Free template
SEO content brief template: the brief behind every article we write
Search intent, keywords, outline, sources, internal links, readability rules and check steps, in one page.
- Free
- Google Doc
- Last updated 22 October 2026
Made by Dimitar Srbinoski, founder. Checked by Dimitar Srbinoski, founder.
The short answer
This template is the brief we write for every article in a content plan. It sets the search, the reader and the outline before anyone writes, then lists the sources, links, writing rules and checks. It fits any article that needs to rank and be quoted. A filled example sits below.
The SEO content brief template, in full
1. Article basics
Working title
What the article is called while you write it. The final title comes after the outline.
Main keyword
The one search this article targets. One article per search, so pages do not compete.
Secondary keywords
Close variations to use where they fit naturally. Never forced.
Search intent
What the person searching wants: to learn, to compare or to buy.
The reader
Who they are, what they already know and what they need to decide.
Length
A word range, set by what the article needs to answer fully.
2. The short answer
The first 40 to 60 words
The direct answer to the title question: what it is, who it is for and the next step.
3. Outline
H2s as buyer questions
One question per section, in the order the reader asks them.
Notes per section
The points each section must make, and the H3s it needs.
FAQ
Three to five questions the article has not answered yet.
4. Sources
Facts to use
Each fact with its source and the date it was checked.
Data and examples
First-hand material only you can show: your own numbers, methods or examples.
5. Internal links
The page it supports
The one service or product page the article points to, with a descriptive anchor.
Sibling articles
One or two related articles in the same topic.
6. Readability rules
Paragraphs
Three sentences or fewer.
Sentences
Under 20 words.
Claims
The fact comes first, then the claim. Every number carries its source and date.
Words to skip
Filler words such as solutions, synergy and seamless.
7. Check steps
Automatic checks
Readability, structure and links.
A person reads it
They read the whole piece, fix what the checks missed and sign it off.
Plagiarism and AI detection
A final check with your own tools, or with Copyscape and Grammarly.
Version 1, 22 October 2026. First version.
Rather have us write one for you?
Send us a topic and we write a free sample article from this brief. No call needed.
Get a free sample articleA filled example
Demo data A brief for example.com, a demo project management app
Working title
How to plan a product launch, step by step
Main keyword
product launch plan Demo data
Search intent
To learn, then to compare tools. The reader wants a plan they can copy.
The reader
A product manager at a small software company, launching for the first time.
Length
1,400 to 1,700 words. Demo data
H2s as buyer questions
What goes into a product launch plan? When should planning start? Who owns each part? How do you measure the launch?
The page it supports
example.com/features/roadmaps/, anchor: “plan your roadmap and launch dates”.
Made-up numbers for a demo site. Not a client result.
How to use the SEO content brief template
- Make a copy, or copy the parts from this page into your own doc.
- Pick one main keyword. Check that no other page of yours targets it.
- Write the short answer first. If you cannot, the topic is not clear yet.
- Turn the questions buyers ask into H2s, in the order they ask them.
- List every fact with its source and date before the writing starts.
- Add the page the article supports, and one or two sibling articles.
- Hand the brief to the writer with the readability rules, then run the check steps.
Mistakes to avoid
- Two articles for one search. They compete, and neither does well.
- An outline from other articles. Start from the buyer’s questions, not from what already ranks.
- Sources added at the end. Facts found after writing tend to get forced in.
- No page to support. An article that links nowhere useful brings visits, not buyers.
Related templates and tools
SEO content brief template: questions
Is the template free?
Yes. Make a copy or use it from this page. No sign-up and no email.
Do I need a Google account?
Only to make a copy. The full template is on this page.
Do you use this brief for every article?
Yes. Every article in our content plans starts from its own brief, AI-assisted or fully human. Read how we work.
Can you write an article from it for me?
Yes. Ask for a free sample article and we write one from a brief like this. See our SEO content writing plans.
Written by Dimitar Srbinoski, founder. AI helped with the outline and the first draft. Checked by Dimitar Srbinoski, founder. Published . Last checked .
Or let us write it
A free sample article, written from this brief. No call needed.