SEO Content Brief Template

An SEO content brief is a regular content brief with one critical addition: a rigorous analysis of what's currently ranking for your target keyword and a clear plan for how your piece will outperform it. Without this analysis, you're writing blind.

This template gives you the exact structure to brief a piece that's built to rank — not just written to publish.

The Difference Between a Content Brief and an SEO Content Brief

A content brief tells a writer what to write and for whom. An SEO content brief adds:

• What's currently ranking and why
• What the top results are missing
• How to structure content to match Google's understanding of the topic
• Specific entities, terms, and questions that need to appear

The result is content that serves both the reader and the search engine — and those goals are more aligned than most people think.

SEO Brief Pre-Work (Do Before Writing the Brief)

These steps must be completed before you fill in the template:

Step 1: Confirm the keyword

• Primary keyword: ___
• Monthly search volume: ___
• Keyword difficulty: ___
• Your current position (if any): ___
• Why this keyword matters to your business: ___

Step 2: Analyze search intent Search the keyword yourself. What does Google show?

• Informational (how-to, definitions, guides)
• Navigational (looking for a specific site/brand)
• Commercial (comparing options, reviews)
• Transactional (ready to buy, sign up, download)

Dominant content type in results:

• Blog posts / articles
• Landing/product pages
• Category pages
• Forum threads (Reddit, Quora)
• Video results
• Local results

Step 3: SERP analysis Review the top 5 results in detail. For each, answer:

• What format is it? (List, guide, step-by-step, definition, comparison)
• Approx. word count?
• H2 headings used?
• What does it do well?
• What is it missing?

The SEO Content Brief Template

BRIEF ID: ___ Created By: ___ Date: ___ Assigned Writer: ___ Draft Due: ___ Target Publish Date: ___

Section A: Keyword and Search Data

Section B: Content Objective

Why are we creating this piece?

Primary Business Goal:

• Drive organic traffic from target keyword
• Capture leads via content upgrade
• Support a product landing page (cluster piece)
• Establish topical authority for [pillar]
• Displace a competitor ranking above us

Secondary Goals:

• Build backlinks (data/research/tool angle)
• Support sales enablement
• Email list growth

Content Pillar This Belongs To: ___ Position in Cluster: Pillar Page / Supporting Cluster Piece

Section C: Target Audience

Primary Reader: [Specific job title, company type, experience level, and specific situation they're in when they search this keyword]

Awareness Stage:

• Just realizing they have the problem
• Understands the problem, looking for solutions
• Evaluating specific solutions/tools
• Ready to decide/act

What does the reader want to accomplish after reading this piece?

Section D: SERP Competitive Analysis

For each of the top 3 ranking results, complete this analysis:

Result #1:

• URL: ___
• Domain: ___
• Approx. Word Count: ___
• Page Type: ___
• H2 Headings: ___
• Strengths (what it does well): ___
• Weaknesses (what it's missing): ___

Result #2:

• URL: ___
• Domain: ___
• Approx. Word Count: ___
• H2 Headings: ___
• Strengths: ___
• Weaknesses: ___

Result #3:

• URL: ___
• Domain: ___
• Approx. Word Count: ___
• H2 Headings: ___
• Strengths: ___
• Weaknesses: ___

"People Also Ask" Questions (include answers in your content):

Related Searches (from Google bottom):

Section E: Our Differentiation Strategy

The Gap: What critical angle, subtopic, or depth level is missing from existing results?

Our Angle: How will our piece be better, different, or more complete?

Unique Value We Can Add: (original data, proprietary framework, fresher examples, specific template, etc.)

Section F: Recommended Content Structure

Working Title: ___

Proposed SEO Title Tag (50-60 chars): (Include primary keyword, ideally near the front)

Proposed Meta Description (150-160 chars): (Include keyword, hook, and CTA)

Proposed URL Slug: /blog/[keyword-slug]

Target Word Count: – words (Base on competitors + depth needed to be comprehensive)

Recommended H2 Outline:

H1: [Final Title with Keyword]

Introduction
- Open with reader's problem (not a history lesson)
- State what this post delivers
- Include primary keyword in first paragraph

[H2 — First Major Section]

[H3 — Subtopic]

[H2 — Second Major Section]

[H3 — Subtopic]

[H3 — Subtopic]

[H2 — Framework/Template/How-To Section]

(This is the core value section — the most important part)

[H2 — Examples/Case Studies]

[H2 — Common Mistakes or FAQ]

Further Reading

• the keyword → brief → draft → publish SEO workflow
• how to create AI-optimized content that ranks
• how to execute SEO for startups
• Averi's Strategy Map to generate SEO briefs that align with your content pillars

Frequently Asked Questions

[Question from PAA]

[Question from PAA]

[Question from PAA]

Conclusion / CTA

**Required Sections** (based on SERP analysis):
- [ ] ___
- [ ] ___
- [ ] ___

**Optional Sections** (add if word count allows):
- [ ] ___

---

### Section G: SEO Implementation Requirements

**Keyword Placement Checklist for Writer:**
- [ ] Primary keyword in H1
- [ ] Primary keyword in first 100 words
- [ ] Primary keyword in at least 2-3 H2/H3 headings (naturally)
- [ ] Primary keyword 3-5x in body text (roughly 0.5-1% density)
- [ ] All secondary keywords used at least once
- [ ] LSI/semantic terms distributed throughout

**Internal Links to Include** (link from this new piece):

| Anchor Text | Link To |
|---|---|
| | |
| | |
| | |

**Inbound Links to Create** (existing pages that should link TO this new piece):

| Page URL | Anchor Text | Where to Insert |
|---|---|---|
| | | |
| | | |

**Schema Markup Type:** Article / HowTo / FAQPage / Other: ___

**Featured Snippet Optimization:**
If targeting a featured snippet, the answer to the primary query should appear in a clean, direct paragraph within the first 200 words of the piece, or in a clearly formatted table or numbered list.

---

### Section H: Content Enhancement Requirements

**Required:**
- [ ] At least one original example, case study, or scenario
- [ ] At least one data point from a credible external source (link it)
- [ ] One framework, checklist, or template the reader can use
- [ ] FAQ section (3-5 questions based on PAA or common reader questions)

**If Applicable:**
- [ ] Comparison table (for comparison-intent pieces)
- [ ] Step-by-step numbered process (for how-to pieces)
- [ ] Before/after examples (for transformation content)
- [ ] Expert quote or reference

**Visual Assets Needed:**
- [ ] Featured image
- [ ] Diagram illustrating [concept]: ___
- [ ] Screenshot of [tool/example]: ___
- [ ] Table comparing: ___

---

### Section I: Call to Action

**Primary CTA:**

| Element | Content |
|---|---|
| CTA Headline | |
| CTA Sub-copy | |
| Button/Link Text | |
| Link Destination | |
| Placement | End of article / Mid-article / Both |

**Content Upgrade (if applicable):**
Gated resource that extends the value of this piece:
- Type: Template / Checklist / Spreadsheet / Calculator / Other: ___
- Title: ___
- Opt-in copy: ___

---

### Section J: Post-Publish Optimization Plan

**Date to check performance:** ___ (30 days after publish)

**Success criteria at 30 days:**
- Ranking in positions 1-50 for primary keyword
- At least ___ sessions from organic search
- Impressions trending up in Search Console

**90-day target:**
- Position: Top ___ for primary keyword
- Sessions: ___ / month

**Refresh trigger:**
If ranking doesn't improve above position 20 by 90 days, flag for:
- [ ] Content expansion
- [ ] Additional internal links
- [ ] Outreach for backlinks
- [ ] Title/meta optimization

---

How Averi Creates SEO Briefs Automatically

When you add a keyword to your Averi content queue, the platform generates an SEO brief automatically: SERP analysis, keyword data, suggested outline, and content requirements — all pre-filled based on live search data and your Brand Core. You spend 5 minutes reviewing and approving, not 2 hours building from scratch.

Generate SEO briefs automatically in Averi →

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should an SEO content brief be?

Typically 1-3 pages. Long enough to transfer all the strategic context a writer needs, short enough that they'll actually read it. The SERP analysis section is the most important and the most often skipped.

Should I hire an SEO specialist to write briefs?

Not necessarily. A good content strategist who understands SEO fundamentals can write effective SEO briefs. The key skills are: keyword research, search intent analysis, and SERP analysis. Many SEO-specific tasks (technical implementation, schema) can be handled in the review stage.

How do I determine the right target word count?

Analyze the top 5 results for your target keyword and note their word counts. Match the depth of the highest-ranking, highest-quality result — not the longest. Longer isn't always better. A 2,000-word piece that perfectly matches search intent will outrank a 5,000-word piece that covers tangential topics.

Should every piece of content have an SEO brief?

Every piece targeting a search keyword should have an SEO brief. Thought leadership, social content, or newsletter pieces that aren't built for organic search can use a lighter brief focused on audience and messaging.

What do I do if the keyword I want to target already has a page on our site?

Don't create a new piece — you'll create keyword cannibalization. Either refresh the existing page to make it competitive, or consolidate if there are multiple weaker pages. Only create a new page if the existing content can't be salvaged or is targeting a significantly different intent.