Local Content Briefs

Local Content Briefs Skill

Purpose

Produce complete, execution-ready semantic content briefs for local SEO content — briefs that tell a writer (or Claude) exactly what concepts to cover, at what depth, with which entities, answering which questions, in which structure. Local-SEO-aware throughout: every brief accounts for local intent signals, geographic entities, GBP consistency requirements, schema needs, and AI visibility considerations.

Position in the Workflow

local-keyword-research → local-content-strategy → [THIS SKILL] → local-landing-pages / writing

Input: concept cluster assignment from local-content-strategy (or a topic + business context directly) Output: complete semantic content brief ready for execution

Core Principle: Concepts Over Keywords, Completeness Over Length

A brief that says "target the keyword 'plumber Phoenix' 12 times" produces content Google correctly identifies as thin. A brief that says "cover the concept of emergency plumbing services completely — including response time expectations, licensing requirements, common emergency scenarios, what to do before the plumber arrives, and how to evaluate a plumber in an emergency — with these specific local entities mentioned in context" produces content that earns ranking by demonstrating genuine expertise.

Word count is a byproduct of complete concept coverage, not a target. Set word count ranges based on the depth that genuine concept coverage requires for this specific topic, not based on what competitors have.

Process

Step 1: Concept Decomposition

For the given topic/cluster, identify:

Core concept — the central idea the content must prove you understand. Not the keyword — the actual topic. For "emergency plumber Phoenix" the core concept is not the keyword string but: "how a property owner in Phoenix evaluates, contacts, and works with an emergency plumbing service when they have an urgent plumbing problem."

Related concepts (10–15) — adjacent ideas a genuine expert would naturally cover. These are NOT synonyms or keyword variants — they are genuinely distinct topics that someone who truly understands this subject would address. For emergency plumbing: response time expectations, after-hours pricing, what constitutes a plumbing emergency, temporary fixes to limit damage, how to shut off water supply, what to ask when calling, insurance and claim documentation, licensed vs. unlicensed contractors, common emergency scenarios (burst pipe, sewage backup, water heater failure), what to expect on arrival.

Local-specific concepts — concepts that are specific to this geographic market and distinguish this content from generic coverage: local water quality issues that affect plumbing, regional climate factors (freeze risk, monsoon flooding), local permit requirements, service area geography, locally-specific entities (neighborhoods served, local landmarks, regional service characteristics).

Required entities (10–15) — specific named things that belong in authoritative coverage: the business itself (with address and phone as natural mentions), the city and key neighborhoods, relevant tools and technologies, licensing bodies and credentials, competing concepts that the content should differentiate from, data sources and research that lend credibility, schema entity types that should appear naturally in the text.

Step 2: Concept Depth Assignment

Not all concepts need equal coverage. Assign each concept a depth tier:

Comprehensive (400–600 words): Core concepts that are the reason someone reads this page. The primary service, the primary user question, the primary differentiator. These sections have full explanation, specific examples, local context, and data points. Typically 2–3 per piece.

Standard (200–300 words): Supporting concepts that complete the picture. Important context, related services, process explanation, qualification considerations. Typically 4–6 per piece.

Brief (75–150 words): Tertiary concepts that establish authority without requiring deep treatment. Mentions that demonstrate breadth of knowledge, contextual details, brief definitions. Typically 4–6 per piece.

Entity mention (1–2 sentences): Named things that simply need to appear in context — a tool, a certification, a local landmark, a related service — without requiring dedicated coverage.

Step 3: Local SEO Specific Requirements

Every brief includes these local-specific elements:

GBP consistency check — concepts covered in the brief should align with GBP categories, services, and attributes. If the brief covers "emergency dental service," that concept should also exist as a GBP service. Flag any misalignments.

NAP natural mention — where in the content should the business name, address, and phone appear naturally? Not forced — in context. The brief specifies the sections where NAP elements fit naturally into the narrative.

Local entity integration — which neighborhoods, landmarks, nearby cities, or local references should appear naturally in the content? These geographic entities strengthen local relevance signals without keyword stuffing.

Schema requirements — what structured data types does this content support? LocalBusiness schema (required for location pages), FAQPage schema (for content with Q&A sections), HowTo schema (for process content), Review schema (if testimonials appear). The brief specifies which schema types to implement and which sections they map to.

AI visibility considerations — which sections of this content should be formatted for AI Overview inclusion? Direct-answer formatting (question as heading, 2–3 sentence direct answer) for the questions most likely to trigger AI Overviews. The brief identifies 3–5 questions that warrant this treatment.

Internal linking targets — which other pages on the site should this content link to? What anchor text is appropriate for each link? How does this page fit into the hub-and-spoke architecture from the content strategy?