# Content Brief Template

> Fill in every field before writing starts. Blank fields mean assumptions. Assumptions mean rewrites.

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## Basic Info

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| **Working Title** | |
| **Target Publish Date** | |
| **Author / Owner** | |
| **Content Type** | Blog post / Guide / Case study / Comparison / Listicle |
| **Target Length** | ~___ words |
| **Goal** | Awareness / Lead gen / SEO / Thought leadership / Product education |

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## SEO Targeting

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| **Primary Keyword** | |
| **Monthly Search Volume** | |
| **Keyword Difficulty** | |
| **Secondary Keywords** (2-4) | |
| **Search Intent** | Informational / Commercial / Navigational |
| **SERP Features to Target** | Featured snippet / FAQ / People Also Ask |

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## Audience

**Who is reading this?**
(Job title, company stage, pain point they're searching from)

**What do they already know?**
(Level: beginner / intermediate / expert)

**What do they want to walk away with?**
(The specific outcome or answer)

**What's their biggest objection or doubt?**
(What might make them click away?)

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## Angle & POV

**The core argument / unique angle:**
(One sentence — what's our take that's different from the competition?)

**Why should they trust us on this?**
(Our authority, experience, or data that backs the angle)

**What's the competition missing?**
(Specific gap in top-ranking content we're exploiting)

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## Structure

**H1 (draft):**

**Intro approach:**
(Hook type: stat / story / counterintuitive claim / problem statement)

**H2 Outline:**
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
(Add more as needed)

**Conclusion approach:**
(Summary + CTA or next step)

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## Sources & Research

| Source | Type | Key Claim / Data Point |
|---|---|---|
| | Study / Report | |
| | Expert quote | |
| | Official docs | |
| | Data / survey | |

**Minimum 3 sources required before drafting.**

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## Internal Linking

**Links FROM this piece (to existing content):**
- [Anchor text] → [URL / page title]
- [Anchor text] → [URL / page title]

**Links TO this piece (from existing content):**
- [Existing page] → link to this once published

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## Competitive Pieces to Beat

| URL | Word Count | What They Do Well | What They Miss |
|---|---|---|---|
| | | | |
| | | | |

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## Success Criteria

- [ ] Ranks on page 1 for primary keyword within 6 months
- [ ] Achieves target engagement (avg time on page > ___ min)
- [ ] Generates ___ leads / clicks to product within 30 days
- [ ] Other: ___

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## Notes / Special Instructions

(Brand voice requirements, topics to avoid, tone calibration, product mentions)