Content Brief Template: What to Include, With an Example

What is a content brief?

A content brief is a short document that defines a piece of content before it is written. It states the primary keyword, the search intent, the audience, the goal, the outline, the word count range, and the pages to link. It is the contract between whoever plans the content and whoever writes it.

An SEO content brief adds research. It lists the top ranking pages, the questions people ask about the topic, related terms to include, and the title and meta description to use. That research is what turns a decent article into one that ranks.

Without a brief, the writer guesses. The editor then rewrites. Everyone loses a day. With a brief, the first draft is usually close, and feedback is about the writing rather than the direction.

What a content brief template should include

Here are the fields we put in every brief, with an example value for each. The example is for an imaginary article about home espresso machines.

Two fields do most of the work. Search intent stops the writer from producing a guide when Google wants a comparison. Content gap gives the page a reason to exist. If you cannot fill the gap field, the topic may not deserve a new page.

The content brief template (copy this)

Copy the list below into a document. Each item is a field. Fill every one before you hand the brief over. The order follows the way a writer reads a brief: what, for whom, then how.

• Working title: a plain title that states the topic and the promise
• Primary keyword: one phrase, lowercase, exactly as people search it
• Secondary keywords: 3 to 7 related phrases and synonyms
• Search intent: one sentence on what the searcher wants, and the format Google rewards
• Audience: who they are, what they already know, what worries them
• Goal and call to action: what the reader should do after reading
• Top ranking pages: 3 to 5 URLs with one line on what each covers
• Content gap: what the top pages miss and this page will cover
• Outline: H2 and H3 headings in order, with one line on what each section says
• Questions to answer: People Also Ask and related searches to cover in the body or FAQ
• Word count range: a low and high number taken from the top results
• Internal links: pages on our site this must link to, with suggested anchor text
• External sources: studies or docs the writer should cite
• Title tag and meta description: drafted, with character counts
• Tone and format: voice, reading level, tables or lists to include
• Owner, due date, and reviewer

How to write a content brief in 7 steps

Here is how to fill the template for a real keyword. Budget about an hour the first time. It gets faster.

1. 1

   Pick the keyword from your plan

   Start from your keyword map rather than a blank page. Each brief should serve one page in your SEO content strategy. Confirm volume and difficulty in a keyword research tool. Write the keyword down exactly as people type it.

2. 2

   Search it and read the top 5 results

   Open the top 5 pages. Note the format, the headings, the word count, and what each one does well. Then write the content gap: what none of them explain, or what they explain badly. This is the step most briefs skip.

3. 3

   Collect the questions people ask

   Copy the People Also Ask questions and related searches from the results page. Add questions from support tickets or sales calls. Our guide to People Also Ask for SEO shows a fast way to gather them. These become H2s and FAQs.

4. 4

   Define intent, audience, and goal in one line each

   Write what the searcher wants, who they are, and what you want them to do next. Three sentences. If you cannot write them, you are not ready to brief the page.

5. 5

   Draft the outline

   List the H2s in the order a reader would ask the questions. Under each, add one line on what the section should say. Put the direct answer first. Mark where a table or list belongs.

6. 6

   Add keywords, links, and sources

   List secondary keywords and related terms, sometimes called LSI keywords, so the writer covers the topic fully. Name 3 to 6 internal pages to link with suggested anchor text. Add any studies or docs to cite.

7. 7

   Write the title, meta, and word count range

   Draft a title tag under 60 characters with the primary keyword near the front. Write a meta description of 120 to 160 characters. Set the word count range from the top results. Then assign an owner and a due date and send it.

A content brief example, filled in

Here is the template filled in for the espresso article from the table above. It is shorter than you might expect. That is the point.

A writer can start from this in five minutes. An editor can check the draft against it in ten. If the draft misses the gap or the outline, the feedback is specific and the fix is quick.

Content brief vs creative brief vs outline

People mix these up, and the search results for content brief template are full of creative brief templates. They are different documents.

• Content brief. Defines one article or page: keyword, intent, audience, outline, links. Used for SEO and blog content.
• Creative brief. Defines a campaign or design project: objective, message, brand tone, deliverables, deadlines. Used by design and ad teams.
• Outline. Just the headings and their order. One field inside a content brief, and no replacement for the rest of it.
• Social media content brief. A short version for posts: platform, message, format, hashtags, date. Different job, different template.
• Website content brief. Covers a whole site or section, including the page list, navigation, and tone. Use it for a redesign, then write a content brief per page.

Common content brief mistakes

One more: briefs that ask for a keyword a set number of times. Google's helpful content guidance asks whether the page was made for people. A density target pushes writers the other way. Ask for the keyword in the title, first paragraph, and one heading, then let them write. Our guide on how to write SEO content covers placement.

Content brief generators and where to keep your template

Google Docs and Word both work. Make the template a document, then make a copy for each brief. Notion users can make it a database with one row per brief, which doubles as the calendar. A spreadsheet works if your briefs are short.

A content brief generator automates the research part. It pulls the top results, headings, word counts, and questions for a keyword. That saves 20 to 30 minutes per brief. It does not decide the gap, the audience, or the goal. Those still need a person who knows the business. Zutrix Magic Content does the research from the pages already ranking for your keyword and scores the draft as it is written.

After publishing, check the word count of the live page against the brief with our free word counter. And keep the brief. When a page slips months later, the brief tells you what it was meant to do. Zutrix Content Tracker snapshots the page daily, so you also know what changed.