SEO Content Brief

Create data-driven content briefs via inference.sh CLI.

Quick Start

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Install note: The install script only detects your OS/architecture, downloads the matching binary from dist.inference.sh, and verifies its SHA-256 checksum. No elevated permissions or background processes. Manual install & verification available.

Content Brief Template

Every brief should answer these questions before writing begins:

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Search Intent Types

Intent	What Searcher Wants	Content Format	Example Query
Informational	Learn something	Guide, tutorial, explainer	"what is CI/CD"
Commercial

Compare before buying | Comparison, listicle, review | "best CI/CD tools 2024" | | Transactional | Buy/sign up | Product page, pricing page | "GitHub Actions pricing" | | Navigational | Find a specific page | — (don't target these) | "GitHub login" |

Match format to intent. If top 10 results are all listicles, write a listicle. If they're all tutorials, write a tutorial. Fighting the SERP format loses.

SERP Analysis Process

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What to Extract from Top Results

Data Point	Why
Word count	Sets your minimum (match or exceed top 3)
Heading structure

Shows what Google considers complete coverage | | Topics covered | Every topic they cover, you must cover | | Topics missed | Your opportunity to be more comprehensive | | Content format | Listicle, guide, tutorial, comparison | | Media used | Images, videos, tables, infographics | | Internal/external links | Reference quality signals |

Keyword Research

Keyword Metrics

Metric	What It Means	Target
Search volume	Monthly searches	Depends on niche (100+ for long-tail)
Keyword difficulty

Competition level | < 30 for new sites, < 50 for established | | CPC | What advertisers pay | Higher CPC = more commercial value | | Search intent | What users want | Must match your content type |

Finding Keywords

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Keyword Clustering

Group related keywords into one piece of content:

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One page per keyword cluster. Don't create separate pages for each variation — that's keyword cannibalization.

Heading Structure

Rules

Rule	Why
One H1 per page	SEO standard, contains primary keyword
H2s = main sections

Each should target a secondary keyword or question | | H3s = subsections | Break up long H2 sections | | Primary keyword in H1 | Direct ranking signal | | Secondary keywords in H2s | Topical coverage signal | | Question format for some H2s | Targets "People Also Ask" | | Logical hierarchy | Never skip levels (H1 → H3 without H2) |

Example Structure

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Word Count Targets

Content Type	Word Count	When
Short-form blog	800-1,200	News, updates, opinions
Standard blog

1,500-2,000 | How-tos, tutorials | | Long-form guide | 2,500-4,000 | Comprehensive guides, comparisons | | Pillar content | 4,000-7,000 | Definitive guides, hub pages | | Glossary/definition | 300-800 | Quick reference terms |

Rule: match or exceed the average word count of the top 3 ranking results. Don't pad — every word should add value.

On-Page SEO Checklist

Element	Rule
Title tag	Primary keyword + compelling hook, 50-60 characters
Meta description

Includes keyword, 150-160 characters, includes CTA | | URL slug | Short, keyword-rich: /best-project-management-tools | | H1 | Primary keyword, matches search intent | | First 100 words | Include primary keyword naturally | | Image alt text | Descriptive, includes keyword where natural | | Internal links | 3-5 links to related content | | External links | 2-3 authoritative sources | | Schema markup | FAQ, HowTo, or Article schema where applicable |

Content Differentiation

Unique Angles

Angle	Example
Original data	"We surveyed 500 PMs — here's what they use"
Expert quotes

Interview practitioners for original insights | | Real examples | Screenshots, case studies, not just descriptions | | More comprehensive | Cover subtopics competitors skip | | More current | Updated data, newer tools, recent changes | | Better visuals | Comparison tables, infographics, decision trees |

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Internal Linking Strategy

Type	Purpose
Hub → Spoke	Pillar page links to all subtopic articles
Spoke → Hub

Subtopic articles link back to pillar page | | Spoke → Spoke | Related articles cross-link to each other | | Contextual | Natural in-text links where topic is mentioned |

Rules

• - 3-5 internal links minimum per article
• Anchor text should be descriptive (not "click here")
• Link to relevant pages, not random ones
• Update old articles to link to new ones
• Most important pages should have the most internal links

Common Mistakes

Mistake	Problem	Fix
No SERP analysis	Writing blind, wrong format	Always analyze top 3-5 before writing
Wrong intent match

Guide when they want comparison, or vice versa | Match SERP format exactly | | Keyword stuffing | Penalized, reads poorly | Use naturally, 1-2% density max | | Ignoring "People Also Ask" | Missing easy ranking opportunities | Answer PAA questions in your content | | Too short | Can't compete with comprehensive results | Match or exceed top 3 word count | | No unique angle | Just another "me too" article | Original data, expert quotes, better visuals | | Keyword cannibalization | Multiple pages competing | One page per keyword cluster | | No internal links | Wasted link equity, poor site structure | 3-5 internal links per article | | Missing meta description | Google generates one (often poorly) | Write compelling meta with keyword + CTA |

Related Skills

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