SEO Content Brief

Study what already ranks for a keyword, then write a brief that tells a writer exactly what to produce to beat it. The brief is derived from evidence (the current top 10 results), not from imagination: word counts come from what ranks, the outline comes from the coverage patterns across competitors plus the gaps, and the questions come from what searchers actually ask.

When to use this

• About to write or commission an SEO article, guide, or landing page.
• A writer needs direction beyond "write about X".
• Trigger phrases: "content brief", "SEO brief", "outline for", "what should this cover",

"brief for this keyword".

Workflow

1. Read the top 10 ranking pages

Pull the current top 10 organic results for the target keyword and study them, not just skim. For each, note: page type (guide, listicle, product, comparison), rough word count, the H2/H3 headings, and what it covers well or badly. This is the bar you have to clear.

2. Determine search intent

From the shape of the top 10, name the dominant intent so the page matches it. If the SERP is how-to guides, an informational deep-dive wins; if it is listicles, a ranked list wins; if it is product pages, a commercial page wins. A well-written page that fights the SERP's intent does not rank. State the intent and the winning page type explicitly.

3. Set target and per-section word counts

Take the median word count of the relevant top-10 pages (ignore outliers and off-intent pages) and aim slightly above it, only if the extra words add substance. Longer is not better; matching intent thoroughly is. Then split the target across sections so the writer knows the weight of each part (intro, each H2 block, conclusion). This prevents a bloated intro and a starved core.

4. Build the H2/H3 outline

Merge the heading structures of the top competitors into a superset, then add what they all miss. Every H2 should map to a sub-intent or question a searcher has. Order them the way a reader wants the information, usually: what/why up top, how in the middle, edge cases and FAQ toward the end. Mark which headings are table-stakes (everyone covers them) versus your differentiation (the gap you fill).

5. List entities, questions, and subtopics to cover

Give the writer the concrete things the page must mention to read as authoritative:

• Entities: the specific tools, concepts, people, standards, and terms that ranking pages

reference. Search engines expect a real article on this topic to name these.

• Questions: the People Also Ask questions for the keyword plus related questions from the

SERP. Each is a candidate H2 or FAQ item.

• Subtopics and gaps: what the top 10 under-cover or get wrong; this is your edge.

6. Suggest internal and external links

• Internal: 3 to 6 existing pages on the site this article should link to, with suggested

anchor text, to build topical connection and pass equity.

• External: 2 to 4 authoritative, non-competitor sources to cite (studies, docs,

primary data). Citing real sources raises trust and is easy for the writer to skip without a prompt.

7. Write the title tag and meta description

Provide a title tag (aim ~55 to 60 characters, keyword near the front, a reason to click) and a meta description (~150 to 155 characters, keyword plus the benefit and an implied CTA). Offer one primary and one alternate of each.

OUTPUT TEMPLATE

markdown
# Content Brief: <target keyword>

Primary keyword: <keyword>
Secondary keywords: <kw>, <kw>, <kw>
Search intent: <informational / commercial / transactional> - winning page type: <type>
Target word count: <N> (competitor median <M>)

## Section word budget
- Intro: <N> words
- <H2 title>: <N> words
- <H2 title>: <N> words
- Conclusion / CTA: <N> words

## Outline
## <H2 #1>            [table-stakes | differentiation]
   ### <H3>
   ### <H3>
## <H2 #2>
## <H2 #3>
...
## FAQ
   - <PAA question>
   - <PAA question>

## Must cover
- Entities: <entity>, <entity>, <entity>, ...
- Questions (from PAA): <q>, <q>, <q>
- Subtopics competitors miss (your edge): <gap>, <gap>

## Links
Internal:
- -> <page> (anchor: "<anchor text>")
- -> <page> (anchor: "<anchor text>")
External (cite):
- <authoritative source> for <the stat/claim>

## Metadata
Title tag (A): <~57 chars>
Title tag (B): <alternate>
Meta description (A): <~155 chars, keyword + benefit + implied CTA>
Meta description (B): <alternate>

Worked example

Target keyword: how to do a backlink audit.

The top 10 are all how-to guides (intent = informational, page type = step-by-step guide), median ~1,900 words. Brief sets target at 2,100 words. The merged outline yields H2s: what a backlink audit is, when to run one, the step-by-step process, tools you can use, what to do with toxic links, how often to repeat it, plus an FAQ. The differentiation gap: every competitor lists tools but none shows a decision rule for disavow-versus-ignore, so that becomes a flagged differentiation H2.

Must-cover entities: referring domains, anchor text distribution, disavow file, DR/DA, toxic links, Google Search Console. PAA questions ("Is a backlink audit worth it?", "How do you find bad backlinks?") become FAQ items. Internal links point to the site's disavow guide and its anchor-text article; external cites go to primary Search Console documentation.

Title tag: "How to Do a Backlink Audit (Step-by-Step, 2026)". Meta: "Run a backlink audit in 7 steps: find toxic links, read your anchor profile, and decide what to disavow. A repeatable process, no guesswork."

From God of Skills: a curated, hand-tested directory of AI skills, prompts, templates and image style guides. Source: https://godofskills.com/skills/seo-content-brief?ref=claude-skill