These are the plain-text working templates we use for SEO projects — a content brief, an audit summary, a metadata planner, and a content refresh log. Copy any of them into a doc, spreadsheet, or notes app and fill in the sections. They pair with the prompt library: the prompts generate the raw material, the templates give it a home.
PlanningContent brief template
CONTENT BRIEF — [WORKING TITLE] ================================= Owner: Due date: Status: draft / in review / approved TARGET - Primary query: - Secondary queries (2-4): - Search intent: informational / commercial / comparison - Audience + what they already know: ANGLE - What this page says that competitors don't: - First-hand data or experience we can include: - One-sentence takeaway a reader should leave with: STRUCTURE - Title tag (≤60 chars): - Meta description (≤160 chars): - H1: - Opening: first 40-60 words must directly answer the primary query - H2 outline (each H2 = a question or claim): 1. 2. 3. 4. - FAQ (5 questions real users ask): LINKS - Internal links to add (8-12, by topic): - External authority sources (2-3): QA BEFORE PUBLISH [ ] Opening answers the query directly [ ] Every claim with a number has a source [ ] Schema added (Article + FAQ if applicable) [ ] Internal links placed and working [ ] Meta tags validated for length
AuditSEO audit summary template
SEO AUDIT SUMMARY — [SITE] — [DATE] ===================================== Auditor: Scope: full site / section: ______ Pages reviewed: SCORES (1-10) - Technical health: __ - On-page quality: __ - Content depth/authority: __ - Structured data: __ - AI-search readiness: __ CRITICAL (fix this week) 1. Issue / evidence / exact fix / owner 2. IMPORTANT (fix this month) 1. 2. 3. MINOR (backlog) 1. 2. QUICK WINS SHIPPED DURING AUDIT - MEASUREMENT - Baseline metrics captured: [ ] GSC clicks [ ] impressions [ ] CWV [ ] AI citations - Re-measure date: - Success looks like:
MetadataMetadata planner (paste into a spreadsheet)
URL Primary query Title tag (≤60) Title length Meta description (≤160) Desc length Canonical Robots Schema types Status /example-page/ example keyword =LEN() =LEN() self index,follow Article,FAQ draft Columns are tab-separated — paste directly into Google Sheets or Excel. Use the LEN() formulas to watch lengths; validate final tags with the meta tag generator: plain-intelligence.com/resources/tools/seo-meta-tag-generator/
MaintenanceContent refresh log
CONTENT REFRESH LOG — [SITE] ============================== Review cadence: quarterly for money pages, twice a year for evergreen URL: Last full refresh: Traffic trend (90d): up / flat / down __% Ranking trend: up / flat / down CHECKED THIS PASS [ ] Statistics and dates still accurate [ ] Screenshots/examples still current [ ] Competitors added sections we lack — which: [ ] New internal link targets exist — which: [ ] FAQ still matches what users ask [ ] Schema still valid (re-test URL) CHANGES MADE - NEXT REVIEW DATE: NOTES:
How these templates fit together
The brief plans a page before it exists; the metadata planner tracks every page's head section in one sheet; the audit summary turns findings into accountable actions; the refresh log keeps published content from decaying. The reasoning behind each lives in the blog: editorial calendars, SEO audits step by step, and content refresh strategy. For interactive versions of the QA steps, see the checklists.