How to write an SEO content brief writers can actually follow
What goes into a useful content brief: the reader, the search intent, what the page must answer, structure, sources and what not to do.
· 2 min read
A content brief is the difference between an article that answers the search and one that just contains the keyword. Good briefs are short, specific and written for the person who will do the writing.
What a useful brief contains
1. The reader and the goal
Who is searching, what they already know, and what you want them to do after reading: contact you, try a product, read the next guide. One or two sentences.
2. The search and its intent
The main query and its close variants, and what the results page shows today: guides, lists, product pages, videos? The type of page that ranks tells the writer what kind of page to write. See Keyword research without paid tools.
3. What the page must answer
List the questions the reader has, in their words, from "People also ask", Search Console queries, sales calls and support emails. This is the most valuable part of the brief.
4. A suggested structure
A working title and the main sections as headings. Leave the writer room to improve it, but make the order of ideas clear.
5. What makes this page different
The experience, data, examples or opinion only you can add. Without this, the article will look like everything that already ranks.
6. Sources and facts to check
Links to the primary sources the writer should use (official documentation, your own data), and any claims that need checking before publication.
7. Practical details
- target length as a range, not a word count to hit;
- internal links to include, and pages that should link to the new one;
- tone, audience level and anything to avoid;
- who reviews it, and by when.
What to leave out
- Keyword density targets. They produce awkward writing, and keyword stuffing is against Google's spam policies.
- Long lists of every term competitors use. Use them to check coverage, not as a checklist.
- Instructions to write for search engines. Write for the reader the brief describes.
After publishing
Check the page in Google Search Console after a few weeks: the queries it appears for show whether it matched the intent. If it ranks for questions the brief missed, add them.
Share your brief template in the Content and on-page community.