A Good Content Editor: The Importance

If I had to choose one area of content that I’ve never been particularly fond of – it would be proofreading and content editing. Don’t get me wrong – I love to help team members improve their content and work, but after 500 times of correcting grammar mistakes such as, ‘they’re’, ‘their’ and ‘there’, restructuring sentences so that they’re sensical, and ensuring content answers the clients’ briefs, I can safely say, that without a doubt, that I’m very glad we have recently hired the lovely Danielle – our new Content Editor. No more will I have to sit there scratching my head thinking, ‘What on earth is the writer trying to say?’, or have to jump on urgent proofreading tasks when I’m already super busy. Because content editing and proofreading is important for so many reasons, I thought it would be great to write a blog on just that topic. But first, some sage advice from Danielle herself…

‘’Editing is key to content writing. For any work being readied for publication, be it online or in print, an editor checks that the author’s work is of value, is engaging, and that the overall message is clear (not to mention grammatically sound!). Ultimately, a good editor will work with an author to enhance their work as regards both style and sense.’’ – Danielle James

How The Embryo Content Team Has Helped The Editing Process

To ensure that work doesn’t lose SEO value, tone or client-specific details, the whole content team worked on a huge document that detailed the following for each client, for the benefit of Danielle (and all current, and future, content team members):

• Client Name.
• General Information.
• What Is Their Main Goal?
• Tone Of Voice.
• Main Keywords.
• Who To Send Content To.
• Uploading Details.
• Shared Drive.
• Example Work.
• Upcoming Work Planned.

 

This is a working document that will be updated each month.

We also showed Danielle our current method of proofreading, whereby we leave suggestions and comments to help the writer learn from their mistakes, and hopefully not make them again. Part of Danielle’s role will be to sit down with anyone making frequent errors, and work with them on a more personal level. We really do care about the quality of work at Embryo, not just so that we provide a premium service, but so that all team members develop professionally too. Danielle will also be working on our very own, ‘Embryo Grammar Standards’, and provide grammar training sessions to upskill all team members. We’re all very much looking forward to that.

Lastly, we’ve set up an automation process that ensures that as soon as work has been written, and is ready to be proofread, Danielle gets notified about this via email. She’ll never have to chase tasks in her schedule, and all of the information required to proofread and edit work will feature in the emails and tasks too. It’s been working very well so far, and we all appreciate Danielle’s grammar expertise, and how she is improving work across the board – from reports and content pieces, all the way through to press releases and communication.

How A Content Editor Can Help Your Business

There are lots of great ways in which a Content Editor can transform your company’s content, and output, and ensure consistency in quality. These ways include:

Catching Mistakes

From last minute deadlines to changes in strategy, so much can change within the content world, and mistakes can occur accidentally. From stating an article has 10 tips to help with X, but then only featuring 7, through to mixing up words such as, ‘discrete’ and ‘discreet’ – even the most conscientious writer can make errors. A content editor can provide that extra layer of protection to ensure that deadlines are still met, to the highest standard. Strong editors have a good eye for detail, ensuring that only the best writing is put out there too.

They’re Objective

It can be easy for content writers to get attached to clients, and their work, so much so that even though a sentence or paragraph may make sense to them, it may be lacking in logic to others. An editor can help find that logic, and delve deeper by liaising with the writer to expand on the content written. They can help the writer to think along different lines, so that the topic is as detailed, informative and as useful as possible. A content editor can also be honest about the quality and standard of work, providing valuable learning experiences for the author. 

They Should Have SEO Knowledge

It’s not just grammar errors that a good content editor should pick up on. It’s SEO errors such as keyword stuffing, no internal or external links, bad link quality and poor use of headers, along with lack of call to actions and location-based information. A good editor will pick up on all of this, and improve the quality of content for visibility in the SERPs, ranking positions, and traffic to the website in which the content features.

Editing Content Builds Trust & Reputation

Knowing that your content has been gone through with a fine-tooth comb ensures that you’re providing well-written work to clients, reducing the likelihood of amends, and showing clients the high standard of work your business is capable of. The more often you provide such high quality content, the greater the trust your clients will have in your business, and the talents of your staff, and the better your reputation will be too. This can only equate to strong reviews, great word-of-mouth, and ultimately – more business. 

I’m very grateful to have Danielle join the content team, and I know that the whole of Embryo is too. She’ll undoubtedly enhance the quality of work across all departments, and be a very valued resource for ideas and inspiration. Should you be in need of great content, superb PR or our SEO services – among other digital marketing services – please don’t hesitate to get in touch with Embryo today on 0161 327 2635.