How to write an SEO content brief

Most content fails before anyone writes a word, because nobody decided what the page needs to do. A brief fixes that. It takes the research (what people search, what already ranks, what questions they have) and turns it into instructions a writer, or you, can follow.

What a content brief includes

Build a brief in seconds

Enter a keyword in the generator on this page. It produces a full brief: search intent, a title tag and H1, an H2 and H3 outline, the questions to answer, related terms to include and a target length. Use it as your starting point, then add what only you know.

Step by step

1. Pick one main keyword

One page, one main search. Related phrases can be covered on the same page, but if two searches need different answers, they need different pages. See how to do keyword research.

2. Work out the intent

Search the keyword and look at what ranks. If the top results are guides, write a guide. If they're product pages, a blog post will struggle. If they're tools, consider building one.

3. Study the top results

Note what every top page covers (that's the minimum) and what none of them cover well (that's your opportunity). Look at their headings, examples and length.

4. Write the outline

Turn the topics into H2s and H3s in a logical order. Put the direct answer near the top. See header tags for SEO.

5. List the questions

Pull from "People also ask", Search Console queries and your support inbox. Each question should be answered somewhere in the page.

6. Set length and links

Estimate length from competing pages (see how long should a blog post be). List two to five existing pages to link to, and one or two that should link back.

7. Add what makes yours better

Original data, real examples, screenshots, expert quotes, a tool or template. A brief that only copies what ranks produces a copy. The brief should say what this page will offer that others don't.

A simple brief template

Main keyword:
Intent:
Audience:
Title tag (≤ 60 characters):
H1:
Outline:
  H2:
    H3:
Questions to answer:
Related terms:
Target length:
Link to:
Link from:
What makes ours better:
Call to action:

Using briefs with AI writing

If you use AI to help draft content, a brief matters even more. Without one, AI writes the average of what's already out there. With a brief that states the intent, outline, unique angle and facts to include, the draft is much closer to something worth publishing. Edit it as you would any first draft. The paragraph rewriter helps tighten sections afterwards.