A content brief is a short document, usually one or two pages, that tells a writer what to write, for whom and why: the target query, the search intent, the angle, an outline, the facts and sources to use, the internal links to add and what "done" looks like. A good SEO content brief example reads like a set of decisions already made, so the writer spends their time writing, not guessing.
Below are six complete examples you can copy, each for a different type of piece (how-to post, listicle, comparison, local landing page, content refresh and a compact brief for an AI writer), with a note on why each field earns its place. The topics are illustrative; swap in your own.
Key takeaways
- A content brief answers five questions before writing starts. What query, for which reader, in what format, with which unique angle, and how will we know it's done.
- Match the brief to the piece. A comparison needs evaluation criteria, a local page needs proof and service details, a refresh needs a list of what to change.
- The angle field matters most. It's the reason your page deserves to rank above ten similar ones, and Google's own guidance calls "Why" perhaps the most important question about content.
- Keep it to one or two pages. If a brief is longer than the article it describes, the writer will skim it.
- A brief for an AI writer is shorter but stricter. Facts to use, facts to avoid, and the exact structure.
What is a content brief?
A content brief is a set of instructions for one piece of content that defines its goal, audience, target keyword, structure and requirements before anyone starts writing. It sits between keyword research and the draft: research decides what to write about, the brief decides how this particular piece will win.
It is not the same as an outline (the outline is one field inside the brief) or a creative brief (which briefs a whole ad campaign or design project, not a single article). If you want a blank version to fill in, use our content brief template; this page is the filled-in counterpart.
Google's guidance on helpful content suggests asking "Who, How, and Why" about every page: who created it, how it was produced and why it exists, adding that "Why" is perhaps the most important question. A good brief answers all three before writing starts, which is why every example below has an angle field and a "who writes it" field.
The fields every example uses
| Field | What it answers | Why the writer needs it |
|---|---|---|
| Working title | What is this piece? | Sets the promise the intro must keep |
| Primary query and secondary queries | What will people type? | Headings and the intro should mirror real searches |
| Search intent and format | What do searchers expect to see? | A how-to query wants steps, a "best" query wants a list, a "vs" query wants a table |
| Reader | Who is reading and what do they already know? | Decides the vocabulary and what to skip |
| Angle | Why should ours rank above the ten pages already there? | Prevents a rewrite of the current top result |
| Outline | Which H2s and H3s, in which order? | Covers the sub-topics searchers expect |
| Facts, sources and examples | What must be in it, and from where? | Stops invented statistics and vague claims |
| Internal links | Which of our pages to link, with which anchors? | Builds topic clusters as you publish |
| Length and CTA | How long, and what should the reader do next? | Avoids padding and orphaned conversions |
| Owner, reviewer, due date | Who writes, who checks, by when? | Turns the brief into a task |
The six examples fill these in differently depending on the piece.
Example 1: SEO blog post brief (how-to)
The most common brief in SEO: a step-by-step article for an informational query. This one is for a kitchen appliance store.
WORKING TITLE How to Descale a Coffee Machine (Vinegar, Citric Acid or Descaler)
PRIMARY QUERY how to descale a coffee machine
SECONDARY descale coffee machine with vinegar; how often to descale coffee maker;
descaling solution vs vinegar
INTENT/FORMAT Informational, wants steps now. Numbered steps, each starting with a verb,
plus a short "what you need" list at the top.
READER Home user whose machine is slow or tastes bitter. Not technical.
ANGLE One page that covers all three methods, with the ratios and timings in one
table, and model-specific notes for the 5 machines we sell most.
OUTLINE H2 How often should you descale? (answer first: frequency by water hardness)
H2 What you need
H2 How to descale with a descaler (steps)
H2 How to descale with vinegar (steps + rinse cycles)
H2 How to descale with citric acid (steps)
H2 Vinegar vs citric acid vs descaler (table: cost, smell, warranty risk)
H2 Model-specific notes (5 machines)
H2 FAQ (4 questions from People Also Ask)
MUST INCLUDE Manufacturer instructions for the 5 models (link the PDF manuals).
Warranty note: check whether the maker allows vinegar. No invented ratios.
INTERNAL LINKS /descaling-products (anchor "descaling solutions"),
/blog/how-to-clean-a-coffee-grinder, /blog/water-hardness-map
LENGTH 1,200–1,600 words. CTA: product box for our descaler after the steps.
OWNER Writer: Sam (has used all 5 machines). Reviewer: support lead. Due: 14 Nov.Why it works: the intent line tells the writer the format before they open Google, and the angle (all three methods plus model-specific notes) is something a generic article can't copy. The "who" is a writer who has used the machines, which answers Google's "Who" question in the byline.
Example 2: Listicle brief ("best X")
Roundups live or die on criteria. This brief for a software review site forces the writer to compare tools on the same attributes.
WORKING TITLE The 8 Best Project Management Tools for Small Teams (Tested on Real Projects)
PRIMARY QUERY best project management tools for small teams
SECONDARY project management software for small business; free project management tool
INTENT/FORMAT Commercial investigation. Numbered list, comparison table near the top,
same mini-structure for every tool.
READER Founder or team lead of 3–15 people choosing a first tool. Price-sensitive.
ANGLE We ran one real project in each tool; every entry says who it suits and who
should skip it.
SELECTION Free plan or under $15/user/month; usable without an admin; mobile app.
PER-TOOL BLOCK One-line verdict · Best for · Price (from the vendor's pricing page, dated) ·
Free plan limits · What annoyed us · Screenshot of our test project
OUTLINE H2 Quick comparison (table) · H2 x8 tools · H2 How we chose ·
H2 Which one should you pick? (by team type) · H2 FAQ
MUST INCLUDE Prices checked on each vendor's pricing page on the day of publishing,
with "as of [month year]". No rankings without a stated reason.
INTERNAL LINKS Our reviews of 3 of the tools; /blog/remote-team-workflows
LENGTH 2,500–3,500 words. CTA: newsletter for the monthly tools update.
OWNER Writer: Priya (ran the test projects). Due: 2 Dec.Why it works: the selection criteria and the per-tool block stop the list turning into eight unrelated product descriptions. The pricing rule protects you from the most common reason listicles go stale.
Example 3: Comparison brief ("X vs Y")
Comparison queries are close to a buying decision, so the brief is about criteria and a verdict, not background.
WORKING TITLE Notion vs Confluence: Which Wiki Fits Your Team?
PRIMARY QUERY notion vs confluence
SECONDARY notion or confluence for documentation; confluence alternative
INTENT/FORMAT Comparison. Verdict in the first 3 sentences, then a side-by-side table.
READER Ops or engineering lead moving off Google Docs. Knows both names.
ANGLE Decide by team type (startup, engineering org, agency), not by feature count.
CRITERIA Pricing per user, permissions, page structure, search, integrations
(Jira, Slack), AI features, migration effort.
OUTLINE H2 The short answer · H2 Side-by-side table · H2 One H2 per criterion ·
H2 Which to choose (by team type) · H2 How to migrate · H2 FAQ
MUST INCLUDE Current prices and plan names from both pricing pages, dated. Screenshots
of the same page in both tools. Disclose that we sell a Notion template.
INTERNAL LINKS /blog/documentation-templates, /blog/notion-for-startups
LENGTH 1,800–2,400 words. CTA: free Notion wiki template.Why it works: the angle replaces "both are great" with a decision rule, and the disclosure line keeps the page honest when you have a stake in the answer.
Example 4: Local landing page brief
Service pages need proof and specifics more than words. This one is for a plumbing company.
PAGE /emergency-plumber-leeds
PRIMARY QUERY emergency plumber leeds
SECONDARY 24 hour plumber leeds; burst pipe repair leeds
INTENT/FORMAT Transactional and urgent. Phone number above the fold, short sections,
no long intro.
READER Homeowner with water on the floor. Reading on a phone.
ANGLE Real response times and fixed call-out pricing, stated plainly.
SECTIONS Hero (what we fix, area covered, phone, "typical arrival" from our job log)
What to do while you wait (stopcock, electrics) · Services and prices ·
Areas covered (list of postcodes) · Reviews (real, linked to Google profile)
· Gas Safe / insurance details · FAQ
MUST INCLUDE Only response times we can prove from the job log. Registration numbers.
No stock photos of "our team".
SCHEMA LocalBusiness / Plumber with opening hours and service area.
LENGTH 600–900 words. CTA: click-to-call button, repeated after each section.Why it works: the reader line ("water on the floor, on a phone") explains every layout decision, and the must-include rules stop the page from promising response times the business can't keep.
Example 5: Content refresh brief
Most SEO work on an established site is updating, not writing from scratch. A refresh brief lists what to change and what to leave alone. It usually comes out of a content audit.
URL /blog/email-subject-lines (keep the URL)
WHY NOW Clicks down 31% year over year, average position 6.4, examples from 2023.
QUERIES TO WIN email subject lines (position 6.4), subject line examples (position 11),
best email subject lines for sales (position 14)
KEEP The 48 referring domains point here, so keep the URL and the core list.
Keep sections 2 and 4, they still earn clicks.
CHANGE Answer the query in the first 2 sentences. Replace 2023 examples with
current ones from our own campaigns (open rates from our ESP export).
Add a section on subject lines for sales emails. New title and meta.
REMOVE The "history of email" section and the 2022 statistics.
ADD FAQ (4 questions from the Queries tab in Search Console).
INTERNAL LINKS Add links from 3 newer posts on email marketing to this page.
DONE WHEN Published with an honest updated date; clicks compared at 6 and 12 weeks.Why it works: "keep" protects what already earns traffic and links, and "done when" makes the result measurable instead of a vague "freshen it up".
Example 6: A brief for an AI writer
When the writer is ChatGPT, Claude or another AI tool, the brief becomes the prompt. It needs fewer explanations and more constraints, because the model will fill any gap with plausible-sounding guesses.
Write an article for [site], a [what the business does] for [audience].
Target query: "how to write a cover letter for an internship"
Reader: university student, first internship application, anxious about length.
Format: answer in the first 2 sentences, then numbered steps, then one full example
letter in a code block, then a 4-question FAQ.
Outline: [paste the H2s]
Use these facts only: [paste facts with source links]. If a fact is not listed,
do not state a number.
Voice: plain, encouraging, second person. Short paragraphs. No "In today's world".
Do not: invent statistics, quotes or company names; mention competitors.
Internal links: [URL 1] with anchor "[text]", [URL 2] with anchor "[text]".
Length: 1,200–1,500 words.Why it works: the "use these facts only" line is the single most useful instruction you can give a model, and the "do not" list catches the habits you'd otherwise edit out by hand. For routine SEO articles, tools like Outrank skip the separate brief: it picks the keyword, studies the pages that already rank and writes the article with headings, internal links, images and an FAQ. A human-written brief still pays off for comparisons, opinion pieces and anything that depends on your own data.
Weak brief vs strong brief
The same assignment, briefed two ways:
| Field | Weak brief | Strong brief |
|---|---|---|
| Topic | "Content marketing tips" | "How to repurpose one webinar into 10 pieces of content" |
| Keyword | "content marketing" | Primary "repurpose webinar content", plus 3 secondary queries |
| Reader | "Marketers" | "B2B marketer who ran one webinar and has a recording, no video editor" |
| Angle | (blank) | "Exact workflow and time per asset from our last 4 webinars" |
| Outline | "Intro, tips, conclusion" | 7 H2s mirroring the queries, FAQ from People Also Ask |
| Sources | "Use good sources" | Two named studies with links, our own webinar data |
| Done | "About 2,000 words" | "1,500–1,800 words, CTA to the webinar checklist, reviewed by the webinar lead" |
The weak brief isn't shorter by accident. Every blank field is a decision the writer has to guess, and guesses produce the generic article that already ranks 11th.
Which example should you start from?
Answer three questions and get the closest example.
3-question decision helper
Which content brief example fits your piece?
Question 1 of 3
What are you making?
Tools that build content briefs for you
SEO content tools can draft the research half of a brief from the pages that already rank:
- Surfer's Content Editor gives live guidelines for structure, word count, keywords and headings, and an Outline Builder that suggests headings and questions.
- Frase describes its SEO research as "content research that ends in a brief", with questions to answer and competitor gaps.
- MarketMuse has a content brief generator with recommendations on structure, expertise and depth.
- Clearscope focuses on term suggestions and query discovery rather than a full brief.
What none of them can fill in is the angle, the facts only you have and the reader you know. Use the tool for the outline and the query list, then write those fields yourself. For more on the research side, see our guides to writing a blog post outline, keyword clustering and picking keywords.
FAQ
What is a content brief?
A content brief is a one- or two-page document that tells a writer what a piece of content must achieve and how: the target keyword, search intent, audience, angle, outline, sources, internal links, length and call to action. It's written before the draft so the writer doesn't have to guess.
What should an SEO content brief include?
At minimum: the primary and secondary queries, the search intent and expected format, the reader, a unique angle, an H2/H3 outline, the facts and sources to use, internal links with anchors, a word range and a CTA. Add an owner and due date if the brief also serves as the task.
How long should a content brief be?
One to two pages for most articles. A brief for an AI tool can be half a page because it's mostly constraints. If your brief runs longer than that, move background research into a linked document and keep the brief to decisions.
Who writes the content brief?
Usually the SEO lead, content strategist or editor, because they own the keyword research and know what the site already covers. On small teams the writer often drafts the brief and the editor approves it before writing starts.
What is the difference between a content brief and a creative brief?
A content brief covers one piece of content, such as an article or landing page, with SEO details like keywords, outline and internal links. A creative brief covers a campaign or design project (ads, video, branding) and focuses on the message, audience and deliverables across channels.
