Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Content Brief agent skill (content-brief)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The content-brief skill is an agent skill that writes an SEO content brief for one target keyword. It checks what currently ranks on Google for that term, pulls related keywords and questions, and looks at your own search data and existing pages before producing an outline. This guide explains what agent skills are, how to install this one, how to ask for a brief, and what it needs to run.
Content BriefRyze-AI-Adgent/open-seo-mcp-skills · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip. Download the content-brief ZIP from this page and unzip it so you have a content-brief folder containing SKILL.md.
- 2Place the folder. Move it to ~/.claude/skills/ for all projects, or to .claude/skills/ in one project. Or upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills in the Claude apps.
- 3Add the Ryze connector. Run the claude mcp add command in Claude Code, or add https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp as a custom connector in claude.ai, Desktop or Cursor.
- 4Connect Google data. Make sure Google Ads and Google Search Console access is available through the connector so keyword volumes and your query data can be read.
- 5Ask for a brief. Request a content brief with your target keyword, for example 'Write a content brief for the keyword X'.
- 6Review and hand off. Check the title, outline and internal links, then give the brief to a writer or use it to draft the page yourself.
What is an agent skill and what does content-brief do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that an AI agent loads when a request matches the skill's description. The content-brief skill is one of these; its SKILL.md tells the agent how to build a brief from real search data.
Given a target keyword, the agent pulls the live Google top 10 (when DataForSEO SERP tools are available, otherwise via web search), reads the top three pages to see their structure and what they cover, and gathers secondary keywords and question variants. It then checks your Google Search Console queries and existing pages for internal-link sources.
- Target keyword with secondary keywords and volumes
- Search intent and the format that actually ranks (guide, listicle, comparison or tool page)
- Proposed title and meta description
- H2/H3 outline with a note on what each section must say
- Questions to answer, table-stakes points and a differentiating angle
- 3 to 5 internal links with suggested anchors, and a target length
How do you install the content-brief skill?
Download the skill's ZIP from this page and unzip it. Put the resulting content-brief folder in ~/.claude/skills/ to make it available to all your projects, or in a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to that project.
If you use the Claude apps instead, upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/content-brief/
- Project install: .claude/skills/content-brief/ inside your project
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
~/.claude/skills/content-brief/SKILL.mdHow do you connect the Ryze MCP connector it requires?
The skill needs the free Ryze MCP connector at https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcp. In Claude Code, add it with the command below. In claude.ai, Claude Desktop or Cursor, add it as a custom connector using the same URL.
The skill's source links to a Ryze setup guide for connecting Claude to Google and Meta Ads. Google Ads and Google Search Console access through the connector supply keyword volumes and your site's query data.
- Claude Code: use the command below
- claude.ai, Desktop or Cursor: add a custom connector with the same URL
claude mcp add ryze --transport http https://connector.get-ryze.ai/mcpHow do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
You don't need to name the skill. The description tells the agent to use it when you ask for a "content brief", an "outline to rank for X", or "what should this article cover", and before writing any SEO page. Include the target keyword in your request so the agent knows what SERP to pull.
Good requests name the keyword and, if you have one, the page type. The more specific the keyword, the more useful the SERP read.
- "Write a content brief for the keyword 'standing desk for small apartments'."
- "Give me an outline to rank for 'payroll software for freelancers'."
- "What should this article cover? Target keyword: home espresso machine under $300."
- "Before I write this landing page, make a brief for 'commercial cleaning checklist'."
What does the output look like?
The skill produces one brief, ready to hand to a writer or to draft from directly, with no preamble. Its output section lists the parts the brief should contain, so you can check that each one is present.
Because the outline is built from the live SERP and your data, the title, headings and internal links will differ by keyword and by site. Treat it as a planning document: a writer or editor still needs to check facts and add your own voice.
- Target keyword, secondaries and volumes
- Search intent and required format
- Title and meta description
- H2/H3 outline with notes
- Questions to answer
- Table stakes vs. differentiating angle
- Internal links and target length
What do scripts and network access mean for safety?
This skill runs no scripts. It does use the network: it calls the Ryze connector, and it may fetch top-ranking pages through web search or read SERP data from DataForSEO if your workspace has it. Your Google Ads and Search Console data is read through the connector.
Check the connector's permissions and the data it reads before you connect it to a client account. Only connect accounts you are allowed to use for this work.
- Scripts: none listed for this skill
- Network: yes, the Ryze connector and SERP lookups
- Data read: Google Ads keyword data and Search Console queries, via the connector
What people use it for
- Planning a new blog post by checking what the top 10 Google results cover for a keyword
- Outlining a landing page with headings based on questions people ask and queries your site already gets impressions for
- Finding existing pages on related topics to link from, or spotting a page that should be expanded instead of a new one being written
- Giving a freelance writer a structured outline with a target length before drafting
Frequently asked questions
Is the content-brief skill free?
The skill's source does not state a price or licence fee beyond its MIT licence. The Ryze MCP connector is described in the source as free. Check the connector's terms before relying on it for paid work.
What does the content-brief skill need to run?
It needs the Ryze MCP connector added to Claude Code, claude.ai, Claude Desktop or Cursor. Google Ads and Google Search Console access through the connector are used for volumes and your site's query data. DataForSEO SERP tools are optional; without them the skill uses web search.
How do I install the content-brief skill?
Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/ folder. In the Claude apps, upload the ZIP under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
Can the skill work without Search Console access?
The source says the skill is not a good fit for sites without Search Console or Google Ads access, because much of its value depends on that data. It would fall back to less specific inputs.
Does content-brief do keyword research or rank tracking?
No. The source says it produces one brief per request, scoped to a single target keyword, so it is not meant for keyword research at scale or rank tracking.
How is this different from a generic outline template?
The skill builds its brief from the live Google top 10 and the top three pages, plus your own search data and existing pages. The source describes it as based on real search results rather than a generic template.
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Our verdict
Use content-brief if you are an SEO specialist, content writer or site owner who wants a structured, SERP-based outline for one keyword at a time, and you have Google Ads and Search Console access. Pick something else if you need bulk keyword research or rank tracking, or if your site has no Search Console or Google Ads data to draw on.
Download the skill