A content outline is a handy guide that lays out everything you need to know for crafting an awesome article. It usually includes stuff like:
- The right headings and subheadings to use
- The sweet spot for word count
- The specifics of what each part of the article should talk about
- If you're not into using ranking tools like Yoast or Rankmath, you can also throw in some SEO optimization pointers (keyword density, number of outbound links, etc.)
Content outline template
Keyword: example
URL slug: /knowledge-base/example
Meta description: 150-156 characters, main keyword must be included
Related keywords:
- Example 1
- What is example
- how to do example
- best examples
Word count: 600-700
Article title (H1): How to Choose the Right Keyword for SEO in 2023.
SEO optimization checklist:
- Keyword density 0.5% - 2%
- Related keywords used 2-7 times
- Related keywords used as headings (if possible)
- 2-5+ outbound links
- 5-15 relevant internal links
- Keyword in meta description
- Keyword in H2
- Page title 35-65 characters
- Logical URL slug & includes keyword
- No other page exists with the same topic/keyword.
Article
Title (H1)
- 35-65 characters
Introduction (2-3 sentences)
- Show the reader that you know the answer to the title. Brief introduction to the answer target
Answer target (≤= 60 words)
- The "answer target" answers the main question (title of the page) and is usually written as a single paragraph. It is occasionally used as a list for "how-to" articles or top X lists.
Heading 2: …
- Text…
Heading 2: …
- Text…
Heading 2: …
- Text…
-
Heading 3: …
- Text…
-
Heading 3: …
- Text…
-
Heading 3: …
-
Why use a content outline?
Outlines are great if you're working with writers who aren't SEO wizards, helping them create content that ranks without needing any SEO magic.
At the same time, even if you're the one doing the writing, a outline can give you a bird's-eye view of what your article should cover.
Ready to create a outline? Here's a even shorter step-by-step guide:
- Figure out your target word count. Quick tip: aim for 1.5x - 2x what your competitor wrote. If they really nailed it, feel free to stick to the same length.
- Mimic your competition's header structure. Let the writer know which headers should be h2 and which should be h3.
- For each header, give a brief description. Pro tip: you can borrow ideas from the top 5 ranking articles.
- For each header, clarify what the writer should mention (in plain English).
- Lastly, dig into Reddit, LinkedIn or Twitter to do some firsthand research. What questions does your target audience have about your topic? What extra tidbits could you add to the article to make it super valuable for your readers?