You’ve finally bitten the bullet and hired an SEO copywriter. Woohoo – awesome decision! But then they send you what looks like a university dissertation worth of questions to answer, and you start wondering if you’ve made a terrible mistake.
“Isn’t it their job to do the writing?” you mutter, staring at pages of forms asking everything from your target audience demographics to your deepest business values. “Why can’t they just crack on with it?”
Asking a copywriter to write without a brief is like asking a chef to cook your favourite meal without telling them what you like to eat. They might produce something edible, but it probably won’t be what you had in mind. You’ll be unhappy, your copywriter will be unhappy, and you’ll still have to pay for it.
So let’s take a look at why the brief is probably the most important part of SEO copywriting.
What is a copywriting brief anyway?
A copywriting brief isn’t some bureaucratic bollocks designed to waste your time. It’s the roadmap that takes your business from “we do stuff” to copy that converts visitors into customers.
The brief covers everything from your business objectives and target audience to your brand voice and what you want people to do after reading your copy. It’s the difference between generic, forgettable content and copy that speaks directly to your ideal customers.
For SEO copywriting, the brief goes deeper. It includes the search terms your prospects use when they’re looking for solutions like yours. Not just obvious keywords, but the specific phrases they type when they’re ready to buy. The questions they ask Google at 2am when they’re trying to solve a problem. The language they use in your industry versus what outsiders might search for.
It also covers search intent – whether people are looking for information, comparing options, or ready to make a decision. Because writing for “how to choose accounting software” is completely different from writing for “best accounting software for small business” or “QuickBooks vs Xero pricing.”
Why we insist on detailed briefs
Professional copywriters don’t ask for briefs to be difficult. We ask because we’ve learned what happens without them.
We can’t read your mind
SEO copywriters might be brilliant with words, but we don’t have telepathic access to your business knowledge. We don’t know that your clients have 6-month decision-making processes, not 6-minute ones. Your biggest selling point might be your ability to integrate with existing systems without disrupting operations.
We don’t know that your main competitor promises everything but delivers basic service. Or that your industry has compliance requirements that affect how you can describe your solutions.
Without this knowledge, we’re guessing. Guessing leads to copy that misses the mark entirely.
Generic copy kills conversions
When copywriters don’t have proper information, we have no choice but to fall back on industry generics. “We provide excellent customer service.” “Quality is our priority.” “We’re passionate about what we do.”
Bleurgh.
Every business in your sector claims the same things. Generic copy doesn’t help you stand out. It makes you blend in with everyone else who’s also “passionate” and “customer-focused.”
Take two IT support companies. One says “We provide reliable IT support.” The other says “We fix your server crashes in under 2 hours, guaranteed.” Which one would you call?
SEO copy needs strategy
SEO copywriting isn’t just about cramming keywords into sentences. Though plenty of amateurs do exactly that.
Proper SEO copy needs to understand search intent. What are people looking for when they type those keywords? What questions are they trying to answer? What problems are they trying to solve?
It needs to know which search terms matter to your business. Not just popular keywords, but terms that bring in customers who buy what you’re selling.
A marketing agency might rank for “digital marketing tips” but what they really want is “digital marketing agency ” or “B2B marketing consultants.” The brief tells us which battles are worth fighting.
You want results, not endless revisions
A detailed brief upfront saves money later. Much cheaper to spend two hours filling out a form than paying for multiple rounds of revisions because the copy missed the point.
When copywriters have to guess, the first draft rarely hits the target. Then begins the revision cycle. “This doesn’t sound like us.” “Can you make it more professional?” “This isn’t quite what we meant.”
Each revision takes time. Time costs money. All avoidable with a proper brief from the start.
What happens when briefs go wrong
When businesses skip the brief or rush through it, the results are predictable. And expensive.
We start making wrong assumptions
Without proper information, copywriters fill in the gaps ourselves. We might assume your customers care about features when they care about benefits. We might write for the wrong audience entirely.
We might focus on price when your customers choose you for convenience. Or emphasise your years of experience when what really matters is your innovative approach.
A cybersecurity firm might think their clients care about technical specifications. But the brief reveals they’re actually worried about compliance audits and regulatory fines. Same service, completely different messaging.
You get stuck in revision hell
Inadequate briefs lead to endless back-and-forth. “This doesn’t capture our personality.” “Can you make it sound more trustworthy?” “We need it to be more… businessy.”
Each round of feedback is vague because the original brief was vague. We try to interpret your comments, make changes, and send another draft that still isn’t quite right.
Meanwhile, your website launch gets delayed. Your marketing campaign sits on hold. Your competitors are out there attracting customers while you’re stuck arguing about tone of voice.
You end up with expensive mediocrity
The worst outcome isn’t terrible copy. It’s copy that’s technically correct but completely forgettable.
It ticks all the SEO boxes. Uses the right keywords. Follows best practices. But it doesn’t persuade anyone to buy anything.
You end up with content that ranks in search results but doesn’t convert visitors into customers. Traffic without sales. Visibility without results.
Good briefs change everything
When copywriters have detailed, thoughtful briefs, the entire project transforms. We can write with confidence because we understand what you’re trying to achieve.
We know your customers’ pain points, so we can address them directly. We understand your competitive advantages, so we can highlight what makes you different. We know your goals, so we can structure the copy to achieve them.
The first draft is closer to what you want. Revisions are minor tweaks rather than major rewrites. Projects finish on time and on budget.
Most importantly, the copy works. It attracts the right visitors and persuades them to become customers.
Your brief, your results
That copywriting brief your SEO copywriter sent you isn’t an obstacle. It’s the foundation of everything we’ll create for you.
Yes, it takes time to fill in properly. Yes, some questions require real thought. But that’s exactly why it’s valuable.
The best copy comes from combining professional writing skills with deep business knowledge. Your copywriter brings the skills. You provide the knowledge.
Skip the brief, and you’re paying professional rates for amateur guesswork. Fill it in properly, and you get copy that delivers results.
Ready to tackle that brief? Read how to complete a copywriting brief properly – the specific questions you’ll see and how to answer them in a way that gets you brilliant copy. And if you’re tempted to skip it entirely, here are the excuses you’ll make to avoid the brief, and why they cost you money..
