Brief

1---2name: brief3description: >4  Produce an editor-ready content brief for a target keyword or topic. Use when5  the user asks for a content brief, writing guidelines, article outline, SEO6  brief, what to include in a blog post, or how to structure content for a7  keyword. For choosing which topics to write about, see find-keywords.8  For a full site-wide SEO audit, see audit.9metadata:10  version: 1.0.011---12 13# Content Brief14 15Produce a complete, editor-ready content brief covering intent analysis,16competitive SERP review, content outline, E-E-A-T requirements, and SEO targets.17 18## Before You Start19 20Gather this context (ask if not provided):21 221. **Target keyword or topic.** The primary keyword this content should rank for.232. **Business context.** What does the company do? What should readers do after reading (sign up, buy, contact)?243. **Content type preference.** Blog post, landing page, guide, comparison, tutorial?254. **Audience.** Who is reading this? Beginners, practitioners, decision-makers?26 27## Step 1: SERP Analysis28 29Analyze what currently ranks for the target keyword:30 311. **Search the keyword** (use web search) and review the top 5-10 results.322. **Identify the dominant intent.** Are results informational guides, product pages, listicles, tools?333. **Note the content format.** Average word count, heading structure, use of images/tables/videos.344. **Find the gaps.** What do all top results cover? What do none of them cover well?35 36Record:37 38| Rank | Title | URL | Format | Approx. Length | Unique Angle |39|------|-------|-----|--------|---------------|--------------|40| 1 | ... | ... | guide / listicle / tutorial | ... | ... |41 42## Step 2: Intent Mapping43 44Determine the exact user intent and map it to content structure:45 46- **"How to" intent** → Step-by-step tutorial with numbered sections47- **"What is" intent** → Definition + context + examples + next steps48- **"Best X" intent** → Curated list with comparison criteria and recommendations49- **"X vs Y" intent** → Side-by-side comparison table + verdict50- **"Review" intent** → Hands-on evaluation with pros/cons/alternatives51 52The content structure must match what the searcher expects to find.53 54## Step 3: Content Outline55 56Build a detailed outline with:57 58### Title Options (2-3 variants)59 60Select the formula that matches the content type:61 62| Content Type | Formula | Example |63|-------------|---------|---------|64| How-to / Tutorial | "How to [Goal] in [Timeframe]" | "How to Fix Crawl Errors in 30 Minutes" |65| How-to (objection) | "How to [Goal] Without [Objection]" | "How to Build Links Without Cold Outreach" |66| Listicle | "[N] [Adjective] [Topic] [Qualifier]" | "9 Proven Link Building Strategies for SaaS" |67| Comparison | "[A] vs [B]: Which Is Better for [Goal]?" | "Ahrefs vs SEMrush: Which Is Better for Keyword Research?" |68| Definition | "What Is [Topic]? [Short Clarifier]" | "What Is Topical Authority? How It Affects Rankings" |69| Ultimate guide | "The [Complete/Definitive] Guide to [Topic]" | "The Complete Guide to Technical SEO" |70| Mistakes | "[N] [Topic] Mistakes [Consequence]" | "7 Internal Linking Mistakes That Kill Rankings" |71 72**CTR boosters** — test adding these elements:73 74| Element | Expected CTR Impact |75|---------|-------------------|76| Add a number | +15-25% |77| Add current year | +10-15% |78| Add brackets or parentheses | +10-38% |79| Add a power word (Proven, Essential, Ultimate) | +5-12% |80 81**Rules:**82- Include the primary keyword83- Keep under 60 characters (55 for mobile safety)84- Use odd numbers in listicles (they outperform even)85- Rewrite if CTR is below 2% at positions 1-3 or below 5% at positions 4-1086 87### Meta Description88 89Select a template and adapt:90 91| Content Type | Template |92|-------------|---------|93| Blog / Guide | "Learn [topic] with our [qualifier] guide. Covers [point 1], [point 2], and [point 3]. [CTA]." |94| Question-answer | "[Question]? This [year] guide explains [what], [why], and [how]. Get actionable tips now." |95| Listicle | "Discover [N] [adjective] [topic] strategies that [result]. Backed by [proof element]. Read the guide." |96| Comparison | "[A] vs [B]: which is better for [use case]? We compared [criteria]. See the winner + detailed breakdown." |97| Product/Service | "[Product] helps you [benefit]. [Feature 1], [Feature 2], [Feature 3]. [Price/offer]. [CTA]." |98 99**Rules:**100- 150-160 characters (aim for 140-155 for mobile safety)101- Include the primary keyword naturally102- End with a clear value proposition or call to action103- Add numbers or statistics where possible (+5-15% CTR boost)104 105### Heading Structure106Map out every H2 and H3 with brief guidance for each section:107 108```109H1: [Title]110  H2: [Section 1] — what to cover, target length111    H3: [Subsection] — specific points112  H2: [Section 2] — what to cover113  ...114  H2: FAQ — 3-5 questions from People Also Ask115```116 117### Key Points Per Section118For each H2 section, specify:119- The main point to make120- Data or examples to include121- How this section differs from competitor coverage122- Internal link opportunities (link to related pages on the site)123 124## Step 4: E-E-A-T Requirements125 126### YMYL Check127 128First, determine if the keyword falls into "Your Money or Your Life" territory (health,129finance, legal, safety). YMYL topics trigger elevated E-E-A-T requirements from Google:130 131- **YMYL keywords** require: named author with verifiable credentials, citations to official132  sources (.gov, .edu, professional bodies), clear disclosure of affiliations, and medical/133  legal/financial review where applicable.134- **Non-YMYL keywords** still benefit from E-E-A-T but don't require the same rigor.135 136### Author Qualification137 138Specify what credentials the author needs for this topic:139 140| Topic Type | Author Requirement |141|-----------|-------------------|142| YMYL (health, finance, legal) | Licensed professional or verifiable expert with public credentials |143| Technical (code, engineering) | Demonstrated practitioner experience (portfolio, GitHub, publications) |144| Business/marketing | Industry experience or named case studies |145| General informational | Byline with bio is sufficient |146 147### Evidence Floor148 149Set the minimum evidence bar for this piece:150 151| Content Type | Minimum Sources | Source Tier Requirement |152|---|---|---|153| Research/data-driven | 5+ citations | At least 2 primary sources (official docs, studies, .gov/.edu) |154| How-to / tutorial | 2-3 citations | Official documentation for tools/methods referenced |155| Opinion / thought leadership | 3+ citations | Data to support each major claim |156| Comparison / "best X" | 1 per item reviewed | First-hand testing evidence for each |157 158### E-E-A-T Signals159 160Specify what the content needs:161 162- **Experience:** First-hand examples, case studies, screenshots, "we tested this" statements163- **Expertise:** Cite specific data, reference industry standards, show depth beyond surface-level164- **Authoritativeness:** Link to authoritative external sources, reference recognized frameworks165- **Trustworthiness:** Include dates, update frequency, author bio, transparent methodology166 167### E-E-A-T Priority by Content Type168 169Different content types weight E-E-A-T signals differently. Focus effort where it matters most:170 171| Content Type | Experience | Expertise | Authority | Trust | Top Priority |172|-------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|-------|-------------|173| Product review | Critical | High | Medium | High | Experience — hands-on testing evidence |174| How-to guide | High | Critical | Medium | High | Expertise — demonstrate deep knowledge |175| Research/data | Medium | Critical | Critical | Critical | Authority + Trust — sourced data, methodology |176| Opinion piece | Critical | High | High | Medium | Experience — personal credentials and POV |177| Comparison | High | High | Medium | Critical | Trust — unbiased criteria, transparent methodology |178| News/reporting | Medium | Medium | Critical | Critical | Authority — recognized source, editorial standards |179 180### Content Quality Checklist (Top Priorities)181 182For every piece, verify at minimum:183 184- [ ] Author identified with relevant credentials visible on page185- [ ] At least 1 first-hand experience element (case study, screenshot, "we tested")186- [ ] All statistics have named sources and dates187- [ ] At least 2 references to primary sources (not just other blog posts)188- [ ] Published date visible; content updated within 18 months189- [ ] No unsupported superlatives ("best", "fastest", "most effective") without evidence190 191## Step 5: SEO Targets192 193| Element | Target |194|---------|--------|195| Primary keyword | [keyword] |196| Secondary keywords | [2-3 related terms] |197| Word count range | [min-max based on SERP analysis] |198| Internal links to include | [list specific pages to link to] |199| External links to include | [types of sources to cite] |200| Images/media | [count and types: screenshots, diagrams, tables] |201| Featured snippet target | [yes/no — if yes, which format: paragraph, list, table] |202 203## Step 6: Differentiation Angle204 205The brief must specify what makes this piece better than what already ranks:206 207- **More current:** Updated data, recent examples208- **More practical:** Templates, checklists, step-by-step screenshots209- **More comprehensive:** Covers subtopics competitors skip210- **More specific:** Targets a niche the broad pieces miss211- **Original data:** Survey results, internal data analysis, expert quotes212 213Pick 1-2 angles. Trying to win on all dimensions produces generic content.214 215## Output Format216 217### Content Brief: [target keyword]218 219**Overview**220- Target keyword: [keyword]221- Search intent: [type]222- Content format: [blog post / guide / comparison / etc.]223- Target word count: [range]224- Target audience: [who]225- Business goal: [what readers should do after]226 227**SERP Competitive Landscape**228[Table from Step 1]229 230**Title Options**2311. [option 1]2322. [option 2]2333. [option 3]234 235**Meta Description**236[150-160 char description]237 238**Content Outline**239[Full heading structure with guidance per section]240 241**SEO Targets**242[Table from Step 5]243 244**E-E-A-T Checklist**245- [ ] First-hand experience demonstrated246- [ ] Expert-level depth on core topic247- [ ] Authoritative sources cited248- [ ] Trust signals included (dates, author, methodology)249 250**Differentiation**251[What makes this piece better than current top results]252 253---254 255> **Pro Tip:** Use the free [Keyword Density Analyzer](https://seojuice.com/tools/keyword-density/)256> and [TF-IDF Tool](https://seojuice.com/tools/free-tf-idf-tool/) to benchmark competitor257> content depth for your target keyword. SEOJuice MCP users can run `/seojuice:keyword-analysis`258> for search volume and difficulty, and `/seojuice:content-strategy` to check if the topic259> fits an existing cluster or fills a content gap.