Content brief search intent check
A practical search intent check built around the reader's task and the result page.
Content brief search intent check
Start with the job a reader is trying to finish, then inspect the current search results for the same query. Note whether those pages help someone compare options, learn a process, find a definition, or reach a specific destination.
Do not reduce intent to a label such as informational or commercial. Record the questions the visible results answer, the details they omit, and the point at which a reader would need another source.
Write a page promise that can be tested
A useful brief says what the page will help the reader do and where that help stops. The promise should be narrow enough that an editor can reject a section that is merely related to the topic.
Put the focus keyword in the first section heading, but write for the task rather than repeating the phrase. If the proposed title promises a template, comparison, or checklist, the rendered page must contain it in a usable form.
Build the evidence plan before drafting
List each claim that needs outside support and assign a direct source before prose is written. A source can support the statement it actually makes; it cannot carry a broader conclusion because its domain looks authoritative.
Separate cited facts from editorial advice. When evidence is thin or disagrees, narrow the claim and show the uncertainty instead of asking confident wording to hide it.
Check the finished page against the query
Read the rendered page as if the search result were the only context available. Confirm that the title, opening, headings, examples, links, and final action all serve the same reader task.
Return the brief for revision when the page changes intent halfway through or withholds the promised answer. Search positions may change, so date the result sample and repeat the check when the page is materially updated.