Blog Post Plan Missing Details

Why Your Blog Post Plan is Incomplete Without These Critical Details

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

Key Takeaways

• Missing keywords, search intent, and primary keyword in your brief can derail your content strategy from the start.
• Understanding and documenting search intent is non-negotiable for creating content that actually satisfies user queries and ranks well.
• A primary keyword acts as the cornerstone of your post, guiding everything from the title to the structure.
• An initial preliminary plan or outline provides a necessary blueprint, ensuring logical flow and comprehensive coverage.
• Providing these four details transforms vague ideas into actionable, SEO-powered content plans that deliver real results.

You’re ready to launch a new blog post. You have a topic in mind, a deadline on the calendar, and a writer waiting for instructions. You send over the brief, only to get a frustrating reply: “I cannot create a detailed blog post plan without the essential project information.”

Sound familiar? This scenario plays out daily in content teams everywhere. The culprit? An incomplete brief that misses the four pillars of effective content planning: Keywords, Search Intent, Primary Keyword, and a Preliminary Plan.

Without these details, you’re asking your writer to build a house without a blueprint, tools, or even a clear picture of what the house should look like. The result is inevitable: delays, revisions, and content that misses the mark with both readers and search engines.

This post will dive deep into each of these critical missing pieces. We’ll explore why they matter, how they interconnect, and provide you with a clear framework to ensure your next blog post brief sets everyone up for success.

The All-Too-Common Empty Brief

Imagine receiving this project brief:

Topic: AI in Marketing
Word Count: 2000
Deadline: Next Friday
Keywords: [Empty]
Search Intent: [Empty]
Primary Keyword: [Empty]
Preliminary Plan: [Empty]

Where does a writer even begin? “AI in Marketing” is a vast ocean. Should the post target CMOs looking for strategy, developers needing technical integration, or small business owners seeking affordable tools? Without the guiding stars of keywords and intent, the content will drift aimlessly.

The consequence? A generic article that pleases no one. It won’t rank for specific queries because it doesn’t target them. It won’t satisfy users because it doesn’t address a clear intent. It’s a waste of time, budget, and opportunity.

1. Keywords: The Searchable Foundation

Keywords are the specific terms and phrases your target audience types into Google. They are the bridge between their questions and your content. Providing a list of keywords in your brief does two vital things:

• Directs SEO Focus: It tells the writer exactly which search queries you want to rank for, allowing them to naturally integrate these terms throughout the headers, body, and metadata.
• Defines Topic Scope: A list like “AI content creation,” “marketing automation AI,” and “AI SEO tools” instantly narrows the broad “AI in Marketing” topic to a manageable, focused cluster.

But how do you find the right keywords? This is where strategic research comes in. Don’t just guess; use tools and methodologies to uncover what your audience is actually searching for. For a deep dive into this essential process, see our guide on effective keyword research.

Pro Tip: Categorize your keywords. Provide a mix of:

• Primary Target: The main 1-2 keywords you want to rank for.
• Secondary/LSI Keywords: Related terms that support semantic context (e.g., “machine learning copywriting” for an AI content post).
• Long-Tail Keywords: Specific, longer phrases that indicate clear intent (e.g., “best AI tool for generating blog post outlines”).

2. Search Intent: The ‘Why’ Behind the Search

You can have the perfect list of keywords, but if you don’t understand search intent, your content will still fail. Search intent is the user’s underlying goal. Google now prioritizes content that best satisfies this intent above all else.

The four main types of search intent are:

1. Informational: Seeking knowledge (e.g., “what is AI marketing?”).
2. Commercial Investigation: Researching before a purchase (e.g., “HubSpot vs. Marketo AI features”).
3. Transactional: Ready to buy or take action (e.g., “buy AI writing software”).
4. Navigational: Looking for a specific site (e.g., “Penbrief AI blog”).

In your brief, stating the search intent might look like: “Users searching for these keywords are in the informational stage, looking to understand how AI can personalize email marketing campaigns, not yet ready to buy a specific tool.”

This single sentence gives the writer a psychological blueprint for the entire article. The tone, structure, and call-to-action will all flow from this intent. Understanding search intent is crucial; learn more about mastering this concept in our dedicated SEO guide.

3. Primary Keyword: The Content Cornerstone

Among your list of keywords, one should be king: the primary keyword. This is the most important, high-priority term that your title and introduction must revolve around. It’s the central theme of your post.

Why is designating a primary keyword so important?

• Focuses the Title: It ensures your headline is optimized and compelling (e.g., “How AI Content Generators Are Revolutionizing SEO” instead of a vague “Thoughts on AI Writing”).
• Strengthens SEO Signals: It allows for strategic placement in key areas like the H1, first paragraph, meta description, and URL slug, sending strong topical signals to search engines.
• Guides the Narrative: Every section of the post should, in some way, support or relate back to the core idea encapsulated by the primary keyword.

Choosing the right primary keyword often involves analyzing search volume, competition, and relevance to your business goals. This is determined through comprehensive keyword analysis that weighs all these factors.

4. Preliminary Plan: The Structural Blueprint

Finally, we have the preliminary plan. This isn’t the writer’s final outline, but your initial thoughts on structure. It’s a sketch that answers: What are the main points we must cover? What’s the logical flow?

Providing even a bullet-point sketch prevents the writer from missing a critical angle you know is important. For example:

Preliminary Plan for “AI in Content Marketing”:
– Start with the current pain points of manual content creation.
– Introduce AI as a solution, define what it is in this context.
– Break down key applications: ideation, drafting, editing, personalization.
– Present case studies or data on effectiveness.
– Address common concerns and limitations (e.g., authenticity, cost).
– Provide a checklist for getting started.

This gives the writer a confident starting point and ensures alignment with your vision. For help structuring a successful blog post from the very start, check out our resource on how to plan a blog post.

How to Submit a Perfect Blog Post Brief

Now that we’ve broken down the “why,” let’s look at the “how.” Transforming your process is simple. Use this template for your next brief:

Project Title/Topic: [e.g., Leveraging AI for Hyper-Personalized Email Marketing]

Target Audience: [e.g., Digital Marketing Managers at mid-size B2C companies]

Primary Keyword: [e.g., AI email personalization]

Search Intent: [e.g., Informational. Users want to learn practical strategies and see examples of AI-driven personalization to convince stakeholders or plan implementation.]

Keyword List:
– AI-driven email marketing
– personalize emails with machine learning
– dynamic email content tools
– benefits of AI personalization
– email marketing automation AI

Preliminary Plan/Key Points to Cover:
1. The limitation of traditional segment-based email.
2. How AI analyzes user data for real-time personalization (opens, clicks, purchases).
3. Showcase 2-3 leading AI email platform features (use cases).
4. Present metrics that show uplift from AI personalization (CTR, conversion).
5. Steps to pilot an AI personalization project.

Sources/References: [Include any internal data, competitor links, or provided URLs like https://www.penbrief.com/blog-post-plan-missing-details/]

By investing 10 extra minutes to fill in these details, you save hours down the line in revisions and boost the likelihood of your content achieving its business goals—traffic, leads, and authority. For more insights on aligning keywords and intent to unlock blog success, read our detailed analysis here.

Frequently Asked Questions