brief

Blog Brief Generator -- Content Planning

Generates comprehensive content briefs that guide blog writing for maximum impact on both Google rankings and AI citation platforms.

Reference documents:

• references/content-templates.md -- template selection criteria
• references/internal-linking.md -- link architecture patterns

Workflow

Step 1: Topic Intake

Gather from the user:

1. Topic or keyword (required)
2. Target audience (who reads this?)
3. Search intent -- Informational, commercial, transactional, navigational
4. Business context -- What does the company do? What's the CTA?

If only a topic is given, infer the rest from context.

Step 2: Keyword Research

Using WebSearch:

1. Search for the target keyword -- analyze what currently ranks
2. Identify primary keyword (exact match target)
3. Identify 3-5 secondary keywords (related terms, long-tail)
4. Identify 3-5 question queries (People Also Ask style)
5. Note the search intent -- what do searchers actually want?

Step 2.5: Template Recommendation

Analyze the topic, search intent, and competitive landscape to recommend one of 12 content templates. Load references/content-templates.md for selection criteria.

Available templates:

Template	Best For
how-to-guide	Step-by-step instructional content
listicle	Curated lists, ranked items, resource roundups
case-study	In-depth analysis of a specific example or result
comparison	Side-by-side evaluation of 2+ options
pillar-page	Comprehensive topic hub linking to cluster content
product-review	Detailed evaluation with pros/cons/verdict
thought-leadership	Expert opinion, industry trends, predictions
roundup	Expert quotes, tool collections, best-of lists
tutorial	Technical walkthrough with code/config examples
news-analysis	Timely coverage with expert commentary
data-research	Original data, survey results, benchmark findings
faq-knowledge	Question-driven reference content

Step 3: Competitive Analysis

Analyze the top 3-5 ranking pages for the target keyword:

1. Content length -- What's the average word count?
2. Heading structure -- How many H2s? What topics do they cover?
3. Visual elements -- Do competitors use charts, images, videos?
4. Content gaps -- What do all competitors miss?
5. Freshness -- How recently were they updated?
6. Schema -- Do they use FAQ or other rich results?
7. Template pattern -- What content format do top results use?

Step 4: Statistics Research

Find 8-12 statistics the article should include:

1. Search: [topic] study 2025 2026 data statistics research
2. Prioritize tier 1-3 sources
3. For each stat, record: value, source, URL, date, methodology
4. Identify 2-4 stats suitable for chart visualization
5. Identify 1-2 stats suitable for TL;DR and social sharing

Step 5: Generate the Brief

Output format:

# Content Brief: [Title Suggestion]

## Template
**Recommended**: [template-name] -- [1-sentence rationale]

## Target Keywords
- **Primary**: [keyword]
- **Secondary**: [keyword 1], [keyword 2], [keyword 3]
- **Questions**: [question 1], [question 2], [question 3]

## Search Intent
[Informational/Commercial/Transactional] -- [1-2 sentence explanation]

## Content Parameters
- **Word count**: [2,000-2,500] words
- **H2 sections**: [6-8]
- **Images**: 3-5
- **Charts**: 2-4
- **FAQ items**: 3-5

## Recommended Title
[Question-format title including primary keyword, under 60 chars]

## Meta Description
[150-160 chars, fact-dense, includes 1 statistic]

## TL;DR Draft
> **TL;DR:** [40-60 word summary with key finding + 1 statistic + source.]

## Information Gain Opportunities
- **[ORIGINAL DATA]**: [Suggestion for proprietary data or experiment]
- **[PERSONAL EXPERIENCE]**: [First-hand observation or test result]
- **[UNIQUE INSIGHT]**: [Contrarian take or novel analysis]

## Content Outline

### Introduction (100-150 words)
- Hook: [Surprising statistic to open with]
- Problem: [What challenge does the reader face?]
- Promise: [What will they learn?]

### H2: [Question Format] (300-400 words)
- **Answer-first**: Open with [specific stat + source]
- **Chart**: [Type] showing [data description]

[... repeat for 6-8 sections ...]

### FAQ Section (3-5 items)

### Conclusion (100-150 words)

## Statistics to Include

| # | Statistic | Source | Year | Section |
|---|-----------|--------|------|---------|
| 1 | [stat] | [source + URL] | 2025 | H2: Section 1 |

## Citation Capsule Plan
| Section | Capsule Focus | Key Stat | Source |
|---------|--------------|----------|--------|

## Visual Element Plan
| # | Type | Data | Section |
|---|------|------|---------|

## Internal Link Architecture
- **Link TO**: [3-5 existing pages to link to]
- **Link FROM**: [3-5 existing pages that should link here]

## Distribution Plan
- **Reddit**: [Subreddits + approach]
- **YouTube**: [Video companion concept]
- **LinkedIn**: [Article excerpt angle]
- **Email**: [Newsletter excerpt + subject line]

Step 6: Save the Brief

Save to the user's project as briefs/[slug]-brief.md or to a location they specify. Confirm the brief is ready for /smart-blog-skills:write.