How we create an SEO content briefing

Types of search queries

In order to understand and consider search intent, we need to realise during keyword research that there are different types of search queries:

• transactional
• informational
• navigational
  
  

Transactional keywords

We want to optimise product category pages for keywords that are primarily transactional, i.e. behind which there is an intention to buy. A user who enters "red running shoes" into the search bar wants to buy shoes and will expect an online shop, not a thousand-word article about the history of running.

Informational keywords

Someone searching for "jogging in winter", on the other hand, will not be satisfied with a shop for scarves, but is looking for tips on what to consider when running in the cold season so as not to jeopardise their own health. Here we are talking about informational keywords.

Navigational keywords

The third type of search query is less common in our content production. With navigational keywords, users already know about a specific page or subpage that they want to target with the help of this search query. Naturally, this is often a so-called branded search, i.e. a search query with a brand reference. Many people search for "Facebook" to open facebook.com, for example, because it seems more convenient than entering the entire URL.

Now, the above examples may have been very clear in themselves, but there are numerous keywords where the search intent is not immediately obvious. In addition, search intent is not just a question of transactional, informational or navigational intent. Rather, it is also possible to determine whether, for example, instructions are required or rather a page with inspirational content. Are images preferred or is a video also essential? Are they looking for concise tips or is the intention comprehensive advice?

All of this should be taken into account from the outset when producing content. And although SEOs like to use a tool for everything, the simplest and most effective method of finding out the search intention behind a keyword is still the manual approach:

So the first step is always to simply enter keywords into Google and look at the search results. Based on the results, we can then make at least a rough statement relatively quickly as to whether we can position ourselves sensibly in the results with the planned content, whether we need a different keyword - or whether we need to approach the planned content in a completely different way. If we are planning an informational article and some of the potential keywords that the keyword research has revealed turn out to be transactional, then they will not be included in the SEO content briefing.

As always, of course, the same applies here: Exceptions prove the rule. In exceptional cases, it can also make sense to include both transactional and informational keywords, for example if the SERPs (= Search Engine Result Pages, i.e. the search results) are very mixed and not clearly informational or transactional. Or for so-called hybrid pages, which have comprehensive advisory content, but still have an advertising character and are primarily intended to serve a purchase intention. In these cases too, however, care must be taken to consider the respective search intention behind the corresponding keywords.

The manual check of the search intention has another positive side effect: you almost inevitably look at the competitors for the keyword. At school, we were punished if the teacher caught us copying from the person sitting next to us. Perhaps this is also the reason why some SEOs are still reluctant to admit that they are copying from other sites.

Such an approach is not only unproblematic, it is desirable and even necessary. In most cases, there is a reason why the top 3 or top 5 of the SERP are at the top. It is often noticeable that the top-ranked pages for a keyword are all very similar in terms of structure and content. So if Google attributes a particularly high relevance to these pages and "rewards" them with good rankings, then they must have done something right.

If we want to play at the top with our planned content, it is essential to look at what these competitors have done and be influenced accordingly. Of course, the aim cannot be to simply copy the page 1:1. But we should also include certain sub-topics that our competitors serve in our content. Or if the top competitors have all written a step-by-step guide for a keyword, we must also include a step-by-step guide so as not to jeopardise our chances of a good ranking.

But that's not all. We also look at our competitors to analyse what we can improve in order to ensure an even better user experience. Imitation is initially a good strategy for achieving a top ranking. However, the next step should always be to analyse exactly what we can optimise. Here, our SEOs once again work closely with the UX and UI designers.

The keywords have been researched, the search intention found and the competitors analysed - now it's time to put the results into shape and prepare them for the content writers in a text briefing.

The content summary: What should I even write?

We summarise the input on the structure and content of the planned content under the heading Content Summary in the SEO content briefing. Here we differentiate between:

• Article objective: What is the aim of the content? What is the user's search intention that is to be served?
• Approach: Here we summarise in 2-3 short sentences how the aforementioned goal is to be achieved.
• Structure: The hierarchical structure of the content. In principle, this also reflects the subsequent table of contents and precisely defines the sub-topics and their order. As a rule, these are the H2 headlines of the article, but in exceptional cases it can also be an H3. Important: Relevant secondary keywords appear in the headlines.
• Comments: Further important tips for content writers to help with text creation.

Other fields are used to specify which target group the content should address, whether images, videos or tables are important for the content and which internal links should be included. The product fit is also taken into account: At the appropriate point during the first feedback round, the customer can enter which products we could mention in the content.

You can't do without it: the keyword list

Of course, the keywords that content writers need to use when writing copy should not be missing. In the keyword list, we differentiate between the focus keyword, synonyms and secondary keywords.

Focus keyword

The focus keyword, sometimes also called the main keyword, is the central term of the planned content. It is, so to speak, the keyword that best reflects the topic of the article. As a rule, it is the keyword with the highest search volume for the planned topic. It should - as far as possible - occur unchanged (i.e. not conjugated or declined) frequently throughout the text and must be included in the meta title and the URL.

Synonyms

In addition, we provide a maximum of 3-4 synonyms, which are also distributed throughout the text. They should have the same or at least a very similar search intention. This gives content writers more flexibility, the text does not become unreadable due to the redundant placement of the focus keyword and other search-relevant keywords can be used.

Secondary keywords

Secondary keywords should in turn be treated as sub-topics of the text. Within the keyword list in the SEO content briefing, we therefore assign them from the outset to the respective sub-topics that we have previously specified in the content summary under Structure. With these keywords, it is not so bad if they can only be meaningfully accommodated in the text in conjugated/declined form - as always, readability comes before SEO. However, they should be used in such a way that users can find them quickly when they screen over a text. Relevant keywords should therefore also have their own H2 or H3 headings and - if provided for in the design of the page - be included in the table of contents (ideally as a jump mark).

As a rule, we try to limit ourselves to a maximum of 10-15 secondary keywords - even if this best practice cannot always be adhered to in practice. In any case, we don't believe in including every keyword, no matter how unimportant, that might be suitable for the topic. A huge keyword list not only makes work more difficult for our content writers, who are forced to include everything, but often makes a text look artificial and inauthentic. Readers then get the feeling that they are reading a pure SEO text, and that cannot be the aim of our work.

We therefore approach content not only from an SEO perspective, but always from the perspective of the user, their needs and their behaviour. Relevant sub-topics also result from a decent competitive analysis, which should always be part of the process. Some SEOs may frown when they hear that we don't work with a thousand different tools, but place a lot of emphasis on "manual" research. But our success proves us right. Yes, tools can be a helpful addition and you can't do SEO work without them - but relying on them too much, almost becoming dependent on them, does more harm than good. It's not for nothing that they say: A fool with a tool is still a fool.

For the whole thing to work, it is all the more important that SEO, UX and UI go hand in hand and that everyone involved - from the SEO consultant to the UX and UI designers to the content writers - has the necessary expertise in D2C (= Direct To Consumer). Our copywriters therefore also have an in-depth understanding of SEO and UX, which enables them to implement the corresponding specifications from the SEO content briefings.