Creating Data-Driven SEO Content Briefs with AI

Part of 🔍 Keyword Research & Strategy with AI (Articles 6–9) in Launch and scale an SEO business using AI tools

Part of your friendly course for humans learning to boss around robots (a.k.a. beginner SEO with AI)

Let me guess.

You sat down to write a blog post. You picked a keyword. You even stared deep into the soul of a blank Google Doc like it owed you money. And then—nothing. Crickets. Maybe a half-sentence about something kinda related to your topic, and a vague idea that you probably need to mention it more than once.

Relatable?

Same.

Now imagine if you had a lil’ sidekick—okay, a super-smart robot friend—who could:

• Tell you what your article should include,
• Give you a skeleton to hang your words on,
• Whisper sweet semantic keywords into your ear,
• And help you write something that actually ranks.

Welcome to the magic of AI-powered, data-driven content briefs.

Let’s unpack it together like friends tackling a chaotic closet: one sock, one keyword, one glorious algorithm at a time.

🧠 But First—What Exactly Is a Content Brief?

Okay, real talk. Before AI, content briefs were either:

• Overwhelming 12-page docs that made you cry a little, or
• A single sentence from a client that said, “Make it pop.”

Neither works.

A good content brief is your GPS for writing content that ranks. It’s not the destination—it’s the roadmap. It tells you:

• What the topic is (duh)
• Who you’re talking to
• What questions people are asking
• What structure works best
• Which keywords matter
• And how to not sound like a total robot yourself (ironic, right?)

🎯 Why “Data-Driven” Matters (and Isn’t Just Buzzword Fluff)

Let’s be brutally honest: your gut instinct is cool, but Google doesn’t care about your vibes.
It cares about structure, semantics, and whether you’ve answered people’s questions in a way that makes them stay on the page.

Data = insight.
Insight = strategy.
Strategy = rankings.

And AI helps you collect and process all that data without having to become an actual data scientist (unless you want to, in which case… you’re braver than me).

🛠️ Tools of the Trade (No Lab Coat Needed)

Here are a few sidekicks I use regularly:

• ChatGPT (obviously)
• Frase – for real-time SERP data
• SurferSEO – for optimizing structure + keywords
• AlsoAsked and AnswerThePublic – for what folks are Googling at 2am
• Ahrefs / Ubersuggest / LowFruits – for keyword insights

But if you only have ChatGPT and a dream? You’re already halfway there.

💬 Step-by-Step: Creating Your SEO Content Brief with AI

Step 1: Pick Your Keyword (But Not Just Any Keyword)

Don’t just grab the highest-volume term like a kid in a candy store. That’s how you end up trying to outrank Forbes.

Instead, ask ChatGPT:

“Suggest 10 low-to-medium competition keywords around [topic] that would be useful for a beginner audience.”

👉 Pro tip: Add filters like “question-based,” “transactional,” or “informational” to zero in on search intent.

Real talk? A keyword like “how to keep succulents alive indoors” might outrank “indoor plants.” Why? Specificity, my friend. Google loves it.

Step 2: Ask AI for a Competitor Analysis (the Ethical Kind)

Here’s the prompt:

“Show me the top 5 search results for [your keyword] and summarize their H1s, structure, and key points.”

AI will serve you a tidy summary of what’s already out there. From there, you can decide:
What’s missing? What can I do better? What can I add that’s more human, more honest, more me?

Step 3: Create a Working Title + H1

Titles matter more than we admit. They’re your pickup line in the SERP bar.

Try asking:

“Give me 5 SEO-optimized titles for an article targeting [keyword], aimed at [audience], in a friendly, human tone.”

Pick the one that feels right. Gut check matters here. Data plus emotion = chef’s kiss.

Step 4: Outline Like a Pro (Without Crying Into Your Coffee)

This is where AI earns its snacks.

Prompt:

“Create an SEO content outline for [keyword], including H2s and H3s, based on what’s ranking in the top 10 Google results.”

Then ask:

“Add any missing subtopics or FAQs that aren’t covered but should be.”

That last part? Game-changer. That’s how you outdo the competition—by anticipating needs, not just echoing what’s already been said.

Step 5: Pull in Semantic Keywords (Without Stuffing Anything)

Google’s smarter than it used to be. It knows “SEO” and “search engine optimization” are the same. So you need semantic variation.

Ask:

“Give me 15 semantic keywords related to [your main keyword] that could naturally appear in an article.”

Then sprinkle, don’t dump. (We don’t keyword-stuff here. We’re classy.)

Step 6: Nail the Intent (Because Readers Aren’t Robots Either)

Ask AI:

“What is the likely search intent behind this keyword? What action is the user hoping to take?”

You’re not writing for keywords. You’re writing for humans with questions, insecurities, and probably a tab open for memes.

If you can match their headspace, you win.

Step 7: Include “People Also Ask” Style FAQs

Grab inspiration from:

• Google’s “People Also Ask” box
• Reddit threads
• YouTube comments (seriously, they’re unhinged but insightful)

Prompt:

“Based on this keyword and topic, suggest 5 FAQs that would enhance this article.”

Then, at the bottom of your article (or even woven in), answer them clearly and kindly. Think: helpful friend, not encyclopedia.

Step 8: Add Internal Links (AI Can Help Here Too)

Ask:

“Suggest 3 related blog topics I could link to from this article to support internal SEO.”

Even if you haven’t written those posts yet? Perfect. That’s your content calendar now.

😅 But What If It Still Feels Robotic?

Here’s the thing: AI gives you the blueprint, but YOU are the magic.

No machine can replicate your voice, your weird references to your cat, or that story about how you killed your basil plant and now you’re obsessed with drainage.

Use AI to guide, not to ghostwrite. Trust your gut when a sentence feels stiff. Rewrite it like you’d say it to a friend over overpriced sushi.

Because Google might be your gatekeeper…
…but people are your audience.

✨ True Story: My First AI Brief Was a Disaster

I once fed ChatGPT a keyword and used its brief verbatim. The blog post? Read like a robot trying to pass a Turing test in a hurry.

The fix?

I redid the brief—but this time, I asked better questions. I added emotion. I shared a mini-story. I even included a GIF of a dancing cactus. It ranked within a month.

The takeaway?

Don’t just use AI. Use it well.
And always sprinkle in a bit of you.

🧾 Recap: What Goes in a Data-Driven SEO Content Brief?

Here’s your TL;DR checklist (or make it a Notion template, like I did):

✅ Target keyword
✅ Search intent
✅ Working title + meta description
✅ Article outline (H1, H2, H3s)
✅ Semantic keywords
✅ Top competitors and gaps
✅ FAQs
✅ Internal link opportunities
✅ CTA (what should the reader do next?)
✅ Notes on tone, style, or special formatting

🫶 Final Thoughts From a Fellow Overthinker

If you’re scared to start—start messy.
If you feel imposter syndrome—welcome to the club.
If you think AI is too cold—remember you’re the warm part.

Creating content briefs used to take hours. Now it takes minutes. But the best briefs? They still come from people who care, who listen, who genuinely want to help.

That’s you.

So go ahead—build your first brief, pour your coffee, and write something worth reading. The robots can help, but they’ll never replace your voice.

And honestly? That’s kind of beautiful.

Next Up in the Course: Writing the First Draft: Human-Focused SEO with AI at Your Side
(Spoiler: it involves storytelling, snack breaks, and a lot of CTRL+Z)

Want me to generate a Notion template for your briefs? Or walk you through one live with your niche? Just say the word — I’ve got your back.