Content Brief

Produce a complete, editor-ready content brief covering intent analysis,

competitive SERP review, content outline, E-E-A-T requirements, and SEO targets.

Before You Start

Gather this context (ask if not provided):

• Target keyword or topic. The primary keyword this content should rank for.

• Business context. What does the company do? What should readers do after reading (sign up, buy, contact)?

• Content type preference. Blog post, landing page, guide, comparison, tutorial?

• Audience. Who is reading this? Beginners, practitioners, decision-makers?

Step 1: SERP Analysis

Analyze what currently ranks for the target keyword:

• Search the keyword (use web search) and review the top 5-10 results.

• Identify the dominant intent. Are results informational guides, product pages, listicles, tools?

• Note the content format. Average word count, heading structure, use of images/tables/videos.

• Find the gaps. What do all top results cover? What do none of them cover well?

Record:

Rank

Title

URL

Format

Approx. Length

Unique Angle

1

...

...

guide / listicle / tutorial

...

...

Step 2: Intent Mapping

Determine the exact user intent and map it to content structure:

• "How to" intent → Step-by-step tutorial with numbered sections

• "What is" intent → Definition + context + examples + next steps

• "Best X" intent → Curated list with comparison criteria and recommendations

• "X vs Y" intent → Side-by-side comparison table + verdict

• "Review" intent → Hands-on evaluation with pros/cons/alternatives

The content structure must match what the searcher expects to find.

Step 3: Content Outline

Build a detailed outline with:

Title Options (2-3 variants)

Select the formula that matches the content type:

Content Type

Formula

Example

How-to / Tutorial

"How to [Goal] in [Timeframe]"

"How to Fix Crawl Errors in 30 Minutes"

How-to (objection)

"How to [Goal] Without [Objection]"

"How to Build Links Without Cold Outreach"

Listicle

"[N] [Adjective] [Topic] [Qualifier]"

"9 Proven Link Building Strategies for SaaS"

Comparison

"[A] vs [B]: Which Is Better for [Goal]?"

"Ahrefs vs SEMrush: Which Is Better for Keyword Research?"

Definition

"What Is [Topic]? [Short Clarifier]"

"What Is Topical Authority? How It Affects Rankings"

Ultimate guide

"The [Complete/Definitive] Guide to [Topic]"

"The Complete Guide to Technical SEO"

Mistakes

"[N] [Topic] Mistakes [Consequence]"

"7 Internal Linking Mistakes That Kill Rankings"

CTR boosters — test adding these elements:

Element

Expected CTR Impact

Add a number

+15-25%

Add current year

+10-15%

Add brackets or parentheses

+10-38%

Add a power word (Proven, Essential, Ultimate)

+5-12%

Rules:

• Include the primary keyword

• Keep under 60 characters (55 for mobile safety)

• Use odd numbers in listicles (they outperform even)

• Rewrite if CTR is below 2% at positions 1-3 or below 5% at positions 4-10

Meta Description

Select a template and adapt:

Content Type

Template

Blog / Guide

"Learn [topic] with our [qualifier] guide. Covers [point 1], [point 2], and [point 3]. [CTA]."

Question-answer

"[Question]? This [year] guide explains [what], [why], and [how]. Get actionable tips now."

Listicle

"Discover [N] [adjective] [topic] strategies that [result]. Backed by [proof element]. Read the guide."

Comparison

"[A] vs [B]: which is better for [use case]? We compared [criteria]. See the winner + detailed breakdown."

Product/Service

"[Product] helps you [benefit]. [Feature 1], [Feature 2], [Feature 3]. [Price/offer]. [CTA]."

Rules:

• 150-160 characters (aim for 140-155 for mobile safety)

• Include the primary keyword naturally

• End with a clear value proposition or call to action

• Add numbers or statistics where possible (+5-15% CTR boost)

Heading Structure

Map out every H2 and H3 with brief guidance for each section:

H1: [Title]

  H2: [Section 1] — what to cover, target length

    H3: [Subsection] — specific points

  H2: [Section 2] — what to cover

  ...

  H2: FAQ — 3-5 questions from People Also Ask

Key Points Per Section

For each H2 section, specify:

• The main point to make

• Data or examples to include

• How this section differs from competitor coverage

• Internal link opportunities (link to related pages on the site)

Step 4: E-E-A-T Requirements

YMYL Check

First, determine if the keyword falls into "Your Money or Your Life" territory (health,

finance, legal, safety). YMYL topics trigger elevated E-E-A-T requirements from Google:

• YMYL keywords require: named author with verifiable credentials, citations to official

sources (.gov, .edu, professional bodies), clear disclosure of affiliations, and medical/

legal/financial review where applicable.

• Non-YMYL keywords still benefit from E-E-A-T but don't require the same rigor.

Author Qualification

Specify what credentials the author needs for this topic:

Topic Type

Author Requirement

YMYL (health, finance, legal)

Licensed professional or verifiable expert with public credentials

Technical (code, engineering)

Demonstrated practitioner experience (portfolio, GitHub, publications)

Business/marketing

Industry experience or named case studies

General informational

Byline with bio is sufficient

Evidence Floor

Set the minimum evidence bar for this piece:

Content Type

Minimum Sources

Source Tier Requirement

Research/data-driven

5+ citations

At least 2 primary sources (official docs, studies, .gov/.edu)

How-to / tutorial

2-3 citations

Official documentation for tools/methods referenced

Opinion / thought leadership

3+ citations

Data to support each major claim

Comparison / "best X"

1 per item reviewed

First-hand testing evidence for each

E-E-A-T Signals

Specify what the content needs:

• Experience: First-hand examples, case studies, screenshots, "we tested this" statements

• Expertise: Cite specific data, reference industry standards, show depth beyond surface-level

• Authoritativeness: Link to authoritative external sources, reference recognized frameworks

• Trustworthiness: Include dates, update frequency, author bio, transparent methodology

E-E-A-T Priority by Content Type

Different content types weight E-E-A-T signals differently. Focus effort where it matters most:

Content Type

Experience

Expertise

Authority

Trust

Top Priority

Product review

Critical

High

Medium

High

Experience — hands-on testing evidence

How-to guide

High

Critical

Medium

High

Expertise — demonstrate deep knowledge

Research/data

Medium

Critical

Critical

Critical

Authority + Trust — sourced data, methodology

Opinion piece

Critical

High

High

Medium

Experience — personal credentials and POV

Comparison

High

High

Medium

Critical

Trust — unbiased criteria, transparent methodology

News/reporting

Medium

Medium

Critical

Critical

Authority — recognized source, editorial standards

Content Quality Checklist (Top Priorities)

For every piece, verify at minimum:

• Author identified with relevant credentials visible on page

• At least 1 first-hand experience element (case study, screenshot, "we tested")

• All statistics have named sources and dates

• At least 2 references to primary sources (not just other blog posts)

• Published date visible; content updated within 18 months

• No unsupported superlatives ("best", "fastest", "most effective") without evidence

Step 5: SEO Targets

Element

Target

Primary keyword

[keyword]

Secondary keywords

[2-3 related terms]

Word count range

[min-max based on SERP analysis]

Internal links to include

[list specific pages to link to]

External links to include

[types of sources to cite]

Images/media

[count and types: screenshots, diagrams, tables]

Featured snippet target

[yes/no — if yes, which format: paragraph, list, table]

Step 6: Differentiation Angle

The brief must specify what makes this piece better than what already ranks:

• More current: Updated data, recent examples

• More practical: Templates, checklists, step-by-step screenshots

• More comprehensive: Covers subtopics competitors skip

• More specific: Targets a niche the broad pieces miss

• Original data: Survey results, internal data analysis, expert quotes

Pick 1-2 angles. Trying to win on all dimensions produces generic content.

Output Format

Content Brief: [target keyword]

Overview

• Target keyword: [keyword]

• Search intent: [type]

• Content format: [blog post / guide / comparison / etc.]

• Target word count: [range]

• Target audience: [who]

• Business goal: [what readers should do after]

SERP Competitive Landscape

[Table from Step 1]

Title Options

• [option 1]

• [option 2]

• [option 3]

Meta Description

[150-160 char description]

Content Outline

[Full heading structure with guidance per section]

SEO Targets

[Table from Step 5]

E-E-A-T Checklist

• First-hand experience demonstrated

• Expert-level depth on core topic

• Authoritative sources cited

• Trust signals included (dates, author, methodology)

Differentiation

[What makes this piece better than current top results]

Pro Tip: Use the free Keyword Density Analyzer

and TF-IDF Tool to benchmark competitor

content depth for your target keyword. SEOJuice MCP users can run /seojuice:keyword-analysis

for search volume and difficulty, and /seojuice:content-strategy to check if the topic

fits an existing cluster or fills a content gap.