write-content-brief

Write Content Brief

Produce a structured brief that gives writers everything needed to create content that ranks, resonates, and converts.

Why This Is Best Practice

Adopted by: HubSpot, Animalz, Clearscope — all publish content brief frameworks used industry-wide Impact: HubSpot's content team reports briefs reduce revision cycles by 50% and improve first-draft ranking rate significantly

Briefs eliminate the guessing that causes misaligned drafts. By pre-researching competitors, intent, and required entities, briefs let writers focus on craft rather than research. A brief that includes SERP analysis prevents the most common failure: writing content that doesn't match what Google expects to rank.

Steps

1. State the goal — One sentence: business objective (drive signups, educate prospects, capture featured snippet) and target audience persona.
2. Define the target keyword cluster — Primary keyword, 3-5 supporting keywords, monthly search volume, and keyword difficulty for each.
3. Classify search intent — State the intent type (informational/commercial/transactional) and describe what the ideal SERP result looks like.
4. Analyze top-3 competitors — For each: URL, word count, heading structure, content format (listicle, guide, comparison), unique angles. Identify gaps.
5. Specify required sections — List H2s and H3s that must appear based on competitor analysis and keyword research; include "People Also Ask" questions as section prompts.
6. Define required entities and terms — List semantic keywords (from Clearscope, Surfer, or manual SERP reading) the draft must include for topical completeness.
7. Set format and length — Word count range, content type, media requirements (screenshots, video, table), and CTA placement.
8. Include success criteria — Target keyword position, target featured snippet, internal linking requirements, and publish deadline.

Rules

• A brief without competitor analysis is incomplete — writers need the competitive baseline.
• Never write the content in the brief; briefs guide, they don't replace the draft.
• Specify the tone and reading level explicitly; "professional" means different things to different writers.
• Include at least one "unique angle" requirement — content that mirrors competitors exactly cannot outrank them.

Examples

Brief for "remote work productivity tips": Intent = informational listicle. Top competitor: Forbes (2,400 words, 15 tips, no original data). Gap: no tips specific to async teams. Required sections: H2s for time management, communication tools, home office setup, mental health. Required entities: Pomodoro technique, Slack, asynchronous work, deep work. Unique angle: include a productivity audit checklist as a downloadable asset.

Common Mistakes

• Skipping SERP analysis — produces content that doesn't match the format Google ranks for that query.
• Over-specifying word count — forces padding or cuts when the topic dictates natural length.
• Omitting CTAs from the brief — writers default to no CTA; it must be explicitly specified.
• Writing briefs for a single keyword — cluster-based briefs produce pages with far greater topical depth.

When NOT to Use

• Do not write a full SEO-oriented content brief for social media posts, email newsletters, or other content formats that are not indexed by search engines and are not intended to rank.
• Do not use this process for breaking news or reactive content that must publish within hours, where SERP analysis and competitor research would cause the piece to miss its relevance window.
• Do not apply this skill when the writer is a domain expert producing original research or thought leadership — prescribing heading structure and required entities constrains the unique insight that makes such content rank.