/cf-brief

name: cf-brief
description: "Generate a research-backed content brief from a keyword or topic — keyword data with volume and difficulty, top-5 competitor and E-E-A-T analysis, search-intent classification, audience pain points, a section-by-section outline with word counts and citation targets, plus SEO and AEO/GEO strategy (AI Overview status, answer-block map, entity list). Triggers on \"/contentforge:cf-brief\", \"write a content brief\", \"keyword research for this topic\", \"what should this article cover\", \"analyze competitors before we write\". Uses the researcher agent with Ahrefs/Similarweb MCPs when connected (labeled heuristic estimates otherwise) and aligns terminology to a brand profile when --brand is given. Produces a plan, not the article — feed it to /contentforge:create-content via --brief."
argument-hint: "[topic]"
effort: high

Content Brief Generator

Generate a comprehensive, research-backed content brief from a keyword or topic. The brief includes keyword data, competitor content analysis, search intent classification, audience pain points, a recommended outline, and an actionable SEO strategy — everything a writer needs to produce high-ranking content on the first draft.

When to Use

Use `/contentforge:cf-brief` when:

• You need a **structured content brief** before starting production with `/contentforge:create-content`
• You want **data-driven keyword research** to inform topic selection
• You need to **analyze competitor content** to find gaps and differentiation angles
• You're planning a content calendar and need briefs for multiple upcoming pieces
• A client or stakeholder requires a **brief for approval** before production begins
• You want to understand **search intent** before committing to a content type

**For direct content production** (brief + draft in one step), use `/contentforge:create-content` instead. **For multiple briefs**, run `/contentforge:cf-brief` once per topic.

What This Command Does

1. **Keyword Research** — Primary keyword analysis with search volume, keyword difficulty, related and semantically adjacent terms, and long-tail opportunities 2. **Competitor Content & E-E-A-T Analysis** — Analyze top 5 ranking pages for word count, structure, key points covered, content gaps, unique angles, and E-E-A-T signals (author credentials, original research, first-hand experience) 3. **Search Intent Classification** — Determine whether the query is informational, commercial, transactional, or navigational, and recommend content type accordingly 4. **Audience Pain Points & Questions** — Map target audience needs, common questions, forum discussions, and "People Also Ask" patterns 5. **Recommended Outline** — Generate a structured outline with title options, section descriptions, word count allocations, and citation targets per section 6. **SEO Strategy** — Keyword placement plan, meta title/description recommendations, internal linking opportunities, featured snippet potential, and schema markup suggestions 7. **AEO/GEO Strategy** — AI Overview presence check, citation-worthiness checklist, entity consistency, answer-block recommendations, honest llms.txt note (not a ranking/citation signal) 8. **Success Metrics** — Define measurable goals: target word count, minimum citations, readability target, quality score goal (8.5+)

Required Inputs

**Minimum Required:**

• **Keyword or Topic** — The primary keyword or topic to build the brief around (e.g., "AI in healthcare 2026", "best project management tools")
• **Target Audience** — Who this content is for (e.g., "Healthcare CIOs", "Small business owners", "Marketing managers at B2B SaaS companies")

**Optional:**

• **Content Type** — article, blog, whitepaper, faq, research_paper, video-script, case-study, newsletter (if not specified, the brief recommends the best type based on search intent)
• **Competitor URLs** — 1-5 specific competitor pages to analyze (if not provided, top 5 SERP results are used)
• **SEO Goals** — Primary goal: `traffic` (maximize organic visits), `conversions` (target bottom-of-funnel intent), or `awareness` (brand visibility and thought leadership)
• **Brand** — Brand profile name to align voice/terminology recommendations in the brief
• **`--no-mcp`** — Skip MCP-backed keyword/competitor lookups and build the brief from heuristic estimates instead (faster, lower fidelity)

How to Use

Interactive Mode (Recommended)

/contentforge:cf-brief

**Prompts you for:** 1. Keyword or topic 2. Target audience 3. Content type (or let the brief recommend one) 4. Competitor URLs (skip to use SERP top 5) 5. SEO goal (traffic / conversions / awareness)

Quick Mode (All Parameters)

/contentforge:cf-brief "AI diagnostics precision medicine" --audience="Healthcare Executives" --type=article --goal=traffic

With Competitor URLs

/contentforge:cf-brief "best CRM for startups" --audience="Startup founders" --competitors="https://example1.com/crm-guide,https://example2.com/best-crm" --goal=conversions

With Brand Context

/contentforge:cf-brief "cloud security best practices" --audience="IT Directors" --brand=AcmeTech --type=whitepaper

What Happens

Phase 1: Keyword Research (2-3 minutes)

Gather keyword data for the primary keyword and discover related opportunities.

**Data Collected:**

• **Primary Keyword:** Search volume (monthly), keyword difficulty (0-100), CPC indicator, trend direction
• **Related Keywords:** 10-15 semantically related terms with volume and difficulty (cover the topic's entities and subtopics naturally — do not treat these as terms to sprinkle for density)
• **Long-Tail Opportunities:** 5-8 long-tail variants with lower difficulty and clear intent
• **Question Keywords:** 5-10 question-format queries from "People Also Ask" and forums (these double as AEO answer-block targets in Phase 6.5)

**MCP Integration:**

• **Ahrefs (optional, HTTP):** If connected, pulls real search volume, keyword difficul