# Content brief

Category: [On-Page & Content](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/on-page-content/) › [Content strategy & maintenance](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/category/on-page-content/content-strategy-maintenance/) · Also known as: SEO brief

**Content brief** is a working document written before a text is produced. It records topic, goal, audience, search intent and outline so that writers and editors work from the same specification.

## What does a content brief contain?

Google has no standard for it. Templates from Jasper and Siteimprove overlap (assessment). They usually list goals, target audience, primary and secondary keywords, search intent, a heading outline, tone, a target length, sources and a deadline.

Google's guidance on helpful content suggests checking content by "Who, How, and Why". For a brief, that means noting who writes, how the text is produced and why it is published (assessment). Google also states that it has no preferred word count, so a length target is an editorial choice.

## Example

```
Topic:         Hub page
Intent:        Definition
Audience:      Marketing, little prior knowledge
Outline:       H2 Definition, H2 Structure, H2 Example
Internal links: Pillar page, topic cluster
Author/sources: Name, expert review, primary sources
```

## Related terms

- [Content gap analysis](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/content-gap-analysis/index.md)
- [Keyword research](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/keyword-research/index.md)
- [Search intent](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/search-intent/index.md)
- [Content quality](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/content-quality/index.md)
- [Editorial calendar](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/editorial-calendar/index.md)
- [Content strategy](https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/content-strategy/index.md)

## Sources

- [Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content – Google Search Central](https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/creating-helpful-content)
- [Content brief – Jasper (secondary)](https://www.jasper.ai/blog/content-brief)
- [Content brief best practices – Siteimprove (secondary)](https://www.siteimprove.com/blog/content-briefs-best-practices/)

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Last updated: October 7, 2026
URL: https://seo-geo-glossary.com/en/glossary/content-brief/