seo-content-brief

seo-content-brief — SERP-Driven Content Brief Generation

Brief Generation Process

Step 1: SERP Analysis

Analyze top 10 results for the target keyword:

1. Fetch SERP results (via WebSearch or SERP API data)
2. Identify content patterns across top rankers
3. Map SERP features present (AI Overview, Featured Snippet, PAA, Video)
4. Determine dominant search intent

Step 2: Competitor Content Analysis

For each top-5 ranking page, extract:

Element	What to Capture
Word count	Total and per-section breakdown
Heading structure	H1, H2, H3 hierarchy and topics covered
Content format	Lists, tables, images, videos, infographics
Unique angles	What differentiates each competitor's approach
E-E-A-T signals	Author credentials, sources cited, experience markers
Schema used	Article, FAQ, HowTo (deprecated), Product, etc.
Internal links	How many, to what types of pages
Multimedia	Images count, video embeds, infographics

Step 3: Content Gap Identification

Compare competitor coverage to find:

• Subtopics ALL top 5 cover → Must include (table stakes)
• Subtopics 2-3 cover → Should include (competitive advantage)
• Subtopics NONE cover → Opportunity for differentiation
• Questions in PAA → Direct answer opportunities
• AI Overview sources → What got cited and why

Step 4: Brief Assembly

Content Brief Template

# Content Brief: [Target Keyword]

## Target
- **Primary Keyword**: [keyword] (search volume: X/mo, difficulty: X)
- **Secondary Keywords**: [3-5 keywords with volume]
- **Search Intent**: [Informational / Commercial / Transactional / Navigational]
- **Target URL**: [new page or existing URL to update]

## SERP Landscape
- **AI Overview present**: Yes/No — [if yes, what sources cited]
- **Featured Snippet**: Yes/No — [type: paragraph/list/table]
- **PAA questions**: [list 4-6 questions]
- **SERP features**: [Video, Image Pack, Local Pack, Shopping, etc.]
- **Dominant content format**: [Guide / Listicle / Comparison / Tutorial]

## Content Specifications
- **Target Word Count**: [X-Y words] (based on competitor avg ±20%)
- **Content Format**: [Long-form guide / Listicle / How-to / Comparison]
- **Reading Level**: [Grade 8-10 for general, Grade 12+ for technical]
- **Tone**: [Authoritative / Conversational / Technical / Educational]

## Required Structure

### H1: [Exact title recommendation]
### Opening (first 200 words):
- Direct answer to the primary query
- Key statistic or fact
- Value proposition for reading further
- Primary keyword in first 60 words

### H2: [Section 1 title]
- Key points to cover
- Data/statistics to include
- [134-167 word self-contained answer block for AI citation]

### H2: [Section 2 title]
- Key points to cover
- Comparison table recommended
- Internal link opportunity: [target page]

### [Continue for all required H2/H3 sections...]

### FAQ Section
- Q: [PAA question 1] — A: [brief answer guidance]
- Q: [PAA question 2] — A: [brief answer guidance]
- Q: [PAA question 3] — A: [brief answer guidance]

## Keyword Integration
- **Primary keyword density**: 0.5-1.5%
- **Keyword placement**: Title, H1, first 100 words, 1-2 H2s, meta description
- **Semantic keywords**: [10-15 LSI terms to weave naturally]
- **Entity mentions**: [related entities to reference]

## E-E-A-T Requirements
### Experience
- [ ] Include first-hand experience signals ("In our testing...", "We found that...")
- [ ] Original data, screenshots, or case study results
- [ ] Process documentation or methodology description

### Expertise
- [ ] Author byline with relevant credentials
- [ ] Technical accuracy verified by subject matter expert
- [ ] Up-to-date with current developments (cite recent sources)

### Authoritativeness
- [ ] Cite 3-5 authoritative external sources
- [ ] Reference industry standards or official documentation
- [ ] Include expert quotes where possible

### Trustworthiness
- [ ] Publication date and last-updated date
- [ ] Clear attribution for all claims
- [ ] Transparent about limitations or caveats

## AI Citation Readiness
- [ ] Self-contained answer blocks (134-167 words) for key questions
- [ ] Clear definition patterns ("X is..." / "X refers to...")
- [ ] Specific statistics with sources (AI systems preferentially cite data)
- [ ] Structured comparison tables (AI extracts tabular data effectively)
- [ ] Question-based H2/H3 headings matching search queries

## Multimedia Requirements
- [ ] Hero image (above fold, relevant to topic)
- [ ] [X] supporting images/diagrams (one per major section minimum)
- [ ] Alt text specifications for each image
- [ ] Video embed recommendation: [Yes/No — if yes, what content]
- [ ] Table/chart for comparative data

## Schema Markup
- **Required**: [Article / BlogPosting / Product / etc.]
- **Recommended**: [BreadcrumbList, Person (author), Organization]
- **Optional**: [VideoObject if video included]
- Do NOT use: HowTo (deprecated), FAQ (restricted to gov/health)

## Internal Linking Plan
- **Link TO this page from**: [3-5 existing pages with anchor text]
- **Link FROM this page to**: [3-5 target pages with anchor text]
- **Pillar page connection**: [parent topic hub if part of cluster]

## Competitive Differentiators
What will make this content BETTER than current top results:
1. [Unique angle / data / perspective competitors lack]
2. [More comprehensive coverage of subtopic X]
3. [Better multimedia / interactive elements]
4. [More recent data / updated information]
5. [Stronger E-E-A-T signals]

## Meta Tags
- **Title**: [50-60 chars, includes primary keyword]
- **Meta Description**: [150-160 chars, compelling, includes keyword]
- **URL Slug**: [short, descriptive, hyphenated]

## Success Metrics
- **Target position**: [#1-3 / top 5 / page 1]
- **Target traffic**: [X organic sessions/month within Y months]
- **AI citation goal**: [Cited in AI Overviews / Featured Snippet capture]
- **Engagement targets**: [Engagement rate >X%, avg time >Y min]