Brief template
SEO content brief template
A brief decides most of what a page becomes. This template lists the fields, shows one filled in for a real query type and ends with a test for whether the brief is ready.
In short
An SEO content brief is a one-page instruction sheet for a writer. It states the query, the reader's intent, the page type, the questions to answer, the facts only your business can supply, the internal links and what a finished page must prove. A good brief removes guesswork before writing starts, not after.
The fields every brief needs
| Field | What to write | Our note |
|---|---|---|
| Target query | The exact search phrase and two close variants | One main query per page; extra variants go inside it |
| Reader | Who is typing it and what they do next | A role and a situation, not 'small businesses' |
| Intent and page type | Learn, compare, buy or fix; guide, list, table or tool | Look at what already ranks and match the shape |
| Working title and promise | What the reader will know by the end | If you cannot state it in a line, the angle is unclear |
| Questions to answer | Five to ten, in reading order | Pull from the search results' related questions and from sales calls |
| Our evidence | Data, examples, screenshots or experience only we have | This is what stops the page being a rewrite of the top results |
| Do not say | Claims we cannot prove, banned words, topics for other pages | Prevents overlap with sibling pages |
| Internal links | Two to five pages to link to and from, with anchor text | Add the reverse links to the editing list too |
| Format | Headings, table, steps, length range | Length follows the questions, not a target number |
| Success check | The metric and date we will read in Search Console | A page without a review date never gets reviewed |
A filled-in example
Here is a brief for a query like 'how to choose a Shopify theme'. The example is illustrative: it is how we would write the sheet, not a page we have published.
- Target query: how to choose a Shopify theme. Variants: Shopify theme for a small catalog; free vs paid Shopify themes.
- Reader: an owner launching a first store, comparing options on a phone between other jobs.
- Intent: learn and decide. Page type: guide with a decision table.
- Promise: the reader leaves with a shortlist of three themes and a one-hour test plan.
- Questions: How many products do you have? Does the theme need filtering or mega-menus? What does speed look like on a mid-range phone? Which apps will you add? How is support handled?
- Our evidence: screenshots from a real theme test, speed results before and after adding three apps, our notes on a single-product launch like Belvra.
- Do not say: that any theme will raise sales, or rank themes as winners.
- Internal links: Shopify development, Shopify launch checklist.
- Success check: impressions and clicks for the main query in Search Console, read after eight weeks.
How to fill the fields without guessing
- Read the results page like a customerOpen the top ten results. Note the page type each one is. If nine are comparison tables, a long essay will not fit.
- List what they all sayFacts common to every result are the minimum. You need them, but they will not set you apart.
- List what none of them sayGaps are your angle: a missing step, an outdated fact, a trade-off nobody states plainly.
- Add what only you knowReal projects, mistakes, numbers from your own data, a process photo. If you have none, ask whether this page should exist.
- Write the questions in orderThe order of the questions becomes the order of the headings.
Is the brief ready? Seven checks
- A stranger could write the first paragraph from the brief alone. Our note: if they would have to ask a question, add the answer.
- The page type matches what searchers get today.
- Every claim in the brief has a source we can name.
- At least one thing on the page comes from first-hand experience.
- The links to other pages are chosen, not left to the writer.
- The words and topics to avoid are listed.
- The review date is in the calendar.
A downloadable copy of this template is meant to be offered on this page, so you can reuse it for each new page. We use the same sheet in our SEO content writing work.
Common brief mistakes
- Briefing a keyword list instead of a reader. The writer then repeats phrases instead of answering.
- Copying competitor headings. You end up with a worse version of what already exists.
- Skipping the evidence field. Pages with no first-hand material read the same as every other result, and AI tools have no reason to cite them.
- Setting a word count first. Length should come from the questions.
Updated 30 October 2026
Questions, answered
How long should a content brief be?
Who should write the brief?
Do I still need a brief if AI drafts the page?
How many keywords should a brief list?
When should I update a brief?
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