5 Claude & Cursor Prompts to Grow Your Membership or Directory Site

Introduction to AI-Powered Growth for BD Sites

• The tip of the week is about using AI to help grow a BD site, and it will be presented in a way that is easy to understand for anyone at any level, with a focus on five practical AI prompts that can be used to achieve this goal (00:00:00).
• The AI prompts will be used in conjunction with a tool like OpenAI's Codex, Cloud Code Cursor, or BD Butler, which can be connected to a BD site through MCP, allowing the AI to understand and work with the site's actual data (00:00:20).
• The MCP tool enables AI to connect directly to a BD site, allowing for more specific and useful questions to be asked, such as adding valuable SEO content to category pages, rather than generic questions like how to improve a website (00:00:45).
• The first AI prompt is about SEO, and it asks the AI to look at the website and create a simple growth plan, providing realistic opportunities based on what already exists on the website, rather than just random keyword ideas (00:01:53).

Connecting AI Tools to a BD Site via MCP

• The goal of the first prompt is to have the AI create a practical initial roadmap, which can then be implemented by the AI, taking into account that SEO is not just about Google, but also about catering to AI agents that are reading the internet for information (00:02:10).
• The five AI prompts will be shared in the chat and in the link in the comments for the replay, and they can be used to help grow a BD site, with the first prompt being a great first step in creating a growth plan (00:03:19).
• To use the AI prompts, it is necessary to connect a BD site to an AI tool, such as Cloud Code or Codex with ChatGPT, which can be done through MCP, and once connected, the AI can read and work with the site's data (00:03:32).
• The connection between the AI tool and the BD site can be verified by checking if the BD API is running in the developer section, indicating that the AI has a connection to the site and can perform tasks on it (00:03:53).

First AI Prompt: Creating a 30-Day SEO Growth Plan

• The site info is being reviewed to ensure it has the necessary tools and access to the API, which allows it to get the URL and understand the site's focus, including general settings such as tools and categories (00:04:12).
• A prompt is given to review the current categories, subcategories, members, posts, and landing pages, and to create a simple 30-day SEO growth plan with the highest value pages, categories, and content, which will help identify potential blind spots and areas for improvement (00:04:38).
• The AI is working on the prompt, re-reviewing everything on the site, prioritizing topics and keywords, and doing research to provide a comprehensive plan, which may include suggestions for new pages, keywords, and content (00:04:52).
• The AI can create a project, such as the 30-day SEO growth plan, and compartmentalize it as a chat session, allowing it to save information, bucket files, and create a plan with a checklist that can be saved as a file (00:05:30).

AI-Driven Content Creation and Internal Linking

• The AI can also open up and show what it's doing, such as looking at web pages, summarizing them, and reading them, which can be useful for creating content and internal links throughout the site (00:06:05).
• The AI can be asked to make changes to created content, link to other pages on the site, and create internal links, which is good for SEO and AI SEO, and can also be used to write spotlight articles and other types of content (00:06:41).
• The projects folder can be used to create a little project, give it a nickname, and save it for future reference, allowing for more organized and detailed work with the AI (00:07:29).
• The AI can be used to do research on competitors, identify areas for improvement, and provide tips for self-correction, which can be useful for growing the site and improving its content (00:08:08).

AI for Competitor Research and Self-Improvement

• The 30-day SEO growth plan is being created, with the AI providing a detailed plan, including suggestions for new pages, keywords, and content, which can be used to improve the site's SEO and growth (00:08:28).
• The key to the process is that it can actually go to the site, not just giving it the URL, and fetch real information using an API key, allowing it to get the full list of web pages and other details (00:08:37).
• All the prompts, including the five that will be gone through, ask the AI to first put together a plan, which is important unless asking the AI to make a specific change on the website, as it lays out all its ideas and allows for review and breakdown (00:09:03).
• The AI has outlined and identified areas on the site to clean up, delete, or optimize further, and has given top priorities, with the ability to save the plan to a Google Drive and connect it for later use (00:09:44).

Bulk Processing and Living SEO Plans

• The AI can work in bulk, doing multiple pages and articles at once, and can be reviewed and adjusted as needed, making it like having an assistant to help with work (00:10:34).
• The plan created by the AI can be a living document, allowing for adjustments and additions as work is done, and can be used to find other opportunities or pitfalls and auto-adjust for them (00:11:15).

Second AI Prompt: Identifying Weak Spots and Starter Content

• The second prompt is about SEO, especially for new sites, and asks the AI to find weak spots on the site and suggest starter content, such as category descriptions, FAQs, and related content ideas, to make the site feel more useful and complete (00:11:38).
• The goal of the second prompt is to quickly make the site feel more useful and complete, and the AI can be given a list of action items to complete based on the plan it creates (00:12:20).
• The AI can identify and clean up low-value pages, such as test and demo pages, to improve SEO hygiene (00:12:58).

Choosing the Right AI Tools for BD Sites

• The AI can be asked to review each page before deleting it, and starting with a question about connection to the BD API is a good approach, as it allows for a more efficient interaction (00:13:11).
• The Claw desktop app is more end-user friendly, but using Cursor to connect to Claude (language model) provides more horsepower and multitasking capabilities, making it a better option for certain tasks (00:13:32).

Identifying and Enriching Thin Content

• The AI can be used to identify thin content pages on a website and enrich them with additional content, which is important for Google ranking and indexing, and can be achieved through specific prompts (00:14:22).
• The AI can scour a site to identify empty or thin pages and enrich them, and it can also suggest content based on the site's member base, providing a natural and consistent content inspiration (00:15:03).
• Using the AI to suggest content based on the site's member base can help bring in visitors, answer questions, and point people back to the right members or member categories, providing more SEO juice to the website (00:15:59).

Content Marketing and Internal Linking Strategies

• Connecting the site to an AI through the MCP provides access to all the website's pages, making internal linking a breeze, and creating content that talks about and boosts members is a highly effective marketing strategy (00:16:30).
• The AI can help create blog posts that highlight members and categories, which can then be turned into assets for email newsletters, providing a valuable marketing tool (00:16:56).
• The ability to use the AI to create content and internal linking is one of the most underrated strategies for a directory website to perpetuate marketing efforts, and it can be a superpower for the site (00:16:45).

Monetizing Member Features and Content

• A directory website can charge members to be spotlighted or featured in a newsletter or blog, and when a business is featured, they often share it with their community, effectively doing the advertising, (00:17:27)
• The featured content can also be shared on other websites, creating a centralized hub of information for a specific niche or region, which can be a competitive advantage over searching on Google, (00:17:54)
• Using tools like Codex (AI agent) or Claude (language model) can help turn members into blog topics, and these tools can also generate content, such as blog post ideas and articles, that can attract visitors and include featured businesses, (00:18:30)

Generating Marketing Materials with AI

• The process of using these tools involves connecting them to the website, establishing a connection, and then letting them work to generate content, which can be a time-saving and efficient way to create marketing materials, (00:19:06)
• The goal of creating this content is not just to set up a website, but to also do marketing and connect with members, and writing spotlight articles or advertorials about members can be a way to put them in a positive light and promote their businesses, (00:21:32)
• Using these tools can be a fun and creative process, and spending time each day working with them can help to generate content and ideas for multiple sites and industries, (00:21:21)
• Leveraging a site to take it to the next level can be achieved with phenomenal tools that find opportunities, blind spots, and implement changes to increase visibility, making the process fun and similar to conducting an orchestra of AI agents working together (00:21:52).

Automating Tasks and Managing Projects with AI

• These tools can be given a general direction and ideas, and they can implement them, allowing users to feel like they have assistants working for them, saving time and effort by automating tasks (00:22:19).
• A project can be saved and ended, but the file remains, and users can ask the tool to write articles, include site members, and complete tasks, such as writing 10 articles, with the tool working to find users and complete the tasks (00:22:46).
• The tool can be used to get users from a site, find users, and complete tasks, with the user waiting for the results, and the tool can be asked to do specific tasks, such as writing one article (00:23:01).
• Another prompt is about clarity, touching on the idea of putting oneself in the shoes of brand new visitors to a website, and asking the AI to suggest a better path through the site, including where people should start, which categories should be easier to find, and if menu labels and calls to action are clear (00:23:56).

Improving User Experience for New Visitors

• This prompt helps site owners identify friction points and simplify the experience for new visitors, who may not understand the site's purpose or navigation, and can be used to review categories, pages, menus, member listings, and available content to recommend a simple visitor journey (00:24:29).
• The value of this prompt lies in its ability to help site owners spot areas of improvement and make changes to increase user engagement and retention, with the goal of creating a clear and easy-to-follow path for new visitors (00:24:46).
• The prompt can be used to create a new visitor welcome path, assuming a brand new visitor lands on the site and does not know what to do next, and can review the site's content and structure to provide recommendations for improvement (00:25:45).
• The presenter has a prompt that creates a new visitor welcome path, which reviews the site's categories, pages, menus, member listings, and available content to recommend a simple visitor journey that helps new visitors understand the site and browse the right categories (00:25:53).
• The AI tool is utilized to review a website with fresh eyes, helping to uncover assumptions and potential issues with the site's messaging, navigation flow, and overall user experience, which may have been overlooked due to being too familiar with the site (00:25:59).
• The AI tool can be customized to prioritize specific goals for new users, such as conducting a search or creating an account, allowing it to identify potential friction points and provide more tailored insights (00:26:51).
• Working with the AI tool can provide a professional and unbiased perspective on the website, eliminating the need to rely on friends or family for feedback, and can help identify areas for improvement (00:27:52).

Enhancing Content and SEO with AI

• The AI tool is capable of creating content, such as articles, and including features like photos, links to member profile pages, and internal linking to category pages, which can help establish a competitive advantage and make the website appear more established (00:28:08).
• The created content can include various elements like bullets, paragraphs, headings, and subheadings, as well as FAQs and internal linking, which can enhance the user experience and provide valuable information to visitors (00:28:46).
• The AI tool can also be used to create pages that enrich search results, such as category pages, which can help attract and retain members and visitors by providing a more comprehensive and engaging experience (00:29:20).

Growing the Member Base with AI Insights

• The final prompt discussed is about growing the member side of the website, which can be challenging and may involve outreach or marketing efforts, but the AI tool can provide valuable insights and assistance in this area (00:30:05).
• The prompt can be useful for both new and existing sites looking to expand their member base, as it asks AI to identify the highest value member types to recruit next and suggest where to find them, because some specific types of members might make the directory more credible, and some businesses are easier to reach and more likely to say yes (00:30:20).
• The prompt helps turn the need for more members into an actual outreach plan to grow the website member base, by reviewing current members' categories and subcategories, identifying gaps in the directory, and suggesting where to find new members and what to say to them when reaching out (00:30:35).
• The prompt asks the AI to review the current members' categories and subcategories, identify the five highest value types of members to recruit first, and provide reasons why they matter, along with keywords and search terms to find them on Google, LinkedIn, and other platforms (00:31:22).
• The AI is also asked to write a short outreach email and LinkedIn or Facebook DM that can be sent to potential members, with a tone that is helpful, personal, and not pushy, effectively giving a cold outreach plan to reach people who might be potential members (00:32:03).

Identifying and Recruiting High-Value Members

• The AI analyzes the site, including its main menu and visitor journey, and uses data from earlier conversations to identify gaps in the directory, such as categories with zero members, and suggests where to fill in these gaps (00:33:00).
• The AI can also be asked to create content, find listings through public information, and populate the site with new members, including writing flattering "about me" sections, and save plans created by users (00:33:50).
• The prompt is designed to help site owners, who have sites with existing content, but may have gaps in their directory, and need help identifying and recruiting high-value members to make their site more useful and credible (00:33:31).

Managing AI Tasks and Marketing Efforts

• The to-do list is used to ensure the AI is following the plan, and as a manager, the AI is effectively doing the work to help enrich the site while marketing efforts are handled separately (00:34:32).
• The AI can create outreach messages, such as emails, and is part of the marketing mix, which also includes creating content, cold outreach, writing blog articles, and doing webinars on the site (00:35:05).
• The AI can be used to create a plan for the site and then create outreach messages, and it's possible to wait for the AI to finish its task and then review the created messages (00:35:17).
• The AI has finished creating outreach messages, which include information about open rates and what makes a good fit, and it's possible to review these messages (00:36:04).

Using AI for Outreach and Marketing Messages

• Asking the AI positive questions can be helpful, but asking negative questions, such as what's confusing about the page or what's missing, can force the AI to be more critical and provide better insights (00:36:39).
• The AI can be used as a critic by asking it to be a ruthless critic and asking questions like why someone would not sign up to the site, what's confusing about the site, or what's missing on the site (00:37:33).
• To get the most out of the AI's critical abilities, it's possible to tell it to be a ruthless critic and then ask it specific questions to get detailed feedback (00:38:07).

Leveraging AI as a Critical Feedback Tool

• The bonus tip of asking the AI to be a ruthless critic is considered one of the most important tips, and it can be used to get valuable feedback on the site (00:38:39).