brief

Content Brief Produce a complete, editor-ready content brief covering intent analysis, competitive SERP review, content outline, E-E-A-T requirements, and SEO targets. Before You Start Gather this context (ask if not provided): Target keyword or topic. The primary keyword this content should rank for. Business context. What does the company do? What should readers do after reading (sign up, buy, contact)? Content type preference. Blog post, landing page, guide, comparison, tutorial? Audience. Who is reading this? Beginners, practitioners, decision-makers? Step 1: SERP Analysis Analyze what currently ranks for the target keyword: Search the keyword (use web search) and review the top 5-10 results. Identify the dominant intent. Are results informational guides, product pages, listicles, tools? Note the content format. Average word count, heading structure, use of images/tables/videos. Find the gaps. What do all top results cover? What do none of them cover well? Record: Rank Title URL Format Approx. Length Unique Angle 1 ... ... guide / listicle / tutorial ... ... Step 2: Intent Mapping Determine the exact user intent and map it to content structure: "How to" intent → Step-by-step tutorial with numbered sections "What is" intent → Definition + context + examples + next steps "Best X" intent → Curated list with comparison criteria and recommendations "X vs Y" intent → Side-by-side comparison table + verdict "Review" intent → Hands-on evaluation with pros/cons/alternatives The content structure must match what the searcher expects to find. Step 3: Content Outline Build a detailed outline with: Title Options (2-3 variants) Select the formula that matches the content type: Content Type Formula Example How-to / Tutorial "How to [Goal] in [Timeframe]" "How to Fix Crawl Errors in 30 Minutes" How-to (objection) "How to [Goal] Without [Objection]" "How to Build Links Without Cold Outreach" Listicle "[N] [Adjective] [Topic] [Qualifier]" "9 Proven Link Building Strategies for SaaS" Comparison "[A] vs [B]: Which Is Better for [Goal]?" "Ahrefs vs SEMrush: Which Is Better for Keyword Research?" Definition "What Is [Topic]? [Short Clarifier]" "What Is Topical Authority? How It Affects Rankings" Ultimate guide "The [Complete/Definitive] Guide to [Topic]" "The Complete Guide to Technical SEO" Mistakes "[N] [Topic] Mistakes [Consequence]" "7 Internal Linking Mistakes That Kill Rankings" CTR boosters — test adding these elements: Element Expected CTR Impact Add a number +15-25% Add current year +10-15% Add brackets or parentheses +10-38% Add a power word (Proven, Essential, Ultimate) +5-12% Rules: Include the primary keyword Keep under 60 characters (55 for mobile safety) Use odd numbers in listicles (they outperform even) Rewrite if CTR is below 2% at positions 1-3 or below 5% at positions 4-10 Meta Description Select a template and adapt: Content Type Template Blog / Guide "Learn [topic] with our [qualifier] guide. Covers [point 1], [point 2], and [point 3]. [CTA]." Question-answer "[Question]? This [year] guide explains [what], [why], and [how]. Get actionable tips now." Listicle "Discover [N] [adjective] [topic] strategies that [result]. Backed by [proof element]. Read the guide." Comparison "[A] vs [B]: which is better for [use case]? We compared [criteria]. See the winner + detailed breakdown." Product/Service "[Product] helps you [benefit]. [Feature 1], [Feature 2], [Feature 3]. [Price/offer]. [CTA]." Rules: 150-160 characters (aim for 140-155 for mobile safety) Include the primary keyword naturally End with a clear value proposition or call to action Add numbers or statistics where possible (+5-15% CTR boost) Heading Structure Map out every H2 and H3 with brief guidance for each section: H1: [Title] H2: [Section 1] — what to cover, target length H3: [Subsection] — specific points H2: [Section 2] — what to cover ... H2: FAQ — 3-5 questions from People Also Ask Key Points Per Section For each H2 section, specify: The main point to make Data or examples to include How this section differs from competitor coverage Internal link opportunities (link to related pages on the site) Step 4: E-E-A-T Requirements YMYL Check First, determine if the keyword falls into "Your Money or Your Life" territory (health, finance, legal, safety). YMYL topics trigger elevated E-E-A-T requirements from Google: YMYL keywords require: named author with verifiable credentials, citations to official sources (.gov, .edu, professional bodies), clear disclosure of affiliations, and medical/ legal/financial review where applicable. Non-YMYL keywords still benefit from E-E-A-T but don't require the same rigor. Author Qualification Specify what credentials the author needs for this topic: Topic Type Author Requirement YMYL (health, finance, legal) Licensed professional or verifiable expert with public credentials Technical (code, engineering) Demonstrated practitioner experience (portfolio, GitHub, publications) Business/marketing Industry experience or named case studies General informational Byline with bio is sufficient Evidence Floor Set the minimum evidence bar for this piece: Content Type Minimum Sources Source Tier Requirement Research/data-driven 5+ citations At least 2 primary sources (official docs, studies, .gov/.edu) How-to / tutorial 2-3 citations Official documentation for tools/methods referenced Opinion / thought leadership 3+ citations Data to support each major claim Comparison / "best X" 1 per item reviewed First-hand testing evidence for each E-E-A-T Signals Specify what the content needs: Experience: First-hand examples, case studies, screenshots, "we tested this" statements Expertise: Cite specific data, reference industry standards, show depth beyond surface-level Authoritativeness: Link to authoritative external sources, reference recognized frameworks Trustworthiness: Include dates, update frequency, author bio, transparent methodology E-E-A-T Priority by Content Type Different content types weight E-E-A-T signals differently. Focus effort where it matters most: Content Type Experience Expertise Authority Trust Top Priority Product review Critical High Medium High Experience — hands-on testing evidence How-to guide High Critical Medium High Expertise — demonstrate deep knowledge Research/data Medium Critical Critical Critical Authority + Trust — sourced data, methodology Opinion piece Critical High High Medium Experience — personal credentials and POV Comparison High High Medium Critical Trust — unbiased criteria, transparent methodology News/reporting Medium Medium Critical Critical Authority — recognized source, editorial standards Content Quality Checklist (Top Priorities) For every piece, verify at minimum: Author identified with relevant credentials visible on page At least 1 first-hand experience element (case study, screenshot, "we tested") All statistics have named sources and dates At least 2 references to primary sources (not just other blog posts) Published date visible; content updated within 18 months No unsupported superlatives ("best", "fastest", "most effective") without evidence Step 5: SEO Targets Element Target Primary keyword [keyword] Secondary keywords [2-3 related terms] Word count range [min-max based on SERP analysis] Internal links to include [list specific pages to link to] External links to include [types of sources to cite] Images/media [count and types: screenshots, diagrams, tables] Featured snippet target [yes/no — if yes, which format: paragraph, list, table] Step 6: Differentiation Angle The brief must specify what makes this piece better than what already ranks: More current: Updated data, recent examples More practical: Templates, checklists, step-by-step screenshots More comprehensive: Covers subtopics competitors skip More specific: Targets a niche the broad pieces miss Original data: Survey results, internal data analysis, expert quotes Pick 1-2 angles. Trying to win on all dimensions produces generic content. Output Format Content Brief: [target keyword] Overview Target keyword: [keyword] Search intent: [type] Content format: [blog post / guide / comparison / etc.] Target word count: [range] Target audience: [who] Business goal: [what readers should do after] SERP Competitive Landscape [Table from Step 1] Title Options [option 1] [option 2] [option 3] Meta Description [150-160 char description] Content Outline [Full heading structure with guidance per section] SEO Targets [Table from Step 5] E-E-A-T Checklist First-hand experience demonstrated Expert-level depth on core topic Authoritative sources cited Trust signals included (dates, author, methodology) Differentiation [What makes this piece better than current top results] Pro Tip: Use the free Keyword Density Analyzer and TF-IDF Tool to benchmark competitor content depth for your target keyword. SEOJuice MCP users can run /seojuice:keyword-analysis for search volume and difficulty, and /seojuice:content-strategy to check if the topic fits an existing cluster or fills a content gap.