seo-content-brief

name	seo-content-brief
description	Generate comprehensive, SERP-driven content briefs for writers. Analyzes top-ranking competitors, identifies content gaps, specifies structure, word count, keywords, E-E-A-T requirements, AI citation readiness, and schema recommendations. Use when user says "content brief", "writing brief", "content outline", "article brief", or "create brief for".

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]

Brief Quality Checklist

Before delivering a content brief, verify:

• Word count target is based on competitor analysis (not arbitrary)
• All PAA questions from SERP are addressed
• AI Overview citation strategy is included
• E-E-A-T requirements are specific (not generic)
• Internal linking plan references real existing pages
• Schema recommendation matches page type and is not deprecated
• Competitive differentiators are actionable (not "write better content")
• Success metrics are measurable and realistic

Content Brief Scoring

Category	Weight	Criteria
SERP Alignment	25%	Brief matches dominant search intent and format
Competitive Coverage	20%	All table-stakes subtopics included + differentiation
E-E-A-T Specification	20%	Specific, actionable E-E-A-T requirements
AI Citation Readiness	15%	Answer blocks, structured data, citation patterns
Technical Completeness	10%	Keywords, schema, meta tags, internal links
Actionability	10%	Writer can execute without additional research

Content Pipeline (Post-Brief Lifecycle)

The brief is step 1 of a 6-stage content pipeline:

Pipeline Stages

Stage	Owner	Duration	Deliverable
1. Brief	SEO team	1-2 days	This content brief
2. Draft	Writer	3-7 days	First draft following brief
3. Review	SEO + SME	1-2 days	Fact-check, E-E-A-T verification
4. Optimize	SEO team	1 day	Keyword placement, schema, meta tags
5. Publish	Content ops	1 day	Live on site, submitted to GSC
6. Monitor	SEO team	Ongoing	Track performance milestones

Post-Publish Monitoring Milestones

Timeframe	Check	Expected	Alert If
Day 1-3	Indexed in GSC	URL appears in index	Not indexed after 3 days
Day 7	Initial ranking	Appears in top 50	Not ranking at all
Day 14	Ranking trajectory	Climbing steadily	Stuck or declining
Day 30	Stable position	Top 20 target	Still outside top 50
Day 60	Target achieved	Top 10 for primary KW	Stagnant — trigger content refresh

Content Refresh Frequency

Prevent content decay with proactive refresh scheduling:

Content Type	Refresh Cycle	What to Update
News/trending	30 days	Statistics, developments, links
Technology	90 days	Tools, versions, benchmarks
Industry guides	120 days	Data, trends, examples
Evergreen	180 days	Freshness signals, new sections
Reference/glossary	365 days	Definitions, new terms

Cross-reference: seo-monitor skill for automated content decay detection.

Output

Generate CONTENT-BRIEF-[keyword].md with all sections above filled in. For batch briefs, generate one file per keyword with consistent formatting.