Think of content marketing like a first date. If all you do is talk about yourself, you’re unlikely to get a second date. People aren’t primarily reading your content to get to know your company. Your audience is trying to solve a problem or get insights into a subject that is of genuine interest to them. The conundrum is that to ensure your content is consumed and appreciated, you must have a well-planned SEO strategy. To get content that meets your SEO needs, you need a content strategy and a way to convey that plan and its objectives to the copywriter.
Creating a Content Brief
A content brief bridges the gap between the best SEO writer and content creator. Your content brief is a way to tell the writer your expectations, preventing a multitude of rewrites and unnecessary frustration. An SEO content brief focuses on key information geared to drive search traffic to your site.
Keywords and Intent
Although the keyword research may be the start of a content brief, giving your writer more information can help attract the right prospects. Keep in mind that you want your copywriter to tailor content for the right searchers.
There are three types of search queries:
- Information – the searcher wants to learn something or have a question answered.
- Navigational – a search to locate a specific website.
- Transactional – a search in which the intent is to buy something.
Attaching the keyword to the user’s intent can generate leads and increase sales by attracting the right audience. Once you identify the target keyword, put it into the search engine to see what type of content is showing up. Use these insights to craft you content brief.
Structure, Length and Format
Tell your writer the specific content type you want, such as a blog post, case study, in-depth article or video. Some content is formatted better as a list, while other content may read better as a how-to piece, or a guide. Finally, don’t forget to give the writer a ballpark word count.
Audience and Funnel Stage
Describe who you’re trying to reach with the content. Don’t try to cast the net too wide and fish for anyone who is searching with your target keyword. Content that aligns with the user’s intent will keep them reading. Also consider where your audience is in their journey to make the purchase. Informational queries are usually at the top of the funnel. These readers may not be ready to make a purchase and want different information than those readers who are ready to buy at the bottom of the funnel.
Call to Action
Tell your writer what action you want the reader to take. Your call to action should move the reader down the funnel. SEO isn’t only about driving traffic to your site. When your reader consumes content, you want the person to contribute to your bottom line. Here are some examples of calls to action:
- Request a demo
- Get a free quote
- Sign up for our newsletter
- Read a case study
Boost Content Quality with a Strong Content Brief
When writers understand the intent and goals of the content, you get higher quality content that aligns with your business objectives. It makes your copywriters more efficient and effective, reducing everyone’s frustration. If you find it difficult to create relevant and unique content for your site, contact MintCopy, a content agency that has a team of dedicated writers skilled and experienced in creating content that drives conversion.
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