Content Brief Template

Our free content brief helps you:

Create a structured set of instructions for your content
Set parameters for SEO and keywords
Provide notes on your content’s goal, intended audience, style preferences, and resources
Achieve better results for your content’s ranking, user engagement, and readability

A content brief template is the first step to receiving high-quality content that performs.

Sections included in this template:

SEO/Keywords: Add targeted keywords, and assign specific rules that reflect your SEO strategy.
Word Count: Specify the appropriate content length.
Optimized Headers: Provide a structured, high-quality outline with optimized headers, keywords, and talking points.

Style Guide: Provide specific grammar and style rules you want the writer to follow to ensure the content matches your expectations.
Audience and Goal: Describe the target audience for your content and let the writer know how you want it to sound.

Internal resources: Supply links and other resources to direct the writer’s research.
Internal Linking: Include notes about which internal URLs the writer should use to help boost your ranking.

Why Use a Content Brief Template

Writing copy is a lot like packing for a trip. You can technically do it without a plan, but you may find yourself at your destination with 18 T-shirts and not a single pair of pants to be found. When it comes to content creation, spontaneity can leave you feeling unprepared to face the public. A content brief template offers a plan, structural guidance, and an opportunity for collaboration.

You’ll receive a finished article if you give a writer a topic with keywords. But if you supply writers with a full content brief template, you equip them to create content that’s harmonious with your vision and brand goals.

If you don’t have time to create a content brief for every piece you order, prioritize the situations with the most potential for confusion:

Any time you work with a new writer or writing team that’s unfamiliar with your branding and standards
If you try out a new content type — especially if it has specific parameters, such as a white paper or case study
When you work with multiple writers but need each piece to look and sound similar
If you use an intermediary, such as a content manager or agency, that runs projects on your behalf

What’s the Difference between a Content Brief Template and a SEO Content Brief Template?

An SEO content brief template helps writers construct content that’s more likely to rank highly on the SERPs. Our dynamic, one-size-fits-all template works brilliantly for SEO, especially if you pay extra attention to the sections that impact traffic and ranking most:

Target audience: Know who you’re writing for, and speak directly to them.
Keywords: Use keyword research tools to identify search intent and pinpoint the best keywords to target your audience.
Resources: Link to competitor sites that have secured the top-ranked spots for the KWs you’re targeting. Those are the sites your content needs to outrank.

How to Use Our Content Brief Template

We know what it’s like to be busy yet brimming with ideas. That’s why we designed our content brief template so it’s easy to use and comprehensive.

Use the titles and instructions on the left side of your template as guideposts while you customize the sheet in the boxes to the right. We tell you what to include, and you tailor it to your needs. Fill in each section, including the writing deadline, target audience description, and SEO guidelines.

Within this digital document, you can link to supporting resources as the mood strikes — attach buyer personas or sample articles.

Here’s how to get started:

Think about the overall purpose of the content. Determine the audiences you’re writing for, their pain points, and how those play into your brand’s goals.
Fill out the template. Be as clear and concise as possible.
Link out to more expansive resources, such as comprehensive style guide requirements, SEO tips, or even sites that look and sound like your dream content.
Review the brief from the POV of a writer. Is there anything that needs clarification? Would a stranger reading the brief have everything they need to turn your vision into reality? If there’s room for guesswork, refine your instructions.
Get input from your team. If you work with an SEO expert or a lead editor with firm opinions on how they’d like first drafts to look and function, let them review the brief to save time and money that you might otherwise spend on revisions.
Start using the template. Ask for and listen to feedback from your writers and continue to fine-tune your brief. This collaboration leads to fewer revisions down the road — and one less thing on your plate.

Download our free content brief template today.

Get Free Content Brief Template

Ensure your writers have the tools to produce quality content that ranks on Google and engages your audience.