SEO · Content planning
The Best Prompt for an SEO Content Brief
The best prompt for a content brief plans the page around the reader's question and your own expertise, not around a word count. This prompt asks for the target query, the audience, any notes on current search results and the first-hand material you can contribute, then returns a brief a writer can work from: intent, angle, outline with a purpose for each section, facts that need sourcing and criteria for sign-off.
SEO Content Brief Prompt
Produces a writer-ready brief: reader intent, the angle only you can offer, a purposeful outline, evidence to gather and clear acceptance criteria.
- Works with
- ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
- Complexity
- Multi-part reply
- Variables
- 6
- Version
- 1.0
Customize this prompt
Fill in what you know. Anything left blank stays as a [bracketed placeholder]. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
6 variables · fields marked * matter most
You are a content strategist writing a brief for a writer who knows the craft but not this topic or this business. The brief should let them produce a page that fully answers the searcher and adds something the existing results do not. ## What I know Target query: [Target query] Reader: [Reader] Business and what the page should lead to: [Business and next step for the reader] Format or brand constraints: [Format or brand constraints] <search_results_notes> [Notes on current search results] </search_results_notes> <our_material> [Your first-hand material] </our_material> ## How to build the brief Step 1. Intent. State what the reader is trying to get done, what they probably already know, and what would make them stop searching. Base any description of competing pages only on search_results_notes; if that block is empty, say so and do not describe what ranks. Step 2. Angle. From our_material, name the experience, data, examples or opinion this page can offer that a generic article cannot. If the material is too thin to support a distinct angle, say that plainly and list what I should collect. Step 3. Outline. Give H2 and H3 headings in reading order. Under each: the question it answers, the points to cover, and which item from our_material belongs there. Put the direct answer to the query near the top. Cut any section that exists only to add length. Step 4. Evidence. List each fact, figure or claim the writer must source, marked [NEEDS SOURCE], with the kind of source that would be acceptable. Do not supply statistics, quotes or study names yourself. Step 5. Page elements. Suggest two title options and an H1, visuals or tables that would help the reader, and internal links only to pages I have mentioned. Step 6. Acceptance criteria. Five to seven checks an editor can apply to the draft. ## Boundaries - Do not set a word count target. Describe the depth each section needs instead. - No keyword density or exact-match repetition rules. List related terms only as topics to cover naturally. - Do not write the article. ## Deliver A brief under these headings: Reader and intent, Angle, Outline, Evidence needed, Page elements, Acceptance criteria, Questions for the brief owner. Keep it under two pages of text.
Use it when you are
- Briefing a freelance writer on a topic they have not covered before
- Turning a subject-matter expert's rough notes into a structured page plan
- Standardizing briefs across a content team without resorting to word-count targets
- Planning a page after keyword research has assigned it a target query
Why this prompt works
The angle comes from your material, or the gap is admitted
Google's guidance on helpful content asks whether a page offers original information or insight beyond what is already available. Step 2 forces that question early, using only what you supplied. If your notes cannot support a distinct angle, the brief says so and lists what to gather, which is more useful than a confident outline of common knowledge.
Depth is described, length is not prescribed
Word-count targets push writers to pad. Google states it has no preferred word count, so the prompt bans the target and asks for the depth each section needs. Combined with the instruction to cut sections that only add length, the outline tends to match the size of the question.
Competitor claims are fenced in
A model without live search access will still describe what the top results cover if you let it. Restricting those statements to your pasted notes, and requiring an explicit note when the block is empty, prevents a brief built on imagined competitors.
Facts are handed to the writer as work, not as content
The evidence step lists what must be sourced and what kind of source qualifies, while forbidding the model from filling in figures itself. Writers receive a research task list they can plan time for, instead of unverifiable statistics that might slip through to publication.
Sign-off criteria are part of the brief
Ending with checks an editor can apply gives writer and reviewer the same definition of done. It shortens revision rounds because disagreements surface against the brief, not against each person's private idea of a good article, and the writer knows before starting what the editor will look for.
How to use it
- Search the target query yourself, skim the top results and jot down their formats, main headings and what they leave out. Paste those notes in.
- Collect first-hand material before running the prompt: an expert's notes, real customer questions, internal figures you are allowed to publish.
- Mention the related pages on your site in the constraints field so internal link suggestions use real URLs.
- Run the prompt and read the Angle section first. If it reports thin material, gather what it lists and run again.
- Answer the questions for the brief owner, then send the revised brief to the writer along with the source material.
- Review the finished draft against the acceptance criteria, and verify every sourced fact before publishing.
AI model compatibility
| Model | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Expected to work | If the outline grows past what the query needs, reply with the sections to cut and ask for the brief again rather than editing it by hand. |
| Claude | Expected to work | Long expert notes or call transcripts fit well in the our_material tags; Anthropic's guidance favors keeping documents separate from instructions. |
| Gemini | Expected to work | No model-specific adjustment needed. Paste the prompt as written. |
| Perplexity | Expected to work | A search-connected tool can gather notes on current results for you. Run that as a separate step, check the pages it cites, then paste your reviewed notes into the search results block. |
“Expected to work” means the prompt uses plain, model-independent structure and has been reviewed for that — not that it has been run on that model. A model is marked Tested only when a test record is published below.
Worked example
Scenario: An illustrative case: a payroll software company briefing a freelancer on a buyer's guide.
You are a content strategist writing a brief for a writer who knows the craft but not this topic or this business. The brief should let them produce a page that fully answers the searcher and adds something the existing results do not. ## What I know Target query: how to choose a payroll provider for a small business Reader: Owners of 5–30 person companies currently running payroll in spreadsheets Business and what the page should lead to: Payroll software company; the page should lead readers to the pricing comparison page Format or brand constraints: Plain language, US spelling, do not name competitors, related pages: /pricing/ and /payroll-switching-checklist/ <search_results_notes> Top results are listicles of providers and two general checklists. None explain what switching mid-year involves or what questions to ask about tax filing responsibility. </search_results_notes> <our_material> Notes from the head of customer onboarding: the five questions new customers wish they had asked, common mid-year switching mistakes, a checklist the team uses on kickoff calls </our_material> ## How to build the brief Step 1. Intent. State what the reader is trying to get done, what they probably already know, and what would make them stop searching. Base any description of competing pages only on search_results_notes; if that block is empty, say so and do not describe what ranks. Step 2. Angle. From our_material, name the experience, data, examples or opinion this page can offer that a generic article cannot. If the material is too thin to support a distinct angle, say that plainly and list what I should collect. Step 3. Outline. Give H2 and H3 headings in reading order. Under each: the question it answers, the points to cover, and which item from our_material belongs there. Put the direct answer to the query near the top. Cut any section that exists only to add length. Step 4. Evidence. List each fact, figure or claim the writer must source, marked [NEEDS SOURCE], with the kind of source that would be acceptable. Do not supply statistics, quotes or study names yourself. Step 5. Page elements. Suggest two title options and an H1, visuals or tables that would help the reader, and internal links only to pages I have mentioned. Step 6. Acceptance criteria. Five to seven checks an editor can apply to the draft. ## Boundaries - Do not set a word count target. Describe the depth each section needs instead. - No keyword density or exact-match repetition rules. List related terms only as topics to cover naturally. - Do not write the article. ## Deliver A brief under these headings: Reader and intent, Angle, Outline, Evidence needed, Page elements, Acceptance criteria, Questions for the brief owner. Keep it under two pages of text.
What a good response should contain
- An intent statement describing a buyer comparing options who needs decision criteria more than a vendor list
- An angle built on the onboarding team's questions and the mid-year switching gap noted in the search results
- An outline where each heading has a stated question, points to cover and the matching item from the onboarding notes
- A list of claims marked [NEEDS SOURCE], such as any statement about tax filing rules, with acceptable source types
- Acceptance criteria and a short list of questions back to the brief owner
This is an illustrative scenario showing how to fill in the prompt and what to look for. It is not a recorded model output. Recorded outputs will be published here once this prompt has a test record.
Testing and editorial review
Status: Untested. Reviewed for structure and clarity by the editorial team. No recorded model test yet.
No test record has been published for this prompt yet. When it is tested, this section will show the model and version, the date, the inputs, the actual output and notes against our seven-point rubric. We do not publish numerical scores.
| Author | TheBestPromptFor Editorial Team — The editorial team writes, reviews and maintains the prompts and guides on TheBestPromptFor. Prompts are drafted with AI assistance and reviewed against published editorial standards. |
|---|---|
| Published | November 15, 2026 |
| Last reviewed | November 15, 2026 |
| Last tested | Not yet tested |
| Version history |
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Limitations and things to check
- The model cannot see current search results unless you paste notes, so competitor coverage reflects only what you observed.
- It will not supply facts. Every [NEEDS SOURCE] item is research the writer still has to do.
- The quality of the angle depends on the first-hand material. Thin notes produce a thin brief.
- A good brief does not guarantee rankings; it raises the odds that the page is useful to the reader it is written for.
Alternative prompts
SEO
Keyword Research and Clustering Prompt
Turns seed topics and any keyword data you paste into intent-labeled clusters mapped to pages, without the model inventing search volumes.
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Gemini
SEO
On-Page SEO Review Prompt
Reviews one existing page against its target query and returns specific before-and-after edits to the title, headings, opening, coverage, links and images.
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Gemini
Content Writing
Article Outline Prompt
Builds a section-by-section outline around one central question, with the evidence for each section and a list of what still needs research.
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Gemini
Content Writing
Blog Post Writing Prompt
Turns your own notes and experience into a focused blog post with one clear argument, and marks every spot where it needs a real example or a fact check.
- ChatGPT
- Claude
- Gemini
Related resources
Guide
How to Write a Good AI Prompt
The five parts of a complete prompt (goal, context, task, constraints, output format), with a worked rewrite and a pre-send checklist.
Guide
Prompt Templates vs Prompts: What Is the Difference?
A prompt is one complete request; a template is a reusable prompt with named variables. When to use each and how to turn one into the other.
Frequently asked questions
Should a content brief include a word count?
A rough range can help with budgeting, but it should follow from the outline, not drive it. Google says it has no preferred word count. This prompt leaves the number out and describes the depth each section needs, so you can estimate length once the outline is agreed.
What if I have no first-hand material?
Run the prompt anyway and read what the Angle step asks you to collect. Usually a short conversation with someone who does the work, a handful of real customer questions or an internal example is enough to give the page something other results lack.
Can I ask the model to write the article from the brief?
You can, as a separate step, but the sourced facts and first-hand detail still have to come from you. Treat any draft as a starting point for a writer who can verify claims and add experience.
Sources and references
- Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content — Google Search Central
- SEO Starter Guide — Google Search Central
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