# SEO Content Brief > Create data-driven SEO content briefs with keyword research, search intent analysis, SERP analysis, and structured outlines. - Skill: `inference-sh/seo-content-brief` (Agent Skill) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds add inference-sh/seo-content-brief` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/inference-sh/seo-content-brief/raw - Safety review: CAUTION (external: skill-scanner PASS, skillspector PASS) - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Marketing & Growth, Content Marketing, SEO - Tags: Content Brief, Content Strategy, Exa, Keyword Research, Search Intent, Seo, Serp Analysis, Tavily - Author: inference.sh (https://skillmd.com/u/inference-sh) - Updated: 2026-07-06 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/inference-sh/seo-content-brief --- > **Install the belt CLI skill:** `npx skills add belt-sh/cli` # SEO Content Brief Create data-driven content briefs via [inference.sh](https://inference.sh) CLI. ## Quick Start > Requires inference.sh CLI (`belt`). [Install instructions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/inference-sh/skills/refs/heads/main/cli-install.md) ```bash belt login # Research target keyword belt app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{ "query": "best project management tools for small teams 2024" }' # Analyze top-ranking content belt 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: ```markdown # 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 ```bash # Step 1: See what currently ranks belt app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{ "query": "[your target keyword]" }' # Step 2: Analyze top-ranking content belt 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) belt app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{ "query": "[keyword] questions people ask FAQ" }' # Step 4: Find content gaps belt 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 ```bash # Seed keyword research belt app run tavily/search-assistant --input '{ "query": "project management software long tail keywords related searches" }' # Find question-based keywords belt app run exa/search --input '{ "query": "questions about project management tools for startups" }' # Competitor keyword analysis belt 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 | ```bash # Generate comparison infographic belt app run infsh/html-to-image --input '{ "html": "

Project Management Tools Comparison

FeatureTool ATool BTool C
Free tier✅✅❌
" }' ``` ## 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 ```bash npx skills add inference-sh/skills@seo npx skills add inference-sh/skills@technical-blog-writing npx skills add inference-sh/skills@web-search ``` Browse all apps: `belt app store`