Your Writers Aren't Bad. Your Briefs Are.
Every time a blog post comes back and it's not what you wanted, ask yourself: was the brief clear?
Nine times out of ten, the answer is no.
You gave them a keyword and a word count and expected magic. That's not a brief. That's a wish.
What a Real Content Brief Includes
Primary keyword and search intent. Not just the keyword. The WHY behind the search. Is the searcher looking to learn, compare, or buy?
Target audience. Who exactly is reading this? What do they already know? What's their skill level?
Content goal. Traffic? Leads? Sales? Brand awareness? Different goals mean different content.
Outline with required sections. Don't leave structure to chance. Specify the H2s and key points to cover.
Competitor content to beat. Links to the top 3 ranking pages. "Make something better than these."
Word count range. Not a number. A range. 1,500-2,000 words gives flexibility while setting expectations.
Internal links to include. Which existing pages should this post link to?
CTA direction. What action should the reader take after reading?
Tone and voice notes. Link to your brand voice guidelines.
The Payoff
Good briefs mean fewer revision cycles, better content, and faster publishing.
And when you pair great briefs with an SEO checklist to ensure nothing gets missed during optimization?
SEO Checkup. 113 tasks. 4 checklists. Free. 30 seconds. No credit card.
Ahrefs' on-page SEO guide has a great breakdown of what on-page elements your brief should cover.
Better briefs. Better content. Better rankings.