Guide
Write a content brief around the task a searcher wants to finish
Content that ranks, and that AI assistants cite, starts from the task a searcher wants to finish. Write the brief around that task, not around a keyword.
The short answer
Start a content brief with the query, the reader and the task they want to finish. Look at what already ranks and note what each result misses. Build the outline from the reader’s task and those gaps, cite primary sources, and plan the internal links. Never publish invented search volumes.
Intent before keywords
People search to learn, to compare, to do something or to find someone to hire. Each intent needs a different page: an explanation, a comparison, a step-by-step guide or a clear service page.
Read the results yourself
Look at the pages that rank today. Note what each covers well and what it misses: a missing template, no worked example, no way to prioritise. The gaps are your opportunity.
Evidence and links
Cite primary sources for every figure, and label your own examples as examples. Plan links to the tools and services that help the reader finish the task.
A worked example
The content brief template takes the query “how to do a training needs assessment”. The results it records include a vendor guide with definitions but no way to prioritise gaps by cost or headcount, and a template page with no worked example. Each gap becomes a section of the outline.
What this guide does not cover
A good brief improves your chances. Rankings and AI citations depend on many factors outside your control.
Responsible for this guide
Examples in this guide are illustrative, not client results. Figures come from the free tool’s worked example; change the inputs in the tool to see your own.
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