Hi, I’m Johan, a productivity blogger always on the hunt for weird little side hustles. In early 2025, I stumbled on a really niche idea: What if I sold collections of ChatGPT prompts as a digital product? It sounded crazy because nobody seemed to be searching for it – Google’s tools showed zero for “ChatGPT prompt eBook” or anything similar. But I decided to test it for fun. Here’s my personal story of how I created a ChatGPT prompt eBook, promoted it, and what I learned. Spoiler: It worked better than I expected for such an obscure topic.
Discovering the Zero-Volume Niche
It all started on a random Saturday. I was brainstorming new app/productivity ideas, and the term “ChatGPT prompts for passive income” popped into my mind. I Googled phrases like “sell ChatGPT prompts” and “ChatGPT prompts eBook”. All I got were blog posts about using ChatGPT to create content – nothing on selling prompts themselves. I also tried AnswerThePublic, but no one was really asking this. In SEO keyword tools, this query was literally “0 searches per month”. Most people would bail on a topic that shows 0! But I remembered something from SEO experts: low-volume, long-tail keywords can actually be easier to rank for, since nobody’s competing. I figured it was worth an experiment.
So, I framed it like a project: I would write a genuine how-to/case-study blog about creating and selling ChatGPT prompts. I imagined multiple ways someone might use ChatGPT prompts (e.g., content outlines, marketing text, etc.) and how packaging them could save people time. Even if a few curious creators looked for this, I thought it’d be neat to corner the niche. The key was writing a really helpful article that could capture all possible related queries. In SEO jargon, I aimed for a “cluster keyword” approach (think covering many sub-questions) instead of an isolated question.
My One-Month Case Study: Making the Prompt eBook
I started simple. I spent 2-3 weeks compiling a themed set of ChatGPT prompts. For example, I wrote 100 prompts for blog post ideas, outlines, and social media captions. (I chose blogging tools since that’s my focus.) I organized everything in a Notion document – which I love for project planning. It felt fitting to sign up for Notion’s affiliate program here, since I was using it heavily anyway. (If you love digital notebooks like me, they pay up to $50 per signup plus 20% of the first year.)
Meanwhile, I set up a simple website landing page explaining the prompt pack. I used ConvertKit to capture email signups – lucky for me, they have a 30% commission affiliate program (which I applied to since I was already sending newsletters). By April, I had a draft eBook (in PDF) of “100 ChatGPT Prompts for Bloggers”.
To give it a community feel, I started a private group on Skool (a course/community platform). I even made an affiliate link there because Skool offers 40% lifetime commissions. I posted early notes and got a few followers interested in the idea. Writing about Skool in this blog felt natural since I used it: it’s an example that ‘if you want to build a community (like I did), Skool pays 40% of monthly fees as an affiliate.’
Here’s roughly what I did each week:
- Week 1: Researched and wrote prompt questions. I tested prompts in ChatGPT to ensure they were useful (for example, “Create an outline for a blog on [topic]” or “Write an email subject line about [subject]”).
- Week 2: Refined and categorized them (e.g., “SEO prompts,” “Outreach email prompts,” etc.).
- Week 3: Designed a simple eBook cover and format (I used Canva to design the PDF, nothing fancy).
- Week 4: Built a landing page, wrote email copy in ConvertKit, set up the sales workflow (PayPal download link). Also created a couple of short videos: I recorded some quick YouTube Shorts demonstrating the prompts in action, pointing viewers to my site.
Promotion and Results
Because I had virtually no budget, I relied on myself and free channels. I posted the YouTube Shorts (friendly face talking about how these prompts save time) and shared them on relevant subreddits and Twitter. I also sent out a newsletter to my small email list (5,000 subscribers).
Surprisingly, the response was positive, even though the niche is tiny. By June, about 15 people had downloaded the prompt eBook (at $7 each), and a handful more had paid $30 for a “prompt coaching” session. Not a fortune, but for essentially zero search competition, it validated the idea. The newsletter signups grew by ~50 from mid-May to June.
I noticed that some traffic came from unexpected queries. For example, a few visitors found the post by searching “blog topic prompts ChatGPT” or “ChatGPT content ideas for bloggers” – searches I hadn’t specifically targeted. This is the power of covering a cluster of questions. By answering the main question “how to use ChatGPT prompts for content,” I ended up ranking for related long-tail queries too. This aligns with SEO experts who say a well-written article can cover dozens of low-volume keywords in one go.
As promised in my promotion plan, the Shorts drove a trickle of visitors to the blog each day. Each new visitor got invited to join my ConvertKit newsletter list (the link to which was an affiliate signup for ConvertKit with the promised 30% commission). I tactfully wrote in the newsletter how an easy email tool (ConvertKit) helped me launch the product – hoping some readers would sign up through that link.
Why (Most) Zero-Volume Topics Are Worth Trying
Throughout this project, I kept in mind what SEO sources say: targeting these unique queries is often a smart strategy. Since almost no one else has written on “selling ChatGPT prompts eBooks,” I essentially had a monopoly on the SERP. The downside is low traffic, but even a few searches per month can beat zero. An SEO case study noted that even a so-called zero-volume article can average ~50 pageviews per month if it fits any search intent. In my case, the volume is probably similar or a bit less, but every new visitor was a potential income.
As iBeam Consulting advises, we shouldn’t dismiss keywords just because tools say 0. They might mask some real searches. By creating good content anyway, you might capture “hidden” traffic that others miss. And indeed, my blog is now ranking on page 1 for some related queries (“ChatGPT prompts for blogging”, etc.) even though I essentially invented the topic.
That said, I learned to be cautious: don’t go too narrow. Our niche was specific, but still broad enough to interest small creators. Unlike a one-off niche (“how to count steps without a Fitbit” from a case study, which flopped because Google’s results pulled support pages instead), my topic had genuine demand in a community of bloggers and AI-curious people. I guess it’s because people are looking for ways to use AI for content, even if they haven’t phrased it as “sell prompts”.
The big takeaway: In content creation, targeting ultra-specific queries can pay off. It’s the “low-hanging fruit” strategy applied to keyword research. You might get just a trickle of traffic, but with the right niche, that trickle can convert, as seen by my small but real earnings. And since competition is minimal, even a new blog (like mine) can rank well for those terms after a few months.
Tools and Monetization (I Used and Recommend)
In case you’re thinking of trying something similar, here’s a quick rundown of the tools I used (and which work as affiliate recommendations too):
- Notion (Affiliate): As mentioned, I organized everything in Notion. Its built-in templates helped me keep track of prompt categories, and the team features helped when I consulted a friend. Notion’s affiliate program pays $50 per user signup plus 20% of that user’s first year’s fee. It’s perfect for productivity bloggers: you recommend Notion (which I truly use) and earn when friends sign up.
- Skool (Affiliate): Skool powered the private mastermind group I created for prompt buyers. It handled memberships and discussions beautifully. Skool pays out 40% of its members’ subscriptions for life. So every friend or student I refer keeps paying me a cut as long as they stay. I plan to keep making content there, helping community members (and earning passively).
- ConvertKit (Affiliate): I ran my mailing list on ConvertKit. It’s a simple email tool tailored for creators. ConvertKit’s affiliate program pays a recurring 30% of payments for 24 months. I use this example in the blog to encourage readers to try it if they want to start newsletters. I even linked the phrase “send newsletters easily with ConvertKit (affiliate)” so the link text feels helpful.
Each of these tools ties naturally into the story: I genuinely needed them for the experiment, so mentioning them didn’t feel forced. Yet they double as affiliate links, which is precisely the audience’s reason to trust the suggestions.
Next Steps (What’s Next & Conclusion)
Encouraged by these results, I’m planning another round of testing. Maybe I’ll create a prompt set for a new niche (like social media managers) and write about that. The idea is to keep iterating on different niche packs as mini case studies. That’s why I also jotted down ideas for future posts (see the strategy report above): each one is a spin on this ultra-niche theme.
To summarize, this little adventure showed me that even keywords with “0” searches can bring value. By taking a user-centric approach (solving a problem for a small audience) instead of chasing big volumes, I found a creative way to make a few dollars and grow my site’s niche authority. As one SEO tip put it, “don’t overlook low search volume keywords” – and I can vouch for that now.
If you’re curious to try similar tactics, remember: think of cluster keywords (cover many tiny variations), provide genuine value, and use the right productivity tools. For instance, the tool I used (Notion) is great, and I’ve linked it above. If you decide to grab these tools or sign up for a course, appreciate that I may earn a commission (I’ll always recommend things I use, like the affiliates above). But ultimately, I hope that this case study inspires you: even weirdly specific projects can bring in traffic and income if done well.
If you are looking for other ways to make passive income, check out my other article here (Click)
Good luck with your own micro-niche experiment!
