SEO Content Brief

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:

• Create a detailed content brief for a writer or yourself before drafting
• Analyze the current SERP to identify content gaps and opportunities
• Define target keywords, word count, structure, and optimization targets
• Provide a clear blueprint that produces SEO-optimized content without guesswork

DO NOT use this skill for writing the actual content (use blog-post skill), keyword research (use keyword-research skill), or technical SEO audits. This is for the brief that precedes content creation.

Core Principle

A GREAT BRIEF ELIMINATES GUESSWORK — THE WRITER SHOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO WRITE, WHO TO WRITE FOR, AND WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE BEFORE TYPING A SINGLE WORD.

Phase 1: Brief Inputs

Required Inputs

GATE: Confirm inputs before building the brief.

Phase 2: SERP Analysis

Analyze Current Rankings

For the target keyword, assess the top 5-10 results:

## SERP Analysis

**Current Page 1 Results:**
| Position | Title | Domain | Type | Word Count | Gaps |
|----------|-------|--------|------|-----------|------|
| 1 | [Title] | [Domain] | [Guide/List/How-to] | ~[X] | [What's missing] |
| 2 | [Title] | [Domain] | [Type] | ~[X] | [Gap] |
| ... | | | | | |

**SERP Features Present:**
- [ ] Featured snippet (paragraph / list / table)
- [ ] People Also Ask
- [ ] Video results
- [ ] Image pack
- [ ] Local pack

**Content Gap Analysis:**
- What questions are NOT answered well by current results?
- What angles are missing?
- What depth or specificity could you add?

Competitive Insight Summary

## What Competitors Do Well
- [Strength 1]
- [Strength 2]

## Where Competitors Fall Short
- [Gap 1 — your opportunity]
- [Gap 2 — your opportunity]

## Your Angle
[How to differentiate from what's already ranking]

GATE: Review the SERP analysis before building the content outline.

Phase 3: Content Brief Document

The Brief

## Content Brief: [Target Keyword]

**Target keyword:** [Primary keyword]
**Secondary keywords:** [3-5 related terms]
**Search intent:** [Informational / Commercial / Transactional]
**Content type:** [How-to guide / Listicle / Comparison / Deep dive]
**Target word count:** [X]-[Y] words
**Target audience:** [Who and what they care about]
**Unique angle:** [What makes this piece different from existing results]

---

### Outline

**H1:** [Title with target keyword]

**H2:** [Section 1] (~[X] words)
- Cover: [Key points]
- Include: [Data, example, or resource]

**H2:** [Section 2] (~[X] words)
  **H3:** [Subtopic A]
  **H3:** [Subtopic B]

[Continue for all sections...]

---

### SEO Requirements

- Target keyword in H1, first 100 words, and at least 1 H2
- Secondary keywords sprinkled naturally through body
- Meta description: 150-160 characters with keyword and CTA
- Internal links: [Specific pages to link to]
- External links: Cite 2-3 authoritative sources
- Image alt text: Include keyword variant in at least one image

### SERP Feature Targets

- Featured snippet opportunity: [Question to answer in snippet format]
- People Also Ask: [3-5 questions to address in the content]

### What NOT to Do

- Do not [specific thing to avoid based on competitor analysis]
- Do not [content pitfall for this topic]
- Do not exceed [word count] — longer is not always better

### Success Metrics

- Ranking on page 1 for target keyword within 90 days
- [X]+ organic visits per month within 6 months
- [Conversion action]: [X]% of readers take next step

Phase 4: Polish

1. Writer Instructions

Add any style, tone, or formatting guidance specific to the brand or publication.

2. Reference Materials

List URLs, studies, or resources the writer should consult during drafting.

3. Review Criteria

Checklist for the editor or reviewer to evaluate the draft against the brief.

Anti-Patterns

• Brief with no outline — "Write 2,000 words about email marketing" is not a brief. Structure is the entire point.
• Ignoring the SERP — writing without analyzing what's already ranking means you're guessing at format, depth, and angle.
• Over-specifying every sentence — a brief guides structure and strategy. If you dictate every paragraph, you might as well write it yourself.
• No unique angle — if the brief produces content that looks like every other result, it will not outrank them.
• Targeting unrealistic keywords — a brief for a keyword your site cannot rank for wastes the writer's time and your budget.

Recovery

• No SERP tools available: Manually review top 5 Google results. Note titles, headings, word count estimates, and missing topics.
• Writer doesn't follow the brief: Add a "mandatory checklist" section where the writer confirms each requirement before submitting.
• Multiple keywords, unsure which to target: Pick the keyword with the best combination of relevance, rankability, and volume. Create separate briefs for separate keywords.
• Content already exists on the site: Assess whether to update the existing page or create new content. Avoid keyword cannibalization.