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An SEO content brief template for client blog posts

A brief is where you decide what a post is for before anyone writes it. A copyable template with ten fields, the Google guidance behind each one, a do-not list, and a filled-in example.

Google details checked on 29 October 2026. Semrush details as listed on 29 October 2026.

The short answer: one page, ten fields. The goal, the reader, what the searcher wants, the one question the post answers, an outline, sources, a named writer and reviewer, internal links, a draft title and description, and a do-not list. If you cannot fill in the goal and the reader, do not commission the post.

Why a client post needs a brief

Without a brief, a client post drifts toward what the writer thinks search engines want: a long word count, the main term repeated in every heading, a summary of pages that already rank. Google's guidance warns against all three.

Google calls "Why" "perhaps the most important question to answer about your content," and says the answer should be that you create content primarily to help people. Its warning signs of search engine-first content include content made primarily to attract visits from search engines, lots of content on many topics in the hope some performs, mainly summarizing others, and writing to a word count.

A brief that starts from the client's customer, not from a keyword, answers the "why" before anyone writes. It also ties each post to the KPIs you agreed with the client.

The brief template you can copy

Paste this into a document for each post. Edit the brackets. One page is enough.

Content brief: [working title]

Client: [business name]. Brief by: [your name]. Date: [date]. Draft due: [date].

  1. Goal. This post helps readers [decide, prepare, compare or fix something]. Readers who are ready go on to [money page URL]. KPI it supports: [agreed KPI].
  2. Reader. [Who they are]. They already know [what]. They are trying to decide [what].
  3. What the searcher wants. Someone who types "[main search term]" wants to [learn how, compare options, find a provider, or fix a problem]. Close variants: [two to four terms]. They do not want: [what to leave out].
  4. Main question. [One question.] Answer it in the first two paragraphs. If the honest answer is "it depends," say what it depends on.
  5. Outline. H1: [plain statement of what the post covers]. H2: [section 1 and its job]. H2: [section 2 and its job]. H2: [section 3 and its job]. H3s only where a section has steps or options. No word count target.
  6. Sources to cite. [Official or primary pages, with URLs]. From the client: [answers to two or three questions only they can answer]. Every fact links to a source or is marked "client to confirm."
  7. Who writes and who reviews. Writer: [name]. Subject reviewer: [name and role at the client]. Final approval: [name]. Byline: [accurate name], linked to [author or About page]. AI tools: [allowed for what, or not allowed]; fact-check by [name].
  8. Internal links. From this post to [money page], anchor text "[words that describe that page]". To this post from [two or three existing pages], once it is live.
  9. Title and description. Title element: [title] | [business name]. Meta description: [one or two sentences that summarize this page].
  10. Do not. [Paste the list from the "What not to do" section below, plus anything client-specific.]

Delivery: [Google Doc or CMS draft]. [Number] review rounds. Client comments by [date].

Count posts as a deliverable in the scope of your proposal, so each brief maps to something the client agreed to pay for.

How to fill each field, and the Google guidance behind it

Goal and reader

Google's helpful content page asks whether you have an existing or intended audience that would find the content useful if they came directly to you. Write the reader field so the answer is yes. The goal ties the post to the business; a post that leads nowhere the client sells is hard to defend in a report. Pick the KPI from the KPI-selection worksheet.

Search intent, in plain terms

Write what the searcher wants as a sentence the client could read, not a label they will not recognize. Google's SEO Starter Guide says to think about the words a user might search for to find a piece of your content. It also says its "language matching systems are sophisticated," so the variants line is a reminder for the writer, not a list of phrases to repeat.

Take the main term from the client's keyword worksheet, so the post supports a page you already track.

Main question

Two of Google's warning signs apply here: content that leaves readers feeling they need to search again for better information, and content that promises to answer a question that has no answer. One main question, answered early, deals with the first. For the second, if the answer depends on the situation, the brief lists what it depends on.

Outline and headings

Google's starter guide asks for text that is easy to read and well organized, with long content split into sections and headings that help users navigate. It says there is no ideal number of headings, and that heading order does not matter to Google Search, though ordered headings help screen-reader users. Google's helpful content page asks whether the main heading or page title avoids exaggerating or being shocking.

So write each H2 as the job of its section, in an order that makes sense to people, and keep the H1 plain. Leave out a word count: the starter guide says there is no word count target, minimum or maximum. Give a scope instead: which questions are in, which are out.

Sources and first-hand input

Google's self-assessment questions ask whether content provides original information or analysis, adds value rather than rewording other sources, and builds trust through clear sourcing. They also ask whether it has any easily verified factual errors. The starter guide adds: do not copy others' content, and trust the resources you link to.

The client knows what no writer can find online: how they do the job, what customers ask, what they will not do. Collect answers to two or three questions before drafting starts.

Who writes and who reviews

Google's "Who, How, and Why" section asks whether it is self-evident who wrote the content, whether pages carry a byline where one might be expected, and whether bylines lead to background on the author. Its expertise questions ask whether the content is written or reviewed by an expert or enthusiast who demonstrably knows the topic.

For a client blog, that can be the owner or a senior staff member reviewing a draft written by you or a freelancer. Agree whose name goes on the post. Google strongly encourages accurate authorship information, and calls fabricating creator profiles (made-up names, AI-generated headshots, false credentials) a form of deception.

If AI tools help with the draft

Google's guidance on generative AI content says it can be useful when researching a topic and to add structure to original content. It also says generative models do not retrieve facts but predict a likely sequence of words, so outputs may contain inaccuracies. Google calls it critical to manually fact-check and review all AI-generated content before publishing. The same review applies to title elements, meta descriptions, structured data and image alt text.

On the "How" question, Google says AI or automation disclosures are useful where someone might wonder how content was created, and to consider them when reasonably expected. Agree with the client whether AI tools may be used, for what, and who checks the facts, and write it into field 7.

The starter guide says good anchor text lets users and search engines understand what a linked page contains before they visit. So field 8 names the anchor text, not just the target page.

Title link and meta description

ElementWhat goes in the briefWhat Google says
Title elementOne title, plain and specific to this post, with the business name at the start or end, set off by a delimiter such as a hyphen, colon or pipeEvery page should have a title. Be descriptive and concise, avoid keyword stuffing and repeated boilerplate, and brand titles concisely. No length limit, but title links are truncated in results as needed.
Main heading (H1)Says the same thing as the title, in reader-facing wordsMake the main title clear, for example in the first visible h1. Google may build the title link from the title element, the main visual title, headings, og:title, anchor text and other text.
Meta descriptionOne or two sentences that summarize this pageSnippets come mainly from page content matched to the query; Google sometimes uses the meta description when it describes the page more accurately. Make it unique to the page, summarize it accurately, and avoid keyword lists. No length limit; snippets are truncated as needed.
LanguageSame language as the postWrite titles in the same language and writing system as the main content.

From Google's title link and snippet documentation, checked on 29 October 2026.

Tell the client that Google may show a different title or snippet. Google says title link generation is completely automated and that it cannot change title links for individual sites by hand. The brief controls the title element, the H1 and the description.

What not to do, and why

Copy these into field 10. Each draws on Google's spam policies, starter guide or helpful content guidance; the ban on promising results is a house rule.

A filled-in brief

Content brief: What to expect when your water heater is replaced

  1. Goal. Help homeowners who have decided to replace a water heater prepare for the visit. Ready readers go on to /water-heaters/. KPI: calls and forms from that page.
  2. Reader. A Springfield homeowner who has never had a tank replaced, deciding when to book and what to do first.
  3. What the searcher wants. Someone who types "water heater replacement what to expect" wants to know how the visit goes. Variant: how to prepare for water heater installation. Not wanted: a buying guide.
  4. Main question. What happens on replacement day, and what should I do before the plumber arrives?
  5. Outline. H2: Before the visit. H2: On the day, step by step. H2: The first week. H2: When to call instead of waiting.
  6. Sources. The client's installer checklist and warranty terms. Questions for the client: how long does a typical visit take? Do you remove the old tank?
  7. Who. Writer: [freelancer]. Reviewer: the lead installer. Approval: the owner. Byline: the writer, "Reviewed by" the installer if the client agrees. AI: outlining only; the writer checks each step against the checklist.
  8. Links. To /water-heaters/, anchor text "water heater replacement in Springfield". From /emergency-plumbing/ and the FAQ page.
  9. Title and description. What to Expect When Your Water Heater Is Replaced | [business name]. "How a replacement visit works, what to clear beforehand, and what to watch in the first week."
  10. Do not. The standard list, plus no visit times or prices the client has not confirmed.

Example only: a hypothetical plumbing business in a fictional Springfield, with made-up pages. Replace every field with your own client's details.

Before you send the brief

When the post goes live, list it under "Work completed" in the report outline, tied to the goal in field 1.

The fields that matter most (goal, reader, sources, reviewer) come from you and the client. A paid tool can help with the research: related questions, pages that already rank, a first outline. Before paying, use the queries a client's pages already appear for in Search Console, as in step 2 of the keyword selection method. Below is what Semrush's help pages say about three of its tools, as listed on 29 October 2026.

SEO Brief Generator (Content Toolkit)

SEO Writing Assistant

Topic Research

How to use the output in a brief

One catch on plans. The help pages give the Writing Assistant and Topic Research limits by SEO Toolkit tier (Pro, Guru, Business). Its pricing page, as listed on 29 October 2026, uses different plan names (SEO, Starter, Pro+ and Advanced), names none of these three tools, and lists "Content optimization" under Pro+ (Advanced includes all Pro+ features). Before you build briefs around one of these tools, confirm in your account or with Semrush which tools your plan includes.

See Semrush plans and current prices Official site · not a paid link

Not sure a paid suite is worth it yet? See do it free first, when to pay and the guide's cost section.

Sources

checked on 29 October 2026