Content Brief Generator
Turn a topic, audience, intent and format into a full brief: title ideas, outline, required questions, internal links, on-page requirements and a Markdown export.
How to use the content brief generator
- Enter the primary topic exactly as you would want the page to rank for it. The brief builds around that phrase but does not tell the writer to repeat it.
- Add the secondary keywords and named entities the page must cover. These usually come from the lexical relations builder or from reading the top-ranking pages.
- Describe the audience, choose the intent and format, and set a length. The outline changes with the format: a comparison gets criteria and side-by-side sections, a service page gets scope, process and pricing.
- Paste the questions searchers ask. They are inserted into the outline and drive the FAQ section.
- List the internal pages the article should link to, the competing pages to read first, and the call to action. Copy the finished brief as Markdown or download it for the writer.
What a good brief contains
A brief is a contract between whoever owns the strategy and whoever writes the words. It should settle the things a writer cannot guess: who the page is for, what question it answers, which sub-topics and entities it must cover, which pages it links to, and what the reader should do at the end. It should not dictate keyword counts, and it should not be so rigid that the writer cannot restructure when the subject demands it.
The outline here is a starting structure, marked with placeholders where the writer must supply the specifics. The questions you paste are treated as required content, because they are the closest thing to knowing what the searcher wants. The on-page requirements section covers the technical details most writers forget: title length, one H1, schema type, an original image.
Mistakes briefs usually cause
- Word count as the goal. A target length is a rough scope, not a finish line. Writers who are paid by the word pad; writers who are given a scope and a list of required points write to the points.
- Keyword lists without meaning. “Include these 30 terms” produces text that mentions everything and explains nothing. The secondary list should be sub-topics and entities the page must actually discuss.
- No audience. “Shopify SEO” for a developer and for a shop owner are different pages. Say which.
- No links. Writers do not know your site. If the brief does not name the hub and related guides, the article ships with no internal links.
- Copying the competitors’ outline. Read the ranking pages to find what they miss, then add it. Reproducing their structure produces a page with no reason to outrank them.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use the brief with an AI writing tool?
Yes, and it is the best way to use one. Paste the Markdown brief as the instruction, then edit the draft hard: check every claim, add the specifics only you know, and cut the generic paragraphs. The review of AI SEO tools covers where they help and where they do not.
How long should a brief take to write?
Fifteen to thirty minutes if the keyword research and topical map already exist. Longer than that usually means the strategy work has not been done yet.
Does the brief need a schema recommendation?
It helps. Deciding the schema type up front tells the writer whether to include an FAQ section, steps, or a comparison table, which affects the structure.
Related tools
Background reading: how to write from a brief, in the SEO copywriting guide.