Content Writing Checklist: Before You Hit Publish

Content writing is a creative arc, unless you’re into writing instruction manuals or technical copies. When writers create content, they unleash their literary potential without delving into the editing aspect of it.

However, without following a proper content writing checklist, unedited SEO writing holds little value as far as digital marketing is concerned.

If you are writing your blog, arbitrary documentation may make sense. However, people read marketing content expecting credible E-E-T-A and some key takeaways.

So, refrain from writing cluttered, disjointed content and make your SEO writing seamless with this checklist.

Check out this content writing checklist. 

Is Content Editing Done The Right Way?

A basic ideology about content editing is that it concerns spelling and grammar checks only. It was true in the days of Word Processors. Brace writers now, for we have Grammarly today! There’s also Google Docs and a plethora of other tools to make the lives of content writers easier.

A thought that frequently crosses the minds of writers. Grammarly, Docs, and other tools are programmed to suggest corrections and tonality checks in real-time.

As I said before, writers are engrossed in the flow of work. Their goal is to make content meaningful, relevant, and helpful for readers and search engines.

Caught in the crux of these vital parameters, you may miss things like tonality check, voice check, and more. But- does that mean you don’t need any post-Grammarly editor?

If you are living with the POV, you need to upgrade your content tactics NOW! Our content writing checklist can help.

The main post-Grammarly checks are: 

So far, for basic SEO checks. But all writers must follow a detailed internal process to edit articles professionally. Here’s a comprehensive guide for the three usual content formats:

1. Copy Editing

While writing copies, crisp editing is indispensable. It’s the main element we’d emphasize in our content writing checklist. Before going into finer details like SEO and infographics, ensure that your content is appropriate. Start by analyzing the content structure. 

Analyzing Content Structure? You Need These Hacks 

The basics of structuring are: 

While writing, many authors don’t keep reading their work. Amend such practices if you want to start a successful blog. While reading your work, think whether there is an inherent flow of logic and sequence throughout your work.

Time To Put Grammarly To Use! 

Put your text through Grammarly check once you are done. Now you can embed a Grammarly link to your Doc file. Use the same tool to check writing mistakes and suggestions in real time. Often, writers argue that Grammarly isn’t perfect.

However, it is advisable to check all vital components of text, like comma placement, confusing words, spelling errors, and the real ingredient “style”.

Source: Grammarly 

Fact-checking Can Also Help! 

Fact-checking may not be a common norm for all articles written in this field. However, news pieces and marketing copies must ensure a genuine fact check is done, once the writer piles up!

So, what’s a good fact-checking technique?

I usually follow the method of asking myself, “How do you know this?” after each statement. I recommend the same for readers going through this content writing checklist.

But what should you check? Start with “numbers”. Also, check the exactness and authenticity of quotes and percentages used throughout the text.

SEO experts also request that writers verify the source links used throughout the text. Broken, dead, or open links may reduce the acceptability of your work, irrespective of the quality of the article.

Source: FactcheckerHub

This is one of the free fact-checker tools you can use. However, there are several others. Choose a genuine tool and never miss fact-checking for any of your articles. Wait, there’s more.

A good way to find genuine citations for the unsourced statements is the “Research Tooolbar” in Google Docs. It allows you to open a lite version of the Google search page on the right-hand side of your page.

Use the same method to search for how to include keywords and scan sources to substantiate your facts and opinions.

Remove Fillers, Emphasize Active Voice, And Use Commas Effectively!

Fillers are simply words you type when you are nervous or indecisive. A content writing checklist comes with a statutory checklist for content writing.

Some common fillers in clumsy copies are “However, regardless, perhaps, possibly, well, etc”. Devise a plan to eliminate most or all passive voices in your text as well. 

The Daily Post came up with a decent hack to spot passive sentences.

Just Look At These Things:

• A version of the verb “to be” 

• Or, a past participle

For example,

An active sentence is “Russia hosted the event this year.” The same, in passive, would be - “The event was hosted by Russia this year.” 

Lastly, let commas control your text flow. Expecting the writer to breathe every sentence and put commas in the necessary positions is an exaggeration.

That’s where Grammarly comes in. Its in-built tone checker suggests the addition or deletion of commas to make your article crisp and pleasing to the readers.

2. SEO Editing

People may defer, but on-page SEO is a much easier way of editing. It is as simple as writing your article with a Focus Keyword in mind. By doing that, you're targeting the whole article unanimously.

Keyword Placing- The Hero Instrument Of Your Article 

The search engines emphasize placing keywords early in your titles. Moreover, your meta descriptions should also clearly include the keyword.

However, there is no cardinal rule. According to the observation of SEO experts, most ranking articles on the same theme have keywords at the beginning of their headings.

For example, consider the keyword “Digital screening of employees”.

Illustrative Content Is A Turn On 

Don’t bore readers with tedious, long paragraphs. Use multimedia to keep them hooked. Multimedia increases the average time readers spend on your website or webpage. It is a massive signal sent to Google, indicating that people find the post engaging.

A simple 2-minute YouTube video embedded in your text can improve your “time on page.” Media also inserts natural page breaks so that Google can scan your page content easily.

80% of Readers Read Headlines Only. So, that’s a key factor on which user experience depends. It’s not me. Mammoths like Neil Patel, Moz, and others are making this statement.

Source: Bdow.com 

Enough facts to reinstate that you need to work up your headings. But the question is -

Keep the TITLE TAG in your Heading 1. After that, the subsequent headings should be in H2 and H3s. A thumb rule in helpful SEO content writing is that you can never have an H2 without an H1. Or an H3 without H2, for that matter.

Source: Medium 

Is Your Content Keyword Stuffed?

Gone are the days when stashing the focus keyword throughout the text meant something. Ideally, the popular SEO agencies say that your main keyword should flash 2 to 3 times in an average article of 800 to 1000 words. However, keyword placement is of grave importance. You must use it once every 150 words.

The other things that Google takes into consideration are outbound links.

Your Outbound Linking Strategy Should be……. 

Writers already know that outbound links refer to further reading sources. Why are these links placed in the text?

Most importantly, outbound links improve the page authority, as outbound linking tells Google that the content is authentically sourced. Brian Dean came forward with a more specific guideline.

He recommends using outbound links 2 to 4 times in every 1000 words. According to him, it sends a positive message to Google.

The next time you write, try using this trick. If you are writing a well sources article, no need to worry about linking.

Stressing outbound links doesn’t imply that internal linking is out of trend. It is also equally significant. The link juice connects your pages, themes to themes and topic to topic.

When you obtain backlinks to any page with sufficient internal links, the authority is transferred to the pages to which you link internally.

3. Optimise Visuals 

Including visuals increases readers' interest by 80%. However, plain stock images do no good to your content.

I guess that’s not how you want your readers to react to seeing your images. So, what’s a smarter alternative?

I prefer adding graphics, screenshots, and authentic infographics. Also, ensure that your text aligns with what your image conveys.

The fit of your image also matters. Check the column width of the blog. For example, Process Street has a column width of 800 pixels.

Once you have done everything right, try using a variable visual stimulus. You can balance between GIFs, Videos, infographics, screenshots, and more.

You Can’t Edit A Bad Post Into Hero Content

After all, that’s true. You must have a great taste for linguistics, vocabulary, and writing styles. At the same time, great SEO writers have a strong analytical sense.

Run this content writing checklist and tell me how your content turned out!