SEO content brief template: give the writer decisions, not a keyword dump
A content-brief prompt that turns research into audience, intent, evidence, outline, internal links and acceptance criteria without prescribing keyword density.
- Works in
- ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini
- You need
- Primary query and cluster · SERP or competitor notes · First-party evidence · Relevant site URLs
- Written for
- seo content brief template
A strong brief removes avoidable decisions while leaving room for expertise. It tells the writer what must be true and useful, not how many times to type a phrase.
For a shorter research-first version, see the content brief prompt. Use this template when the assignment needs explicit acceptance criteria and cannibalisation checks.
Turn the research below into a brief an expert writer can use.
Output these sections: reader and job; primary query and intent; one-sentence
page promise; scope and exclusions; questions the draft must answer; evidence
and sources available; claims still needing evidence; recommended outline
with the job of each section; examples or artefacts required; internal links
with reason and suggested context; conversion action; and acceptance criteria.
Separate facts from hypotheses. Do not invent search volume, audience pain,
expert quotes, statistics or competitor conclusions. Do not prescribe keyword
density or a word count derived from competing pages. Use secondary queries
only when they fit the same reader job. Flag cannibalisation when an existing
URL appears to answer the same intent.
For every proposed section, explain what new decision or evidence it adds.
Remove sections whose only job is to contain a phrase. Finish with WRITER CAN
START / RESEARCH BLOCKED and list missing evidence that changes the argument.
Primary query and cluster: [KEYWORDS]
Research and result-page notes: [RESEARCH]
First-party evidence and approved sources: [EVIDENCE]
Existing relevant URLs: [URLS]
Business action and voice: [BUSINESS]What to change
Everything in square brackets is yours to replace. Nothing else needs editing.
[KEYWORDS]- One primary query and only closely matching variants from measured research.
[RESEARCH]- Observed result types, recurring questions and competitor gaps with dates.
[EVIDENCE]- Data, tests, interviews, product facts and sources the writer may cite.
[URLS]- Relevant live pages with their intended query or job.
[BUSINESS]- The appropriate next action and a short real voice sample.
How to run it
- 01Bring research, not just keywords
A keyword gives the topic; observed results and first-party evidence give the article a reason to exist.
- 02Resolve cannibalisation before drafting
Update or merge when an existing URL already fulfils the same job.
- 03Have the writer challenge the brief
The brief is a starting decision record. Let subject expertise change an outline when the evidence requires it.
Questions people ask
What is an SEO content brief?
It is a decision document for one search-led page: audience, intent, promise, scope, evidence, questions, outline, internal links, action and acceptance criteria.
Should a content brief include word count?
Only when the format or assignment has a real production limit. Copying the average length of ranking pages confuses correlation with a requirement; scope and evidence should determine useful length.
Who should create a content brief?
The person responsible for search intent and business fit should create it with input from the subject expert and writer. Research, editorial judgment and factual authority rarely live with one person.
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