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SEO content brief template

One page that answers every question a writer has before they start: the keyword, the search intent, the reader, the questions to answer, the outline, the links and the sources. Fill it in below, then copy it to Notion or Google Docs, or print it.

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1.The basics

Working title A plain description of the article. You will polish it later.

Target keyword One main keyword or phrase, written the way people search for it.

Related keywords Three to eight phrases that ask the same question in other words. Leave out terms that need their own page.

URL slug Short, readable, main keyword, no dates. Example: /seo-content-brief

2.Search intent

Intent type Learn, compare, buy, or find one specific site. Pick one.

What ranks today Search the keyword. What type of pages are on the first page (guides, lists, tools, product pages) and what do they all cover?

The main question The one question this page must answer, in one sentence.

Short answer Two or three sentences. This answer should appear near the top of the article.

3.The reader

Who is reading Example: a small-business owner writing their own blog posts.

What they already know This tells the writer what to skip and what to explain.

What they can do after reading One concrete outcome. Example: choose a keyword for their next post.

Tone and voice Example: friendly and direct, short sentences, no jargon.

4.Questions to answer

Reader questions From search suggestions, "People also ask", forums and real customer emails. One per line, most important first.

5.What we add

Our angle What can this page offer that the current top results do not? Your own example, a test you ran, a screenshot, a mistake you made, real numbers you can source.

6.Outline

H1 Usually close to the working title, with the main keyword in it.

H2 sections In reading order. Write each as "Heading: what this section answers".

FAQ (optional) Short questions from the list above that do not need a full section.

7.Links

Internal links to add Pages on your site this article should link to. Write "URL: anchor text".

Pages that should link to this article Existing pages you will update after publishing.

8.Sources

Sources Write "URL: what it supports". Every statistic or factual claim in the article needs one.

9.Title and description

Meta title

Describe this page specifically; do not reuse the same title on other pages.
Put the main topic first and keep any brand name short, at the end.
Keep it short enough that the important words are not cut off in search results.
Do not repeat the keyword or stuff in extra keywords.

Meta description

Sum up this page in one or two plain sentences.
Write a unique description for every page.
Include a detail the reader cares about, such as what they will learn or get.
No lists of keywords. Google may still show other text from the page.

10.Production

Images and media Screenshots, diagrams or photos you need, and who provides them.

One call to action The single next step you want the reader to take.

Writer

Editor

Draft due

Publish date

Review date When to check the page again and update facts and links.

How to use this brief

Fill in sections 1 to 5 before anyone writes. If you cannot write the main question in one sentence, the topic is not ready yet.
Search your own site for the target keyword first. If you already have a page on it, write the brief as an update to that page instead of a new article.
Give the writer the whole brief, not just the keyword. The reader, the angle and the sources are what make the article different from the pages that already rank.
Before publishing, check the draft against our SEO article checklist.

Where the title and description rules come from

The rules in section 9 summarise Google’s own guidance: Influencing your title links and Control your snippets in search results. For the bigger picture, see Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content.

OptiDraft is an AI writer that turns a keyword and your instructions into a first draft. If you want to try it with a finished brief, you can start with OptiDraft.

SEO content brief template · optidraft.com/seo-content-brief-template