How to Write a Content Brief [Free Template]

A content brief will save you time, money, and a headache. Cut out the rounds of back-and-forth editing and disappointment in digital content by sending out a detailed writer’s content brief before they begin the project. 

With over 7.5 million pieces of digital content created daily, there are millions of content briefs sent every single day. That said, in my ten years as a freelance content writer, I’ve seen my fair share of nightmare content briefs. A successful content brief should give a writer everything they need to know in a concise, structured format.

To give your company a helping hand, I’ve written this blog on exactly how to write a content brief. We’ll cover the main elements to include, explore my free content brief template, and review a complete content brief example to show you this system in action.

Let’s get right into it.

What Is a Content Brief?

A content brief is a standard document template that includes instructions and guidelines a writer can follow to produce written content. Sending a writer a content brief ensures the final product aligns with your vision, meets SEO requirements, and covers the expected topics. 

An SEO content brief is similar to a content brief; however, it will also include a range of SEO recommendations. Considering the majority of digital content has an SEO purpose, I’d recommend always including SEO information on your content brief. Even just outlining the main keyword, ranking competitors, and long-tail keywords a writer should consider is a step in the right direction.

What Elements Should You Include in a Content Brief?

To provide a successful and useful content brief, there are certain elements that you should include. Get ready, because I’m going to provide an extensive list. If you’re looking for a smaller, tailored style of content brief, then check out my content writing services guide, where I outline that.

Remember, this is absolutely everything you can include on a content brief. Your exact brief can play around with these elements and emphasize or remove as you go. Here is my full list of elements you should include in a content brief:

• Page Purpose and Strategy

• Content Funnel Stage

• Content Type

• Target Word Count

• Primary Keyword

• Related and Supporting Keywords

• Question Keywords to Answer

• Search Intent

• SERP Landscape and Formatting Tips

• Competitor Insights

• Meta Title

• Meta Description

• Primary CTA

• Internal Link Recommendations

• Outline / Article Structure

• Assets to Include

• Tone of Voice Guidelines

• Use Cases or Product Features

Let’s break down each of these sections to show you what to include.

Page Purpose and Strategy

The page purpose and strategy define the central goal of the article. Here, you can outline who you are writing for and emphasize the business objective of the post.

Are you writing to sell a product, give information, or provide context? Give your writer an idea of the strategy you have behind writing this page.

Content Funnel Stage

The content funnel stage is a simple element of a content brief that simply outlines which part of the content funnel this piece of writing falls in. 

TOFU/MOFU/BOFU content each has different writing styles and purposes associated with them, so this will clear up any doubts a writer may have.

Content Type

In this part of a writer’s content brief, outline the specific format the writing should take. Is this a long-form article, a listicle, a piece of copywriting, a case study, etc.? 

Outlining the content type sets a clear expectation of what structure the writer should follow and how in-depth their writing should be.

Target Word Count

The target word count in a content brief is a simple section that just includes a fixed number of a range that the writer should shoot for.

Is this a quick 1,000 word article or is a mega pillar page clocking in at over 5,000? Let your writer know.

Primary Keyword

A central part of an SEO content brief is to include a primary keyword. This keyword will inform the content, come up several times throughout the page, and help structure the writing.

Make sure that your page only has one single primary keyword phrase.

Related and Supporting Keywords

Alongside your main keyword, you should include related and supporting keywords to help the writer in the structuring and writing process.

You can include long-tail keywords here that branch off from your primary keyword, or other closely related semantic term keywords for the writer to incorporate. Remember, the days of keyword stuffing are long gone, so please don’t expect a writer to say ‘Fresh Apple Pie’ 500 times in 2,000 words.

Question Keywords to Answer

This part of an SEO content brief is an extension of the previous two sections, where you can add any central questions that you’ve come across in your research. 

When doing SEO research, there will likely be a few question phrases that rank, which you want to target. Including these can help structure your article and eventually may become H2s.

Search Intent

Describe what the user expectation is when engaging with this page. Just like when providing a page strategy, this will outline what the searcher wants to achieve (to buy something, to learn something, or to compare products).

While only a small section on the writing brief, search intent is important to consider.

SERP Landscape and Formatting Tips

In the research stage of producing your SEO content brief, you’ll likely have encountered a range of other articles on the topic you’re writing about. 

It’s a good idea to dissect how top-ranking articles are written, including the structure and format they rely on.

Competitor Insights

Continuing on from the previous section, you can also include more specific competitor insights from other ranking pages.

For example, the #1 article for your keyword may have lots of good information dbut is too complex for beginners. Alternatively, they might be missing some vital information that you want your writer to add in their draft.

Meta Title

If you’re providing meta information, then a meta title is a good piece of information to include. At the very least, this streamlines the process of uploading the final article to your platform.

A meta title should be between 50-60 characters, as per modern best practices. 

Meta Description

Alongside a meta title, you can provide a meta description that will appear right under your title on SERP pages. A meta description should come in at a maximum of 160 characters (although I’m still convinced that 155 is ideal).

In the following image, you can clearly see the meta description below the meta title. 

Primary CTA

At the end of an article, you’re likely to include a primary call to action to inspire the user to perform a certain task. 

Depending on the content you’ve written, the CTA might be ‘Learn More,’ ‘Contact Our Business,’ or something to that effect.

Internal Link Recommendations

Internal linking between articles on your website is essential for readability and to help index bots understand the relationship between your content.

It’s helpful to include a list of internal link recommendations for your writer to incorporate as they go. Bonus points if you already have an anchor text in mind!

Outline / Article Structure

An article structure provides the key H2 and potentially H3 sections that you want your writer to tackle. Using a specific structure is a great idea if you have a clear SEO roadmap in mind and understand how this piece fits into that plan.

One small note I’ll add here is try to be realistic with H2 structures and total word counts. Even the best writers aren’t going to be able to cover 30 H2s in 1,000 words.

Assets to Include

If your business has any company assets that you want your writer to use or include, the content brief is the place to put them.

Linking out to a Google Drive folder of some digital or graphic assets is a wonderful way of keeping everything consistent.

Tone of Voice Guidelines

Tone of voice (ToV) guidelines are branding essentials that define how your company wants to sound, the style of writing you want to use, and how you want to present yourself to the world.

If your company has ToV guidelines, include them here. If not, you can still use a few adjectives to give the writer a better idea of what style to write in.

Use Cases or Product Features

Finally, be sure to link any central products or solutions that you want the writer to refer to, use, or draw information from in the article.

Additionally, if you want to link to a certain product in the conclusion, make sure the writer knows that.

Is a Content Brief the Same as a Creative Brief?

A content brief is similar to a creative brief, but they are not the same thing. A content brief primarily relates to written content, like creating a long-form article or white paper. A creative brief is a broader document that describes larger campaigns within marketing. For example, you could provide a creative brief to a website design company that’s about to redesign your website.

While there are similarities in structure, a content brief is a more narrow form of creative brief. In other marketing projects like web design, SEO campaigns, and copywriting projects, you’re more likely to see a creative brief.

Why Is a Content Brief Important?

Providing a content writing brief is essential to facilitate a streamlined, efficient, and productive writing process. A content brief both enhances the final product and also improves the content writer’s ability to create something that you can be proud to post on your website.

Here are the main benefits of using a content brief:

• Provides Clarity: The fastest way to make a writer’s life easier and ensure the final content you receive is high-quality is to provide a detailed brief. This eliminates the possibility of major back-and-forth edits, miscommunications, and misaligned expectations.

• Ensures Consistency: When you have a clear, consistent brief style, you’re able to ensure that every piece of content your company produces aligns with your branding. Over time, using content briefs helps create a consistent brand image across all of your written outputs.

• Improves Content Quality: A writer’s content brief ensures that they hit the correct H2s, write information about important topics related to the title, and always follow style guides to better resonate with your audience. A content brief directly helps to improve the quality of the content a writer delivers and streamlines the writing process.

• Supports SEO: When you embed SEO elements into your content brief, you ensure your writer follows the best modern standards for ranking. Over time, if every writer you work with uses your SEO guidelines, you’ll create a comprehensive digital content marketing SEO campaign that ranks your business and enhances visibility in SERPs.

Simply put, a content brief is one of the most essential aspects of working with a content writer. It’s the fastest and easiest way of improving the quality of the writing you receive, ensuring it meets SEO goals, and avoiding any miscommunications with your writer. 

SEO Content Brief Template

Here is a complete content brief template you can use to send to content writers and streamline the process of creating SEO articles.

Section	Description
Page Purpose & Audience	What is the main goal of this article (e.g., drive traffic, conversions, or thought leadership)? Who is the target reader (e.g., HR professional, marketer)?
Funnel Stage	TOFU / MOFU / BOFU
Content Type	Blog / Listicle / Guide / Comparison / Case Study / Evergreen / Other
Target Word Count	Suggested article length in words (e.g., 1,500–2,000).
Primary Keyword	Main SEO keyword focus of the article.
Related & Supporting Keywords	Additional keywords that support the primary topic and should be incorporated naturally.
Question Keywords to Answer	List of common search questions this blog should address. These can become H2 sections in the article.
Search Intent	What is the searcher really looking for (e.g., informational, transactional)? What should they take away?
SERP Landscape & Formatting Tips	Any content formatting ideas based on top-ranking results (e.g., use listicles, H2s, tables, definitions, etc.). Mention notable elements from competitors if applicable.
Competitor Insights	Links to competitor content + what’s working / not working in their approach.
Suggested Title	Include a suggested title for the content writer to use.
Meta Title (suggested)	Draft meta title (max 60 characters).
Meta Description (suggested)	Draft meta description (max 160 characters).
Primary CTA	What action should the user take? (e.g., Sign up, Start a free trial, Learn more, Contact us, etc.)
Internal Link Recommendations	List of related company URLs to link to throughout the article.
Outline / Article Structure	Suggested structure, including proposed H2s and bullet points. Use this to guide the writer in breaking down the content clearly if you want to ensure they follow a specific structure.
Assets to Include	Any infographics, screenshots, charts, videos, or icons to embed in the content.
Tone & Voice Guidelines	Describe the desired writing tone (e.g., expert, friendly, accessible, action-oriented). If you have Tone of Voice guidelines, it would be useful to include a link here.
Use Cases or Product Tie-ins	Note any products, features, or services this article should promote or tie into. Is there a specific product or service that you want your content writer to include in their article?

Feel free to copy and paste this blog into your own resources and start using it. A well-refined content brief helps both the client and writer produce better work – I’d be happy to even be a small part of that process for you.

Of course, there are some elements that you can add alongside this or take away, depending on your specific business. For example, some companies want the freelance content writer to develop their own structure and will only provide a title. If that’s the case, you can remove any rows that don’t apply.

SEO Content Brief Example

Here is a full content brief example based on the free writing brief template I provided above. You can see how I use the brief and trace the information I’ve used in it. This is a made-up brief and, as such, does not relate to any real company or writing project. 

Section	Description
Page Purpose & Audience	Educate HR professionals and small business owners about employee rights in the workplace. Support thought leadership and organic traffic.
Funnel Stage	TOFU
Content Type	Guide
Target Word Count	2,000 words
Primary Keyword	workers' rights in the workplace
Related & Supporting Keywords	employee rights, labor laws, HR compliance, workplace fairness, employer obligations, and workplace rights.
Question Keywords to Answer	What are workers' rights?What laws protect employee rights?How can HR ensure compliance?What are examples of workers’ rights violations?What can employees do if their rights are violated?
Search Intent	Informational. The user wants to understand legal protections for employees, how HR departments can ensure compliance, and what recourse is available.
SERP Landscape & Formatting Tips	Use clear H2s for each question. Include lists of rights, tables of laws by region, and a summary checklist for HR compliance. Top-ranking pages often use legal definitions and real-world examples.
Competitor Insights	Sample Website: What works: Clear section headers, use of legal terms, practical checklists.What doesn’t: Dense legal language; opportunity to be more accessible and readable. Sample Website: What works: Good introduction and clear H2 structure, great graphics.What doesn’t: Misses out on an opportunity to talk about different frameworks across the globe.
Suggested Title	The HR Guide to Workers’ Rights in the Modern Workplace
Meta Title (suggested)	The HR Guide to Workers Rights in the Modern Workplace
Meta Description (suggested)	Learn what workers' rights are, how HR teams can ensure legal compliance, and what protections employees have in today’s workplace.
Primary CTA	Contact us for a workplace compliance audit
Internal Link Recommendations	Link to:- HR compliance checklists- Employee relations policy templates- Guide to handling workplace disputes
Outline / Article Structure	H2: What Are Workers’ Rights?H2: Key Employment Laws HR Must KnowH2: Common Violations of Workers' RightsH2: How to Ensure Compliance in HRH2: What to Do When Rights Are ViolatedH2: Summary Checklist for HR
Assets to Include	Checklist graphic, legal terms glossary, simple flowchart of HR compliance steps. Link to a file that has company assets for you to include.
Tone & Voice Guidelines	Expert but accessible. Aim for clarity over jargon. Authoritative but supportive in tone. Here is a link to our wider tone of voice document.
Use Cases or Product Tie-ins	Promote our HR audit service at least twice in the article, once in the body and once in the conclusion. Here’s a link to that service page.

If you’d like me to produce expert SEO content briefs for your business, please send me a message. I use the previous template and a few additional sections, alongside a range of more detailed SEO research, to produce comprehensive SEO content briefs for writers.

FAQs About Content Briefs for Writers

Here are a few quick FAQ responses to leading questions that your company may have about writing content briefs for writers.

How detailed does a content brief need to be for SEO writing

The more detail you give a content writer, the more precise they can be when it comes to writing content that you love. Especially with something as important as SEO writing, it’s vital that you conduct extensive research and include that in your content brief. Discovering which keywords rank, what the keyword difficulty of certain terms is, and which terms are central to an article is all essential content.

More is absolutely more in a content brief.

Do content writers actually use content briefs?

Over the years, I’ve read thousands of content briefs. It’s safe to say, I’ve used absolutely all of them. However, a content brief can wildly vary in quality. Some companies have just sent me a title, while others have sent me over 2,500 words of structured information, SEO guides, and more. If you write a comprehensive content brief, the writer will absolutely use it.

A content brief allows your writer to create content that is as close to your vision as possible. A content brief ensures that a first draft never gets feedback like ‘This is nothing like what we expected.’

With a content brief, everyone is on the same page.

Is there a free content brief template I can use?

I’ve included a free content brief template for writers in this article. You can use my free template for briefing content writers, or you can use this as inspiration to write your own.

While there are many content brief template examples online, mine comes from a seasoned writer with over 10 years of experience. The information on this content brief is exactly the type of thing I would love to get from every client I work with.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re a content manager or just a business owner looking to work better with freelance writers, a clear content brief is the way to go. By utilizing the free content brief template I’ve included in this article, you can impress your writers and streamline the content production process.

If you’re looking for a helping hand with either content brief writing or article writing in general, I’m always a message away.

Reach out today to get started.