The SEO Brief Template That Gets Content to Rank (Copy/Paste)
Copy/paste this SEO brief template + checklist so writers stop missing the mark—and pages have a real shot at ranking.
Most “SEO briefs” are either:
- A vague Google Doc with a keyword at the top and nothing else.
- A 12 page monster that reads like a legal contract and makes writers hate you.
I’ve lived both.
And the annoying part is this: the brief is usually the difference between content that ranks in 3 to 8 weeks, and content that sits on page 4 forever, even if the writing is decent.
So in this post, I’m going to give you the exact SEO brief template I use when I want a piece of content to actually compete.
Copy it. Paste it into Notion, Google Docs, ClickUp, whatever. Then tweak it for your site.
Also, quick note. If you’re tired of manually doing briefs and outlines and internal links and publishing schedules, tools like SEO Software basically automate the whole content pipeline. But even then, you still need a “brief brain” to guide strategy. That’s what this is.
Why most content doesn’t rank (even when it’s “optimized”)
Here’s the pattern I see all the time.
Someone picks a keyword. They run it through an SEO tool. They get a list of terms. They sprinkle them in headings. Publish.
And it flops.
Not because the writer is bad. Usually it’s because the content missed one (or more) of these:
- Wrong search intent. Like, fundamentally wrong.
- Weak angle. Same outline as the top 10 results.
- No proof or specificity. Just rephrased generalities.
- Bad internal linking. Nothing passes relevance or authority.
- No topical fit. The site has no supporting cluster around it.
- Poor on page execution. Title, intro, headers, schema basics, images, all meh.
A good brief forces you to solve these before the writer writes. That’s the whole point.
The SEO brief template (copy/paste)
Copy everything from here down into your doc. Fill the brackets.
1) Page basics
Working title:
[Draft a title that matches intent and sounds clickable. Not a keyword dump.]
Primary keyword:
[Exact phrase]
Secondary keywords (choose 5 to 12):
- [kw]
- [kw]
- [kw]
Target URL (if updating existing page):
[link]
Content type:
[Blog post / landing page / comparison / glossary / template / tutorial]
Funnel stage:
[TOFU / MOFU / BOFU]
Primary conversion goal:
[Email signup / demo / free trial / product page click / etc.]
Audience:
[Who is this for? Be specific. “Small business owners doing DIY SEO” is better than “marketers.”]
2) Search intent (this is the make or break)
Intent type:
[Informational / Commercial investigation / Transactional / Navigational]
The searcher is trying to:
[Finish this sentence: “After reading this page, the user should be able to…”]
What they already know:
[List assumptions. Example: They know what SEO is, but they don’t know how to structure a brief.]
What they’re worried about (friction):
- [Time]
- [Cost]
- [Complexity]
- [Risk of “AI content” being bland]
- [Not ranking]
Content must include:
- [Example: a copy/paste template]
- [Example: a filled out example for one topic]
- [Example: common mistakes section]
Content must avoid:
- [Example: generic intros about “SEO is important”]
- [Example: fluff definitions that don’t help execution]
3) Competitive SERP notes (quick and practical)
Top ranking pages reviewed:
- [URL 1]
- [URL 2]
- [URL 3]
- [URL 4]
- [URL 5]
What they do well:
- [Bullet list]
What they miss (your advantage):
- [Bullet list of gaps you will cover]
Angle for our article:
[One sentence. Example: "A real SEO brief template with intent mapping, internal links, and a QA checklist, plus a filled example."]
4) Content structure (outline)
Suggested H1:
[H1]
Intro requirements:
- Open with the problem in 2 to 5 lines.
- Set expectations. What they'll get.
- No long history lesson.
Headings outline (H2/H3):
- H2: [Section]
- H3: [Subsection]
- H2: [Section]
- H2: [Section]
(Include the full outline you want.)
Must answer questions (People Also Ask style):
- [Question 1]
- [Question 2]
- [Question 3]
- [Question 4]
5) On page SEO requirements
Meta title (55 to 60 chars):
[Write it]
Meta description (145 to 160 chars):
[Write it]
Slug:
[short, readable, includes primary keyword]
Keyword placement checklist:
- Primary keyword in H1 (or close variant)
- Primary keyword in first 100 words (naturally)
- One heading includes primary keyword or close variant
- Sprinkle secondary terms where they make sense
- No keyword stuffing, no weird phrasing
Schema suggestion:
[Article / HowTo / FAQ / Breadcrumb / Product, whatever fits]
Image plan (at least 2):
- Image 1: [what it shows, alt text]
- Image 2: [what it shows, alt text]
6) Internal links (don’t skip this)
Internal links to include (anchor text + destination):
- [anchor] -> [URL]
- [anchor] -> [URL]
- [anchor] -> [URL]
Where they should go:
- [Example: Link #1 in the “process” section]
- [Example: Link #2 near the “tools” mention]
Linking rule:
Use descriptive anchors. No “click here”.
7) External references (optional but helpful)
Sources to cite (if making claims):
- [source]
- [source]
Notes:
If you cite stats, make them real and current.
8) Writing guidelines (so it reads like a human)
Tone:
[Conversational, practical, direct]
Reading level:
[Simple English, minimal jargon]
Formatting:
- short paragraphs
- bullets where needed
- clear subheads
- include examples
- avoid filler
Prohibited:
- “In today’s digital landscape”
- robotic intros
- fake case studies
- long definitions that add no value
9) QA checklist before publish
- Does it fully match intent?
- Does it beat the top results on usefulness, not length?
- Are internal links added and relevant?
- Is the CTA natural and not spammy?
- Any sections that feel like fluff? Remove.
- Proofread for clarity and repetition.
- Add a short conclusion that tells the reader what to do next.
A filled out example (so you can see what “good” looks like)
Templates are nice, but an example is where things click.
Here’s a mini filled version for a topic like: “on page SEO checker”.
1) Page basics
Working title: On Page SEO Checker: What to Check (and a Fast Checklist)
Primary keyword: on page seo checker
Secondary keywords: on page seo checklist, on page seo audit, on page seo factors, on page optimization tool
Content type: blog post
Audience: founders and marketers who need quick on page fixes without hiring an agency
Conversion goal: free trial / product page click
2) Search intent
Intent: informational with a light commercial angle
They’re trying to: find a checklist or tool to quickly find what’s wrong on a page
Must include: checklist, what “good” looks like, common errors, internal linking basics
Avoid: generic SEO definitions
3) Angle
“Not a generic checklist. A practical on page checklist plus a tool based workflow for checking and fixing.”
6) Internal links
This is where you quietly win. You add internal links that actually help the reader and support your cluster:
- Use an anchor like on page SEO checker to link to your checker page if you have one.
- Link a related workflow like improve page SEO to a deeper guide.
If you’re using SEO Software, you can point to:
- on page SEO checker (perfect fit for this example)
- improve page SEO (next step after the checklist)
- AI SEO editor (for rewriting and tightening on page elements)
That’s how your content becomes a system, not a one off post.
The part nobody tells writers (but you should include in the brief)
A brief is not just SEO. It’s also “how do we make this page obviously better”.
So I always add one extra section to the brief, usually right under the outline:
“Proof and specificity” requirements
Pick 2 to 4 of these and force the content to include them:
- A real checklist that someone can follow in 10 minutes.
- A short example section with a before/after title tag, intro, or heading structure.
- A screenshot or mockup (even a simple one) of what the process looks like.
- A common mistakes section that calls out what the top ranking pages are doing wrong.
- A mini template inside the post (like copy/paste snippets).
This is what separates “SEO optimized” from “actually useful”.
Where SEO briefs usually break (quick fixes)
1) The brief has keywords but no intent statement
If you only provide keywords, the writer will write a generic article that happens to include them.
Fix: add the “After reading this, the user should be able to…” line. Always.
2) The outline mirrors the SERP
If your outline is the same as every competitor, you are asking Google to pick between identical pages.
Fix: add a unique section. A template, a workflow, a checklist, a teardown, something.
3) Internal links are an afterthought
Internal links are not decoration. They’re how you build topical relevance and move authority through the site.
Fix: put internal links inside the brief, with the anchor text you want.
If you’re building content clusters at scale, this is also where automation helps. Something like SEO Software content automation can handle publishing cadence, internal linking, and rewrites in a more hands off way, but you still need the strategy.
4) No QA, so “almost good” gets published
The difference between ranking and not ranking is often just cleaning up: intros, headings, missing subtopics, poor title tags.
Fix: keep a QA checklist inside the brief. Make it part of the workflow.
If you want a more structured way to evaluate what’s already on your site, a content audit helps. Here’s a relevant one: content audit.
Optional add ons (if you want to be more aggressive)
You don’t need these for every post. But for competitive keywords, I add them.
Add on A: Internal link targets (the pages we want to boost)
Not just “links from this post”. Also: which pages should this post link to because we want them to rank too.
This is how you build a cluster on purpose.
Add on B: Refresh plan
In the brief, add:
- Refresh at 30 days if impressions are flat.
- Refresh at 60 to 90 days if ranking stuck between positions 11 to 30.
- Add 1 new section and 2 internal links on refresh, minimum.
If you’re doing this across dozens of posts, this is where an automation platform starts to make sense, because refreshing manually gets old fast. SEO Software leans into that with unlimited rewrites and scheduled publishing, which is basically built for ongoing refresh cycles.
Add on C: Comparison intent mapping
If the keyword suggests a comparison, treat it as such.
Example: “Surfer SEO alternative” or “Jasper vs X” type queries.
When you have comparison pages, link them from the brief. For instance:
This isn't just about SEO. It's about aligning with what the searcher wants.
If you want to skip briefs entirely (or mostly)
Some teams love briefs, others despise them, and some simply don't have the time.
If you're in the “I need content produced consistently without babysitting it” camp, that’s where SEO Software comes in handy: it scans your site, builds a topic plan, generates articles, adds internal links, and schedules publishing.
You can still use the template above as your internal standard. Even if the platform is doing most of the work, you still want a consistent definition of “good”.
Two other pages that are beneficial in that same ecosystem:
- AI SEO editor for quickly tightening intros, headings, and on-page elements
- improve page SEO when you need a straightforward “fix this page” workflow
AI SEO Workflow: Briefs, Clusters, Links & Updates
Incorporating an AI SEO workflow can greatly enhance your content strategy. This involves using AI to streamline the process of creating briefs, organizing content into clusters, managing internal and external links effectively, and updating content as needed.
Wrap up
A good SEO brief is not merely “keyword + word count”.
It encompasses intent, angle, outline, internal links, and a quality bar that makes the page significantly more helpful than what already ranks.
Copy the template. Use it on your next piece. And if you prefer a more hands-off version where strategy, writing, internal linking, and publishing are managed in one place, explore SEO Software and its approach to content automation.
Either way, the goal remains unchanged.
Stop publishing maybes. Publish pages that deserve to rank.