How do I generate SEO-optimized article outlines before writing full content?

Writing & Content

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Learn a repeatable method to create SEO-friendly outlines that guide article drafting and improve on-page optimization.

Who is this for?

Content writers, editors, SEO specialists, and content teams seeking a repeatable outline workflow.

Before you start

Clear target topic, identified primary keyword, and a basic understanding of the target audience.

Jump to tool:

Jasper

Frase.io

🏆 Recommended for this task

🏆 Recommended

Jasper

Best for: Marketing teams across product, content, brand, and PR who need scalable, on-brand content and automated workflows.

Paid RequiredFrom $59 / month

How to in Jasper

Identify Target Keyword and Intent: Define the primary keyword and document the search intent (informational, transactional) and audience for the article.
Open Jasper and Sign In: In your browser, go to jasper.ai, click Sign In, and enter your credentials to access the dashboard.
Enable Surfer SEO Integration: In Jasper, click your profile name at the bottom-left, select Settings > Integrations, ensure the Surfer SEO integration is ON, and confirm the document editor shows the SEO panel.
Create New Document: Click Create New Content, then choose New Document to start a fresh project.
Enable SEO Mode: In the top-right of the editor, toggle SEO mode to expose the Surfer SEO left panel with keyword data.
Input Target Keyword: Enter the target keyword (e.g., "4K movies worth it") into the SEO keyword input on the left panel and press Enter.
Review Keyword Metrics: Review the suggested volume and difficulty metrics; adjust the keyword selection as needed for realism and competition.
Customize Organic Competitors: Click Customize, select the top 10 organic competitors (e.g., Reddit, Quora, Collider, etc.), and tailor the list to reflect credible models.
Set Outline Output Length: In the editor, set the output length to Longer to generate a sufficiently fleshed outline.
Generate Outline: Initiate outline generation by pressing Ctrl+Enter to produce an outline aligned with the keyword data.
Refine Outline Structure: If needed, remove numeric enumerations and adjust headings for clarity; keep the core sections intact.
Expand Headings and Subheadings: Add or modify headings (H2/H3) to cover all major aspects of the topic and align with target terms.
Save and Prepare for Full Content: Copy the generated outline into the document, save, and use it as the blueprint for writing the full article.
Validate SEO Alignment: Cross-check that primary and secondary keywords are incorporated naturally in headings and sections; adjust density if necessary.

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Alternatives

Frase.io

Best for: Content teams and marketers who need to research competitors, write optimized content, and monitor performance across Google and AI search platforms.

Paid RequiredFrom $38 / month

How to in Frase.io

Open Phrase And Select Project: Sign in to Phrase. In the left sidebar, choose the project you’ll outline for (or create a new one).
Open SEO Tools: Click SEO Tools in the left navigation to access content optimization features.
Connect Google Search Console: In SEO Tools, select Google Search Console Content Analytics. Follow prompts to authorize and connect your Search Console account and property.
Load Target Keyword: In the upper area, enter your target keyword and set country and language as needed.
Create Or Load Content Brief: Click Content Brief. If you don’t have one, create a new brief for the keyword; otherwise load an existing brief.
Import Baseline Content (Optional): If you have an existing article, use Import From URL to pull the content into the Brief. Paste the URL and confirm import.
Review Competitor Sources: In the Topic/Source panel, include the top competing pages and deselect low-relevance sources.
Assess Top Topics: Open Top Topics to see recommended topics and check the Topic Gap to identify missing ideas.
Review Headers And Terms: Open Headers to see commonly used subhead terms. Click terms to preview usage by competitors and remove irrelevant ones.
Assemble Outline: From the topics and headers, drag and drop or write in the outline structure. Create sections and subsections reflecting the key topics.
Refine And Finalize Outline: Adjust order, balance section length, and ensure coverage of core topics and supporting subtopics.
Save, Export, And Prepare For Writing: Save the Content Brief, export or copy the outline into your WordPress editor to begin drafting the full article.

Tool details

Quick Comparison

Tool	Free Plan?	Min Price
Jasper	No	From $59 / month
Frase.io	No	From $38 / month

Which tool should you choose?

Jasper

Jasper paired with Surfer SEO delivers a streamlined, end-to-end outline-to-content workflow. It speeds keyword-driven outline generation, auto-suggests SEO-friendly headings, and exports-ready content scaffolds. With seamless integration and live optimization metrics, you move quickly from topic discovery to structured outlines, reducing guesswork and ramping up writer productivity.

Frase.io

Phrase accelerates outline creation with built-in Content Briefs, topic scoring, and competitor-based topic gaps. Its template-driven workflow makes SEO outline generation fast, repeatable, and consistent, far surpassing manual research. You can generate a complete outline in minutes and start writing with a solid structure.