Most of the time when you decide to make a website, personal reasons or business reasons, we just start writing. We make a page or post and start writing. No real plan except maybe what topic we’re writing about on that page. I know that’s how I approached my first website. Not the most organized way to keep track of the content on a website. A content brief or copywriting brief can help keep track of the content on a website. What exactly is a content or copywriting brief? I’ll go over some of the minimum items in an SEO content or copywriting brief.
Contents
A content brief is a document that outlines what is needs from a piece of content. This can include a variety of elements. Below is a short list of items that a copywriting or content brief may include.
Copywriting Briefs:
- Business Info: Basic details about the company.
- Target Audience: Who the content is for.
- Project Goals: What the content should achieve.
- Tone of Voice: How the brand should sound.
- SEO Keywords: Specific terms to include for better search visibility.
- Deadlines & Budget: When it’s due and how much it should cost.
- Specific Instructions: Clear guidelines for various content types like blogs, web pages, and social media.
Content Briefs:
- Overview: title, description, and word count.
- Target Audience: Specific demographics or personas.
- Goals: What the content should accomplish.
- Keywords: Essential for SEO.
- Content Structure: Outline and key points.
- Competitor Analysis: Insights from top-ranking content.
- Research & Resources: Relevant links, data, and studies.
- Visuals: Required images and media.
Keep in mind content can include all types of content such as social media posts, blog posts, video content, GBP content, etc.
Copywriting briefs include all types of copywriting including webpages, blog posts, newsletters, reports, presentations, printed materials, etc.
The idea behind a content brief or copywriting brief is to help ensure everyone’s on the same page, when creating content. This means that each organization will have their own content brief outline structure.
Below are some of the items I would consider for a content or copywriting brief for a webpage or blog post with SEO in mind.
SEO Copywriting Brief
- Deadline – The due date for the final draft of the copy based on the brief.
- Main topic of focus for the content – this will be the main keyword used in the content
- Subtopics that will be discussed in the content – these are the semantically related keywords to the main keyword
- Title tag – 60-70 characters, include the focus keywords and/or semantically related keywords, business name, location, where relevant.
- Page slug – include focus keyword. Has the following format, /page-slug
- Meta description – at most 160 characters. Include the focus keywords, semantically related keywords, where relevant, business name, a CTA and brief description of the page.
- Length of copy – total number of words
- Structure of the page or post – This is the type of post. For example a listicle, personal story, recipe, etc.
- Tone of voice of the content –
- Target persona for the content – Who the content is meant for.
- H1 header – suggest and will include the main focus keywords. Only one h1 header per webpage.
- H2 headers – usually related to the semantically related keywords. As many is required.
- H3-H6 headers –
- Internal links – this will include suggested anchor text and the page that will be linked and the location of the link.
- CTA – some kind of call to action. This will usually involve an internal link.
- External links – these are references for the content on the page. This will include suggested anchor text for each reference and where the link will be places in the copy.
Where is the content created, you’re wondering? Between the various headers is where the content needs to be inserted and created.
It’s easier to see an example for an SEO copywriting brief to really understand what is means.
Summary
If you’re creating content or hiring someone to do it, don’t skip the content brief. It is tempting to omit this step to save time. However, aclear, thoughtful content brief gives you a solid starting point and helps you focused and on track when writing.
It doesn’t have to be long or fancy. Just make sure it answers the big questions: Who’s this for? What’s the goal? How should it sound? What should it say (or not say)?
FAQ
Yes, especially for short content. When you have less space to say something, every word matters more. A brief helps your writer nail the tone and message without guessing.
That’s totally fine. A brief doesn’t have to be perfect, t’s a starting point. Even writing down what you don’t want or what you’re unsure about can help your writer ask the right questions and fill in the gaps.
Maybe… but it’s a gamble. Even the best writers need context. A quick, one-page brief saves time, reduces revisions, and helps them focus on delivering content that works for your specific goals.
Content briefs are usually for things like blog posts, guides, or SEO pages where the focus is on informing or ranking. Copywriting briefs are for things like ads, emails, or landing pages, where the goal is to get someone to act. Both need direction, just with slightly different emphasis.
Yes! I’ve got one. Here my current template for an SEO Content Writing Brief.
References
- How to write a copywriting brief [with swipe-ready examples], Libby M, May 2021, Write on Tyne, URL: https://www.writeontyne.com/post/how-to-write-a-copywriting-brief
- How to Write a Copywriting Brief that Actually Helps [+ Template], Giada Nizzoli, Crafty Copy, URL: https://craftycopy.co.uk/blog/how-to-write-a-copywriting-brief
- What Is A Content Brief (And Why Is It Important)?, Kane Jamison, Updated June 2023, Content Harmony, URL: https://www.contentharmony.com/blog/what-is-a-content-brief/
- How To Write an Effective Content Brief for Better Results, Jay Kang, May 2023, AgencyAnalytics, URL: https://agencyanalytics.com/blog/content-brief
- How to write a copywriting brief: for less stress and more success when you hire a copywriter, Libby Marks, Dec 2020, LinkedIn, URL: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-write-copywriting-brief-less-stress-more-success-libby/
