seo-content-brief

seo-content-brief

SEO Content Brief

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

Quick Start

Requires inference.sh CLI (infsh). Install instructions

infsh login

# Research target keyword
infsh app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{
  "query": "best project management tools for small teams 2024"
}'

# Analyze top-ranking content
infsh app run exa/search --input '{
  "query": "project management tools small teams comparison guide"
}'

Content Brief Template

Every brief should answer these questions before writing begins:

# Content Brief: [Working Title]

## Target
- **Primary keyword:** [exact keyword]
- **Secondary keywords:** [3-5 related terms]
- **Search intent:** [informational / commercial / transactional / navigational]
- **Target word count:** [X,XXX words]
- **Target URL:** /blog/[slug]

## Search Intent Analysis
- What is the searcher trying to accomplish?
- What format do top results use? (listicle, guide, comparison, tutorial)
- What questions need answering?

## Outline
H1: [Title with primary keyword]
  H2: [Section 1]
    H3: [Subsection]
  H2: [Section 2]
  ...

## Competitors to Beat
1. [URL] — [word count] — [what they do well] — [gap/weakness]
2. [URL] — [word count] — [what they do well] — [gap/weakness]
3. [URL] — [word count] — [what they do well] — [gap/weakness]

## Unique Angle
What makes this piece different/better than what already ranks?

## Internal Links
- Link TO: [existing pages to link to from this article]
- Link FROM: [existing pages that should link to this new article]

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

# Step 1: See what currently ranks
infsh app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{
  "query": "[your target keyword]"
}'

# Step 2: Analyze top-ranking content
infsh app run tavily/extract --input '{
  "urls": ["https://top-result-1.com/article", "https://top-result-2.com/article"]
}'

# Step 3: Find related questions (People Also Ask)
infsh app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{
  "query": "[keyword] questions people ask FAQ"
}'

# Step 4: Find content gaps
infsh app run exa/search --input '{
  "query": "[keyword] [subtopic competitors miss]"
}'

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

# Seed keyword research
infsh app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{
  "query": "project management software long tail keywords related searches"
}'

# Find question-based keywords
infsh app run exa/search --input '{
  "query": "questions about project management tools for startups"
}'

# Competitor keyword analysis
infsh app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{
  "query": "site:competitor.com/blog top performing pages topics"
}'

Keyword Clustering

Group related keywords into one piece of content:

Primary: "best project management tools for small teams"
Cluster:
  - "project management software small business"
  - "project management tools comparison"
  - "simple project management app"
  - "project management for startups"
  - "affordable project management software"

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

H1: Best Project Management Tools for Small Teams (2025)
  H2: How We Evaluated These Tools
  H2: Top 10 Project Management Tools Compared
    H3: 1. Tool A — Best for [use case]
    H3: 2. Tool B — Best for [use case]
    ...
  H2: Feature Comparison Table
  H2: How to Choose the Right Tool for Your Team
    H3: Team Size Considerations
    H3: Budget Considerations
  H2: Frequently Asked Questions
    H3: What is the easiest project management tool?
    H3: Do small teams need project management software?
  H2: Conclusion

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

# Generate comparison infographic
infsh app run infsh/html-to-image --input '{
  "html": "<div style=\"width:1200px;height:800px;background:white;padding:40px;font-family:system-ui\"><h2 style=\"font-size:28px;color:#1e293b;text-align:center;margin-bottom:30px\">Project Management Tools Comparison</h2><table style=\"width:100%;border-collapse:collapse;font-size:16px\"><tr style=\"background:#f1f5f9\"><th style=\"padding:12px;text-align:left;border-bottom:2px solid #cbd5e1\">Feature</th><th style=\"padding:12px;text-align:center;border-bottom:2px solid #cbd5e1\">Tool A</th><th style=\"padding:12px;text-align:center;border-bottom:2px solid #cbd5e1\">Tool B</th><th style=\"padding:12px;text-align:center;border-bottom:2px solid #cbd5e1\">Tool C</th></tr><tr><td style=\"padding:12px;border-bottom:1px solid #e2e8f0\">Free tier</td><td style=\"padding:12px;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e2e8f0\">✅</td><td style=\"padding:12px;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e2e8f0\">✅</td><td style=\"padding:12px;text-align:center;border-bottom:1px solid #e2e8f0\">❌</td></tr></table></div>"
}'

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

npx skills add inference-sh/skills@seo
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@technical-blog-writing
npx skills add inference-sh/skills@web-search

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