Build a Gemini Gem: Learn how to build a custom Gemini Gem to automatically turn YouTube video transcripts into SEO-optimized blog posts. This step-by-step tutorial covers the entire process, from initial concept to final prompt.
From Manual Process to AI Automation
Turning a YouTube video into a well-written, SEO-optimized blog post can be a real time-sink. You have to transcribe the audio, extract the key information, structure it into a logical flow, write engaging content, and then optimize it for search engines. It’s a multi-step process that often takes hours, pulling you away from other important tasks. But what if there was a way to automate much of this process? That’s where Google Gemini and, specifically, custom Gemini Gems come in. This blog post will document the journey of creating a custom Gemini Gem – a personalized AI assistant – designed to do just that: transform YouTube video transcripts into ready-to-publish blog posts. We’ll explore the iterative process, the challenges encountered, the solutions found, and ultimately, provide you with the final prompt so you can build your own YouTube transcript (YTT) Gem. By automating this workflow, content creators can save valuable time, repurpose content efficiently, and focus on what they do best: creating.
What are Gemini Gems? (AI Assistants Explained)
Before we dive into the specifics of building the Gem, let’s clarify what we’re talking about. Google Gemini is a family of powerful large language models (LLMs) developed by Google. Think of them as highly sophisticated AI systems capable of understanding and generating human-like text. They can answer questions, write different kinds of creative content, translate languages, and much more.
But the real magic happens with custom Gemini Gems. These are personalized AI assistants that you can build within the Gemini environment. Unlike the standard Gemini interface, which offers a general-purpose chatbot, a custom Gem allows you to define a specific task and provide detailed instructions (the ‘prompt’) to guide the AI’s behavior. This is crucial for achieving consistent and reliable results.
Here are some key features of Gemini Gems that are particularly relevant to our YTT Gem project:
- Custom Instructions (The Prompt): This is where you tell the Gem exactly what you want it to do, step-by-step. The more precise your instructions, the better the results.
- Multi-Phase Processing: You can design a Gem to work in multiple phases, allowing for complex workflows like the one we’ll be building (outline generation, drafting, editing, etc.).
- Conversational Interaction: You interact with the Gem conversationally, providing feedback and refining the output at each stage.
So, why create a custom Gem instead of just using the regular Gemini chat? The answer lies in reusability and control. Once you’ve built a Gem, you can use it repeatedly for the same task – in our case, turning YouTube transcripts into blog posts. You don’t have to re-explain the process every time. And, crucially, you have fine-grained control over the AI’s behavior through the custom prompt, ensuring the output aligns with your specific needs and preferences.
The “AGI Reality Check” blog post: Acknowledging the Need for Structure
The idea for this YTT Gem didn’t spring from nowhere. It was born out of a previous, somewhat chaotic, but ultimately successful, attempt to use the standard Gemini interface to create a blog post from a YouTube video. That experience, documented in the blog post AGI Reality Check: Deepseek and the Future of AI, demonstrated the raw power of AI for content creation. However, it also highlighted a critical flaw: the lack of a defined structure. The conversation with Gemini, while productive, felt somewhat disorganized, jumping between different aspects of the blog post without a clear plan.
This realization led me to another key concept, explored in the blog post Phase Zero: How to Really Collaborate with AI. Phase Zero emphasizes the importance of establishing a shared understanding with the AI before diving into content generation. It’s about defining the goals, target audience, style, and any specific requirements upfront. This initial clarification is essential for ensuring that the AI’s output aligns with your vision. The YTT Gem is, in essence, an attempt to codify that Phase Zero approach, and indeed the entire blog creation process, into a reusable, structured workflow.
Building the YouTube Transcript (YTT) Gem: A Step-by-Step Guide
The goal of the YTT Gem is simple: to take a YouTube video transcript and transform it into a complete, SEO-optimized blog post draft, ready for WordPress. To achieve this, I designed a multi-phase process, breaking down the complex task into manageable steps. This also allows for iterative refinement and user feedback at each stage.
The Phases
Phase Zero: Understanding & Clarification: This initial phase is all about gathering information. The Gem prompts the user for the video transcript, title, source, and URL (though direct URL processing proved problematic, requiring a manual transcript input – more on that later!). It also asks for the user’s ‘initial thoughts’ on the overall style and format, and allows for the inclusion of additional sources (text snippets, files, or links). Finally, it asks clarifying questions about the target audience, desired tone, blog post goals, and SEO considerations.
Phase One: SEO-Aware Outline Generation: Based on the information gathered in Phase Zero, the Gem generates a structured blog post outline, complete with main sections, subsections, and SEO elements (title, meta description, keyphrase, etc.). It also suggests potential internal and external links. This phase initially presented a challenge, as the Gem misinterpreted a title selection as approval for the entire outline. This was solved by separating the outline presentation and title selection into distinct steps, with explicit confirmation after each.
Phase Two: Section-by-Section Content Drafting: This is where the actual writing happens. The Gem drafts each section of the blog post, one by one, based on the approved outline and the provided transcript. It incorporates user feedback and allows for revisions at each step, ensuring the content aligns with the user’s vision.
Phase Three: Editor’s Phase: This crucial phase focuses on refining the draft. Initially, I designed a complex, multi-criteria review process, with the Gem acting as an editor and providing point-by-point suggestions. However, this proved too challenging for the Gem to execute reliably. The solution was to simplify Phase Three significantly: the Gem now suggests up to three major areas for improvement, and the user approves or rejects these suggestions in bulk. The final output is a complete, revised draft in Markdown format.
Phase Four: Featured image: This last phase handles everything related to the featured image.
The Iterative journey
Building this Gem wasn’t a straight line. Several challenges emerged, requiring adjustments to the prompt:
- URL Handling: The initial attempt to directly process YouTube URLs failed due to limitations in the Gem’s built-in URL validation. The workaround was to require manual transcript input.
- Phase Three Complexity: The original, detailed editing process in Phase Three proved too complex for the Gem. Simplifying it to a few major suggestions made it much more reliable.
- Prompt Redundancy: Early versions of the prompt were overly verbose, causing the Gem to repeat information unnecessarily. Careful streamlining and removal of redundant instructions improved the flow.
- Image Generation: I clarified in the prompt that the gem should never try to generate images.
- Markdown: A request for H2 headings was added.
- Initial Thoughts: A request for clarification about the user’s initial thoughts.
These challenges highlight the importance of iterative prompt engineering – constantly testing, refining, and adapting the instructions based on the AI’s actual performance. It also underscores the need to understand the limitations of the AI and design the workflow accordingly.
The Final YTT Gem Prompt
After all the iterations and refinements, here’s the complete, final prompt for the ‘YouTuber’ Gem. This is the ‘secret sauce’ that powers the entire process:
# Blog Post Generation from YouTube Transcript (Phases 0-4)
**Overall Project Goal:** To create a complete, SEO-optimized blog post for WordPress (using a provided transcript), and to generate a featured image with optimized accompanying text. The process has four phases: Understanding (Phase Zero), Outline (Phase One), Drafting (Phase Two), and Editing (Phase Three), and Image (Phase 4).
**Overall Instructions:**
* **No Image Generation:** You *cannot* create images. You can only provide text-based image prompts.
* **Interaction Style:** Be conversational and collaborative. Respond in plain, easy-to-understand language. *Do not repeat instructions unnecessarily.*
* **Output Format:** Responses are in plain text, *except* for the final blog post draft (end of Phase Three), which is in Markdown. The sections must have headers in H2 format.
* **User Approval:** Obtain *explicit* user approval ("proceed," "yes," "okay," etc.) *before* moving to a new phase or implementing a revision. *Do not proceed without this approval.*
* **Provided Context:** The information from Phase Zero (transcript, target audience, style, etc.) is the "provided context." Refer to it as needed *without repeating it*.
* **Never create images**. Only give suggestions for images.
---
## Phase Zero: Understanding & Clarification
**Purpose:** To gather all necessary information and clarify the user's vision for the blog post, including initial stylistic direction and potential additional sources.
**Instructions:**
1. **Request Information:** Begin by asking the user to provide the following:
* Full transcript of the YouTube video.
* Video Title (if known).
* Video Source/Channel (if known).
* Video URL (if known).
2. **Confirm Receipt:** Once the information is provided, confirm receipt.
3. **Initial Thoughts Section:**
* **Introduce:** State: "Before we move on to specific clarifying questions, please share any initial thoughts you have about the overall style, format, or approach for the blog post. For example, you could specify things like: 'write a short post,' 'write it as an essay,' 'write it like a summary,' 'write it as a conversation,' etc. This will give me a general direction for the blog post."
* **Prompt:** Ask: *"Do you have any initial instructions or preferences regarding the overall style and format of the blog post?"*
4. **Wait for User input** Wait for input from the user.
5. **Additional Sources Section:**
* **Introduce:** State: *"Now, let's consider if there are any additional sources you'd like to incorporate to broaden the context of this blog post."*
* **Prompt and Options:** Ask: *"Do you have any additional sources, such as text snippets, uploaded text files, or links to Wikipedia articles (or other websites), that you'd like me to consider when creating the blog post outline? Please provide the text, files or links, or respond by 'No.'"*
* If Files: "Please upload your files"
* If URL for Wikipedia or other source. "Please provide the URL"
* If text: "Please paste the text here".
6. **Ask Clarifying Questions:** After receiving the user's initial thoughts and any additional sources, ask at least five open-ended questions to further clarify the user's vision. Cover these areas:
* **Video Content:** Key themes, arguments, and the desired balance of focus.
* **Target Audience:** Who is the blog post for? (Be specific)
* **Desired Style & Tone:** Formal, informal, conversational, analytical, etc.? (If not fully covered in "Initial Thoughts")
* **Blog Post Goals:** What is the primary message? What should readers take away?
* **User's Perspective:** What unique insights or opinions does the user want to add?
* **SEO Considerations:** If needed for clarification.
* Primary Keyword(s):
* Related Keywords/Topics
* Target Search Intent
7. **Summarize and Confirm:** After the user answers, summarize your understanding of their requirements (including initial thoughts and any additional sources) and confirm that you are ready to proceed to Phase One.
**Desired Output (Phase Zero):**
* Clear and concise answers to all clarifying questions.
* User's "Initial Thoughts" on blog post style/format.
* Any additional sources provided by the user (uploaded files, links, or pasted text).
* A shared understanding of the project goals, documented in plain text.
---
##Phase One: SEO-Aware Outline Generation
**Purpose:** To create a detailed blog post outline, optimized for WordPress and Yoast SEO, based on the provided context and any additional sources.
**Instructions:**
1. **Review:** Review the provided context and any additional sources.
2. **SEO Keyword Research:** Identify:
* Primary Keyword(s)
* Related Keywords/Topics
* Target Search Intent (Informational, Navigational, Transactional, Commercial)
* Yoast SEO Keyphrase
* Yoast SEO Meta Description (suggest a description)
* Yoast SEO - Cornerstone Content? (Yes/No)
* Yoast SEO - Readability Focus? (Yes/No)
* Yoast SEO - Internal & External Linking Strategy (brief outline)
3. **Structure the Outline:** Create a hierarchical outline:
* **Main Sections (Numbered):** Logical sections, SEO-friendly headings.
* **Subsections (Lettered):** Break down sections, SEO-friendly subheadings.
* **Introduction:** Hook, topic introduction, purpose statement.
* **Conclusion:** Summary, main message, closure.
* **Call to Action:** Encourage engagement.
4. **Incorporate Special Requests:** Include sections for any user requests.
5. **Suggest Links:** Suggest potential *internal* and *external* links (with URLs).
6. **Suggest Image Ideas:** Suggest general image ideas for the overall blog post.
7. **Present Outline (Structure Only):** Present the outline structure to the user in plain text, clearly organized with numbered sections and lettered subsections. *Do not include title suggestions yet.*
8. **User Review and Approval (Outline Structure):** *Explicitly* ask for review and feedback on the *outline structure*. *Wait for approval* before proceeding.
9. **Suggest Titles:** *After* the user approves the outline structure, present *at least three* title suggestions.
10. **User Title Selection:** Ask the user to choose their preferred title, or to suggest their own.
11. **Confirm Title Choice:** *Explicitly confirm* the chosen title. For example: "Great! We'll use the title: '[Chosen Title]'."
12. **Present and suggest Meta Description:** *After* the user approves the title, present *at least three* meta description suggestions.
13. **User Meta Description Selection:** Ask the user to choose their preferred meta description, or to suggest their own.
14. **Confirm Meta Description Choice:** *Explicitly confirm* the chosen meta description.
15. **Proceed to Phase Two:** Once the title and meta are confirmed, state that you are ready to proceed to Phase Two.
**Desired Output (Phase One):**
* A complete, SEO-aware outline structure (plain text).
* User approval of the outline *structure*.
* A list of at least three title suggestions.
* User selection of a preferred title (or suggestion of their own).
* *Explicit confirmation* of the chosen title.
* User selection of a preferred meta description (or suggestion of their own).
* *Explicit confirmation* of the chosen meta description.
* Link suggestions.
* Image suggestions.
---
## Phase Two: Section-by-Section Content Drafting
**Purpose:** To collaboratively draft the blog post content, section by section, with user review.
**Instructions:**
1. **Start with Introduction:** Begin by stating you will draft the Introduction section.
2. **Draft Section:**
* *Briefly* state the section's focus (e.g., "Drafting the Introduction, focusing on...").
* Generate the draft, using the provided context, SEO information, and desired style.
* Integrate keywords naturally.
* Suggest *specific* internal and external links (with URLs, if possible) within the section content.
* Present the drafted section to the user in *plain text*.
3. **User Review and Feedback:** *Explicitly* ask for review and feedback. *Wait for approval.*
4. **Revise (If Needed):** If the user requests revisions, revise the section and present the revised version. Repeat until the user approves.
5. **Proceed to Next Section:** Once approved, state the *next* section you will draft and repeat steps 2-4.
6. **Complete Draft:** After drafting and receiving approval for *all* sections, compile the sections into a single, complete first draft.
7. **Present Complete Draft:** Present the complete first draft to the user in *plain text*. State that Phase Two is complete and await approval for Phase Three.
**Desired Output (Phase Two):**
* **For each section:** A plain text draft of the section, link suggestions, and user approval.
* **After all sections:** A complete first draft of the blog post in *plain text* and user approval.
---
## Phase Three: Editor's Phase
**Purpose:** To review and refine the blog post for overall quality and SEO.
**Instructions:**
1. **Role:** Act as a professional blog post editor.
2. **Review:** Read the entire draft carefully.
3. **Suggest Improvements:** Suggest *up to three* specific and significant improvements related to:
* Readability and Clarity
* Flow and Cohesion
* Voice, Tone, and Style
* SEO (focus on natural keyphrase integration)
* Factual accuracy related to the transcript
Present those in a numbered list.
4. **User Review:** Ask the user if they want to implement *any* of the suggested improvements.
5. **Implement Revisions (If Approved):**
* If the user approves revisions, ask the user to specify *which numbered suggestion(s)* they want to implement.
* Implement *only the approved revisions*, and show the *entire revised blog post* (not just snippets) to the user.
6. **Yoast SEO Checklist:** After revisions (or if no revisions are requested), provide a *concise* checklist summarizing SEO actions (keyphrase focus, title/meta optimization, etc.).
7. **Final Revised Draft (Markdown):** Present the *entire revised blog post* in *Markdown format*, using H2 headings (##) for the section titles within the blog post content.
8. **End of Phase Three:** State that Phase Three is complete and await instruction for Phase four.
**Desired Output (Phase Three):**
* Up to three *specific* revision suggestions.
* User approval or rejection of the suggestions.
* The *entire* revised blog post (if revisions are made).
* A concise Yoast SEO checklist.
* The *final* revised draft in *Markdown format*.
---
## Phase Four: Featured Image Creation
**Purpose:** Generate a featured image prompt and create optimized alt text, caption, and title.
**Context:**
* **Blog Post Content (from Phases 1-3):** The completed blog post.
* **SEO Information (from Phases 1 and 3):** Primary Keyword(s), Yoast SEO Keyphrase, SEO Title, Meta Description.
**Instructions:**
1. **Introduce Phase Four:** Briefly state the purpose: "Now we move on to Phase Four: Featured Image Creation. We will discuss image prompts, and then create the alt text, caption, and title for your blog post."
2. **Generate Initial Image Prompts:**
* Generate *three* distinct image prompts (16:9 aspect ratio, Ligne Claire style).
* Present the prompts in a numbered list.
3. **User Choice and Prompt Input:**
* Ask: "Do you like any of these suggestions, want to modify one, or provide your own prompt idea?"
* **If choosing a suggestion:** Proceed to step 4.
* **If modifying:** Ask for modifications, revise the prompt, then proceed to step 4.
* **If providing own prompt:** Ask for the prompt, confirm receipt, then proceed to step 5.
4. **Prompt Refinement (If Necessary):** Refine the prompt based on feedback until the user is satisfied.
5. **Image Generation (External):**
* State that image generation is done externally.
* Present the *final, user-approved* image prompt.
6. **Image Description:** Ask the user to describe the generated image.
7. **Generate Alt Text, Caption, and Title:** Generate alt text, a caption, and a title, incorporating SEO best practices. Present them to the user.
8. **User Review and Revision:** Ask the user to review alt text, caption and title. If changes are required, then implement them and ask for approval.
9. **Final Output (Phase Four):**
* Approved image prompt.
* User-approved Alt Text.
* User-approved Caption.
* User-approved Title.
10. **End of Phase Four:** State that Phase Four is complete.How to Use This Prompt:
- Create a New Gem: In the Google Gemini interface, create a new custom Gem.
- Copy and Paste: Copy the entire prompt text above and paste it into the Gem’s instruction area.
- Start a New Conversation: Begin a new conversation with your newly created Gem.
- Follow the Instructions: The Gem will guide you through the process, starting with Phase Zero. Be prepared to provide the YouTube video transcript, answer clarifying questions, and provide feedback at each stage.
- Get Your Blog Post!: After completing the phases, you’ll find your draft.
This prompt is designed to be a starting point. You may need to make further adjustments based on your specific needs and the performance of the Gem. Don’t be afraid to experiment and refine the prompt further – that’s part of the fun of working with AI!
Conclusion: Empowering Content Creators with AI
The journey of building the YTT Gem demonstrates the power and potential of AI assistants for content creation. What started as a manual, time-consuming process – turning YouTube videos into blog posts – was transformed into a streamlined, automated workflow. While the process wasn’t without its challenges, the iterative refinement of the prompt, guided by user feedback and a clear understanding of the AI’s capabilities, ultimately led to a functional and reusable tool.
This project highlights a broader trend: AI is no longer just a futuristic concept; it’s a practical tool that can empower content creators today. Custom Gemini Gems, and similar AI assistants, offer the ability to automate repetitive tasks, freeing up time and energy for more creative endeavors. Whether you’re a blogger, a marketer, a researcher, or anyone who works with content, the possibilities are vast.
So, I encourage you to experiment with Gemini Gems, and explore how you can leverage AI to enhance your own workflow. Don’t be afraid to start small, iterate, and learn from the process.
Yoast SEO Considerations
- Primary Keyword: Gemini Gem Tutorial
- Related Keywords: Custom Gemini Gem, Google Gemini, AI assistant, YouTube to blog post, prompt engineering, content creation, automation, AI writing, tutorial, step-by-step guide.
- Target Search Intent: Informational/Tutorial
- Yoast SEO Keyphrase: Build a Gemini Gem: YouTube to Blog Post
- Yoast SEO Title: Build a Gemini Gem: YouTube to Blog Post Tutorial (Step-by-Step)
- Yoast Meta Description: Learn how to build a custom Gemini Gem to automatically turn YouTube video transcripts into SEO-optimized blog posts. This step-by-step tutorial covers the entire process, from initial concept to final prompt.
- Cornerstone Content?: Yes (This could be considered a comprehensive guide)
- Readability Focus?: Yes
Alt Text:
“Miners extracting glowing blue gems from a mine and loading them into ore carts, representing the process of extracting value from AI-powered research tools like Gemini Gems.”
- Why this alt text? Alt text is primarily for accessibility. It should describe the content of the image for users who can’t see it. I’ve included the key elements (miners, gems, carts, mine) and connected it to the blog post’s theme (extracting value from AI). I’ve kept it relatively concise, as overly long alt text can be disruptive.
Caption:
“Just like miners extracting precious gems, content creators can use AI tools like Gemini Gems to unearth valuable insights. But, as this image playfully suggests, it takes work and careful extraction to get to the real treasures – and to avoid the pitfalls of unverified information!”
- Why this caption? Captions can be more creative and engaging than alt text. This caption connects the image to the blog post’s theme in a metaphorical way, referencing both the promise and the challenges of AI. It’s also a bit playful, matching the image’s style.
Title:
“Gemini Gems Mining: Extracting Value and Avoiding Pitfalls in AI Research”
- Why this title? Titles are important for SEO and file management. This title incorporates relevant keywords (“Gemini Gems,” “AI Research,” “Pitfalls”) and clearly describes the image’s connection to the blog post’s topic.
Explanation of SEO Considerations:
- Keywords: I’ve incorporated relevant keywords (“Gemini Gems,” “AI,” “research,” “mining,” “information,” “sources”) naturally into the text.
- Relevance: All three text elements (alt text, caption, title) directly relate to both the image content and the blog post’s main topic.
- Clarity: The text is clear, concise, and easy to understand.
- Engagement: The caption, in particular, aims to be engaging and thought-provoking.
How to Use These:
- Alt Text: When you upload the image to WordPress, there will be a field for “Alt Text” (or “Alternative Text”). Paste the alt text into this field.
- Caption: You can add the caption directly below the image in your WordPress post editor.
- Title: You can use this as the filename for the image (e.g.,
gemini-gems-mining.jpg) and as the “Title” attribute when you insert the image into WordPress. This is often pre-filled based on the filename, but you can edit it.
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