consulting engagement last?

Director of HR at a 100-person company: You’re managing employee data across spreadsheets, and you’re using a 10-year-old system that can’t integrate with payroll. You know you need to modernize but haven’t explored the HRIS landscape.

Questions they may be asking:

• What’s the difference between HRIS, HCM, and HRMS?
• What does an applicant tracking system do? How can it help me?
• List the core modules in modern HR software.
• What is employee self-service?
• Name the leading HRIS vendors.

How to Apply to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Remember queries have high volume but low intent. Everyone starts here. Few stay long.

Your GEO strategy for Knowledge / Remember should:

• Provide clear, concise definitions
• Use simple language (I like to write at a Flesch Kincaid Gr 10 level)
• Link to deeper content for when they progress
• Establish credibility as an authoritative organization within the space
• Add author creds, citations, and last-updated dates to build authority

Content types for Knowledge / Remember: Glossary hub, “What is…?” pages, vendor landscape overviews, acronym decoder, “X vs Y” pages, “Parts of a [thing]” diagrams.

Query patterns to target: “what is…,” “types of…,” “who are…,” “components of…,” “vs,” “examples of…”.

Internal linking
Every Remember level page links to Comprehension pages (“How it works in [context]” or “Pros/cons basics”), to move users down-funnel

Understand / Comprehension

Stage: TOFU to early MOFU

Understand is where buyers construct meaning from information. They can interpret what they’ve learned, explain it in their own words, and grasp relationships between concepts. They’re demonstrating comprehension by summarizing, translating technical language, and connecting ideas.

Examples

COO at a mid-sized manufacturer: You now know what consultants do. Next, you need to understand how consulting methodologies work and what distinguishes different approaches. You’re building comprehension of the consulting process.

Questions they may be asking:

• Explain how operational consulting differs from strategic consulting
• How does the consulting engagement process work?
• What’s the difference between implementation support and advisory services?
• Summarize the benefits of hiring external consultants vs building internal capabilities
• How do consultants diagnose manufacturing inefficiencies?
• Why would a mid-sized manufacturer choose a boutique firm over a Big 3 firm?

Director of HR at a 100-person company: You understand what HRIS means. Now you’re learning how these systems actually function and what makes them valuable. You’re interpreting vendor marketing and translating it into operational understanding.

Questions they may be asking:

• Explain how HRIS integrates with payroll systems
• What’s the difference between cloud-based and on-premise HRIS?
• How does employee self-service reduce HR workload?
• Summarize the ROI of implementing an HRIS
• Why do companies choose modular HRIS vs all-in-one platforms?
• How does an ATS improve the hiring process?

How to Apply to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Understand queries signal growing intent. Buyers are moving from awareness to consideration. They’re educating themselves on how solutions work, and trying to figure out how they fit into their organization.

Your GEO strategy for Understand should:

• Explain mechanisms and processes clearly
• Use analogies and examples to aid comprehension
• Compare and contrast related concepts
• Write at Flesch Kincaid Grade 10 level
• Address “why” and “how” questions thoroughly

In the earlier example, when the COO asks “how does operational consulting work,” they’re one step closer to evaluating firms. Clear explanations build trust and move them down the funnel.

Apply / Application

Stage: MOFU

Apply is where buyers use their knowledge in their specific context. They take what they’ve learned about solutions and execute procedures relevant to their situation. This means solving problems with the information, demonstrating understanding through action, and working through scenarios with their organization’s constraints.

Examples

COO at a mid-sized manufacturer: They have an idea of how an engagement could work. Now they’re testing that knowledge against actual problems, determining what type of engagement makes sense, calculating budget requirements, and working through implementation scenarios.

Questions they may be asking:

• How would operational consulting apply to our specific production bottleneck?
• Calculate the ROI of a 6-month consulting engagement for our manufacturing facility
• Determine which consulting methodology fits our organizational structure
• How do I build a business case for consulting spend to the board?
• What information do I need to prepare for initial consultant meetings?
• Demonstrate how a consultant would analyze our current cost structure

Director of HR at a 100-person company: They now understand HRIS capabilities. Now you’re applying that knowledge to your company’s requirements. You’re determining what features you need, calculating costs, and working through migration scenarios.

Questions they may be asking:

• How would cloud HRIS solve our payroll integration problems?
• Calculate the total cost of ownership for implementing an HRIS at our company size
• Determine which HRIS modules we need vs nice-to-have features
• How do I build requirements documentation for HRIS vendors?
• What’s involved in migrating from spreadsheets to an HRIS system?
• Apply our compliance requirements to HRIS selection criteria

How to Apply to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Apply queries show stronger buying intent. Buyers are moving from learning to evaluation. They’re testing solutions against their actual constraints and building internal business cases.

Your GEO strategy for Apply should:

• Provide practical implementation examples
• Include calculators, templates, and frameworks
• Address organization-specific scenarios
• Show how others in similar situations solved problems
• Anticipate common obstacles and address them

When the HR Director asks “how do I build HRIS requirements,” they’re preparing to engage vendors. Content that helps them apply knowledge accelerates their buying process.

Analyze

Stage: MOFU to early BOFU

Analyze is where buyers break down information into components and examine relationships. They compare options, identify patterns, differentiate between approaches, and investigate how parts relate to the whole. Buyers at this stage are dissecting solutions to understand structure, examining underlying assumptions, and distinguishing what’s essential from what’s peripheral.

Examples

COO at a mid-sized manufacturer: They’ve narrowed their list to three consulting firms. Now they’re examining how their methodologies differ structurally, identifying patterns in their approaches, and breaking down proposals to understand their components. They’re dissecting what makes each approach distinct.

Questions they may be asking:

• What are the differences between McKinsey’s and Bain’s operational consulting methodologies?
• Find manufacturing consulting case studies. What patterns are there?
• Break down the components of a typical consulting proposal
• Examine how process-focused methodologies differ from technology-enabled approaches
• Distinguish between consultants who implement vs those who only advise

Director of HR at a 100-person company: They’ve identified five HRIS platforms. Now they’re examining how they’re architecturally different, identifying patterns in their feature sets, and breaking down what drives their pricing models. They’re investigating the structural relationships between components.

Questions they may be asking:

• What are the differences between BambooHR and Rippling?
• Identify patterns in how HRIS platforms structure their modules. How do they apply to [my company]?
• Break down HRIS implementation processes into distinct phases
• Distinguish between platforms built for small companies vs enterprise systems scaled down

How to Apply to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Analyze queries indicate buyers conducting detailed examination. They’re past generic content and need to understand how solutions are structured and how components relate. They’re dissecting options methodically.

Your GEO strategy for Analyze should:

• Break down complex solutions into understandable components
• Explain structural and architectural differences
• Identify patterns across similar implementations
• Show how parts relate to create the whole
• Use diagrams and frameworks to illustrate relationships

When the COO asks to compare consulting methodologies, they’re preparing final recommendations. Detailed analytical content positions you as the expert who understands nuance.

Evaluate / Evaluation

Stage: Late MOFU to BOFU

Evaluate is where buyers make judgments based on criteria and standards. They assess options, critique proposals, and determine value. This goes beyond analysis, but there is significant overlap. Buyers are now comparing offerings, validating claims, prioritizing based on their specific criteria, and building out recommendations for leadership.

Examples

COO at a mid-sized manufacturer: They’ve analyzed three firms and now need to judge which one will actually deliver results. They’re assessing proposals against success criteria, critiquing methodologies for validity, and judging whether track records justify fees.

Questions they may be asking:

• Evaluate which consulting firm has the strongest track record in mid-sized manufacturing
• Evaluate and poke holes in the assumptions in this consultant’s cost-reduction proposal
• What’re the benefits of working with a boutique firm over the big 5?
• Determine if this firm’s timeline is realistic for our operational constraints
• Validate the consultant’s claimed ROI against industry benchmarks

Director of HR at a 100-person company: They’ve analyzed five platforms and are determining which HRIS best meets their needs in both the short and long term. They also need to justify the initial cost. They’re assessing vendor stability, critiquing implementation plans, and determining which solution offers the best value.

NB: Both need to present their recommendation to leadership.

Questions they may be asking:

• Evaluate whether BambooHR or Rippling better fits our growth trajectory
• Assess if the premium pricing for Workday is justified for a 100-person company
• Critique this vendor’s implementation timeline and support commitments
• Determine which platform has the most credible customer reviews in our industry
• Validate vendor claims about integration capabilities with [payroll system]

How to Apply to Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

Evaluate queries are an indicator of higher intent to purchase. Buyers need validation, risk mitigation, and justification support. They’re building internal cases and need credible evidence to defend their choice.

Your GEO strategy for Evaluate should:

• Provide objective assessment criteria and frameworks
• Include case studies with measurable outcomes
• Address common objections and risks directly
• Offer comparison matrices with clear evaluation dimensions
• Supply evidence buyers can use to justify decisions internally

Final Thoughts

For over two decades, digital marketers have obsessed over keywords. We have great tools to help us understand volumes, phrasing and intent. We’re at the advent of a new search discipline—generative engine optimization—where tools that accurately and reliably share prompt volumes do not exist.

Bloom’s Taxonomy offers a rubric that helps you think about the cognitive work buyers are performing when they prompt an LLM about your brand or industry. The shift from key phrases to prompts (questions and imperatives) changes how you structure content, how you map assets to the funnel, and how you audit AI visibility. The taxonomy isn’t new, but its application to generative engines is. As AI search continues to displace traditional SERPs, the marketers who understand why someone is asking a question (not just what they’re asking) will build content ecosystems that LLMs consistently retrieve. Bloom gives you a shared vocabulary to diagnose gaps, prioritize production, and measure whether your GEO strategy actually moves buyers from awareness through evaluation—or just generates impressions at the top of the pyramid.