Agency Content Calendar Template (free, complete)

1 Monthly planning 2 Weekly rhythm 3 Per-piece checklist 4 Monthly review

Monthly planning (last week of prior month)

4 tasks · phase 1 of 4

Pick topics from the keyword map + seasonal opportunities
One brief per piece: target keyword, intent, outline, internal links
Assign writers and editors with due dates
Balance the mix: money pages, informational, refreshes

Weekly rhythm

3 tasks · phase 2 of 4

Mon: briefs for next week finalized
Tue–Thu: drafting; editor reviews within 24h of submission
Fri: publish + interlink from older content; queue social

Per-piece checklist

5 tasks · phase 3 of 4

Matches the brief's keyword + intent (not just mentions it)
Title & meta pixel-checked; H2/H3 structure scannable
At least 3 internal links in, 2 out to related pages
Schema where it fits (FAQ, HowTo, Article)
Image alt text + compression

Monthly review

3 tasks · phase 4 of 4

Clicks per published piece (Search Console) after 28 days
Refresh list updated: what's decaying, what's almost ranking
Kill or merge pieces that never found an audience

Make it run itself

A template on a page is a start. A template that assigns itself is a system.

Copy this into any tool you like — it's yours. But the failure mode of every checklist is the same: it lives in a doc nobody opens on the day the work happens. In PeakKR this template is a phased project: phases unlock in order, each task lands on a real person with a due date, and your client watches the phases complete on their own hub link instead of emailing "where are we?"

Create a project from the template — the phases and tasks above appear on the board, in order.
Assign the phase owners once. New tasks default to the project's PM; recurring ones respawn on schedule.
Share the client hub link. Progress, wins and reports at the same URL all engagement — no status meetings required.

FAQ

Using this template well

How many pieces per month should a client get?

Whatever the retainer can produce at full quality — two excellent pieces beat six rushed ones on every metric that matters. The calendar's mix rule matters more than the count: money pages and refreshes deserve slots, not just new blog posts.

What goes in a content brief?

Target keyword and intent, the working title, an outline with the H2s, entities and questions to cover, the internal links in and out, and the conversion the piece serves. A brief that fits on one screen and answers "what does done look like?" — the per-piece checklist in this template is the acceptance test.

When should content be refreshed instead of written new?

When a piece ranks 5–15 for a keyword worth having, or its clicks have decayed two quarters straight. The monthly review stage exists precisely to catch these — a refresh that moves position 8 to 3 usually out-earns a brand-new post by months.