Ready to learn the ins and outs of the content editing process? We’ll walk you through:
Content editing, also known as developmental editing, reviews content for flow, readability, and ease of understanding.
It’s at this stage in the process that you edit to lift content to a publishable standard. This includes things like making sure it reflects your brand voice and is factually correct. It also involves doing on-page search engine optimization (SEO).
Content editing is one of several types of editing. Others include:
Out of these types, content and copy editing are likely the most often confused. Many use the terms interchangeably, not realizing the differences between them.
Content editing involves scrutinizing the overall organization, flow, and cohesiveness of a draft. Among other things, this can mean suggesting the addition of missing but important information. The opposite could also be true and involve removing unnecessary inclusions.
In contrast, copy editing corrects technical mistakes such as grammar errors. It also often includes correcting inconsistencies in information and adjusting formatting as needed.
Copy editing also involves fine-tuning language and tone for your target audience based on regional differences. For example, it ensures that an entire draft is written in British English or American English depending on the audience. And it may also correct word choices accordingly. For instance, the word “cuppa” resonates more with a British audience than an American one.
Finally, copy editing ensures the content follows your style guide. For example, using the em dash without spacing on either side. Again, this helps create consistent content.
Put simply, copy editing puts the technical aspect of content under a microscope to catch errors and inconsistencies. Whereas content editing sees the big picture with the goal of improving a draft’s flow and readability.
Now, back to content editing specifically. It’s an essential part of the editing process. After all, it ensures that content is on-brand, easy to follow, and optimized for readers and search engines. Ultimately, it:
“Content editing is an essential part of the editing process. It ensures that content is on-brand, easy to follow, and optimized for readers and search engines.”
To produce the benefits above, there are several skills a content editor must have. We chose eight of the most common. Then, we asked a group of 40+ content editors and the people who hire them to rank their value.
From most to least important, here are the top skills for successful content editing:
Curious about the experts’ reasoning for these responses? Here are some of their insights on why the skills mentioned are so valuable. And on what underrated skills are useful and why.
Written communication. Lucia Tang, Head of Content at Keeper Tax says:
“It means articulating the principles behind your edits, so your writers don't have to do all the work of inductive reasoning by themselves. With this sort of feedback, every round of edits does more than just enhance the deliverable—it develops the writer.”
Creative thinking. “Just about anyone can be taught to proofread, make edits here or there, and use a CMS,” remarks Brooks Manley, Owner of Brooks Manley Marketing. “But the best content editors can approach an article from the audience's perspective, evaluate whether or not it's going to achieve its goal, and provide creative solutions to make it a truly valuable piece. This kind of content editing is what sets apart average content from 10x content.”
Verbal communication. “This may seem counterintuitive since their work is done via writing,” admits Logan Mallory, VP of Marketing at Motivosity. “But a copy editor needs to be able to speak with clients, give feedback, as well as review and go over edits with clients. Good verbal communication can help the editing process move forward more efficiently for everyone involved.”
Ability to adapt content for different audiences. Mark Whitman, CEO and Founder of Contentellect shares: “One undervalued skill we look for is the ability to translate complex content into more understandable and accessible insight. Expert writers often use terminology that is highly specialized. Good editors are able to adapt articles for a wider readership without watering down the depth.”
And language isn’t the only consideration when it comes to audience. Robert Beames, Head Content Editor at Flying Cat Marketing says: “The best content editors have a clear understanding of where the reader is in the buyer journey and their pain points.”
Problem-solving. “A content editor's job is to solve content-related problems,” says Nina Pączka of Resume Now. “Sentences that are too long, or have incomprehensible wording, poor grammar, and awkward formatting are just some elements an editor has to pay attention to.
However, the real work begins after catching all the obvious errors. The editor's task is to propose the best possible corrections so that the material fits the target audience. This task is often challenging and requires looking for creative stylistic, linguistic, or grammatical solutions.”
As you can see, much skill and intention are necessary to be a successful content editor. But there’s more. Prioritization frameworks can also contribute to an editor’s success.
The question now is: how do experts prioritize editing content?
Here’s a summary of the content editing prioritization framework that two experts follow.
Billy’s editing prioritization framework: Review flow, subheadings, grammar, and headline
Billy Chan, Editor-in-Chief at DroneLast, prioritizes checking the following as part of the content editing process:
Susan’s editing prioritization framework: Grammar check, review 4Ws and 1H, fish for the hook, fact check, and prune
Next, Susan Melony, the Editor-in-Chief of Product Diggers, explains a 5-step content editing framework as a content editor. You’ll find it shared word for word below:
Susan concludes, “Re-read the piece two to three times, and you’re done.”
Now that you’ve seen how some expert editors go about their work, let's define your process. First things first, carve out enough time in your content workflow for editing. You can’t afford to gloss over it.
Once you’ve done that, follow these steps for a well-oiled content editing process:
Read content from start to end before you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. If you jump into editing right away, you’re more likely to make bad edits that aren’t informed by what’s covered later in the content. Read first to figure out what you’re working with, and edit second.
Ask yourself:
Starting drafts with an outline doesn’t mean you can skip this step during the editing stage. However, a thoughtful outline can reduce the need for revisions to content structure.
Check sentence structure (syntax) and voice. Active voice sentences are clearer, more direct, and less wordy than sentences written in passive voice. They improve both readability and comprehension.
Start fact-checking in this step. Make sure your data and information are both credible and fresh. If the content features insights from relevant professionals, double-check that they’re authorities on your topic.
Check keyword density (the number of times the main keyword is used), as well as where keywords and how they’re used. They should fit into the content naturally.
Add internal links to relevant content. Make sure any external links go to high-authority sites. While you’re at it, review anchor texts for both types of links to make sure they’re descriptive.
For all the images and screenshots in the draft, add or review alt text and captions to make the content accessible. This is an essential but often forgotten aspect of SEO.
There’s a lot of work you can do to improve readability. For example:
💡 Pro tip: Add Hemingway Editor to your editing tools stash. It gives content a readability score and helps you improve it by highlighting passive voice, hard-to-read sentences, and more.
The headline is key for persuading readers to consume your content.
Ideally, ask writers to share a few headline variations so you can pick the most compelling one. Or, get to work yourself and write down at least 25 headlines using these headline formulas to get to the best one.
Also, review the introduction. Does it push readers to continue reading without being needlessly wordy? Does it convey the gist of the piece, accurately summarizing what readers can expect from the content?
Now, analyze the content for its tone of voice. If necessary, make adjustments to align it better with your brand. This includes scrutinizing word choice.
This shouldn’t take long if you’ve provided brand voice guidelines to your writers.
If there are significant changes to be made by the writer, provide feedback and suggestions at this point.
If you only had to make small changes—for example, changing the headline formatting from title case to your standard sentence case—leave a comment informing the writer. This way, they can make a note and avoid repeating the same mistake in future drafts.
💡 Learn more: How to provide feedback on content
Now pass on the draft to the copy editor so they can catch typos and grammar errors, and make other technical improvements. Or, if you don’t have a copy editor on your team, take care of it yourself.
Review any edits the writer makes and finalize the changes. Then, proofread to ensure no errors have snuck in and that you’ve checked off everything on your editing checklist.
💡 Remember: Creating quality content isn’t a content writer’s job alone. Professional editing can improve each piece of content, helping it rank and offer better value to readers.
What are you waiting for? Try GatherContent for free to improve your content editing process today.
Ready to learn the ins and outs of the content editing process? We’ll walk you through:
Content editing, also known as developmental editing, reviews content for flow, readability, and ease of understanding.
It’s at this stage in the process that you edit to lift content to a publishable standard. This includes things like making sure it reflects your brand voice and is factually correct. It also involves doing on-page search engine optimization (SEO).
Content editing is one of several types of editing. Others include:
Out of these types, content and copy editing are likely the most often confused. Many use the terms interchangeably, not realizing the differences between them.
Content editing involves scrutinizing the overall organization, flow, and cohesiveness of a draft. Among other things, this can mean suggesting the addition of missing but important information. The opposite could also be true and involve removing unnecessary inclusions.
In contrast, copy editing corrects technical mistakes such as grammar errors. It also often includes correcting inconsistencies in information and adjusting formatting as needed.
Copy editing also involves fine-tuning language and tone for your target audience based on regional differences. For example, it ensures that an entire draft is written in British English or American English depending on the audience. And it may also correct word choices accordingly. For instance, the word “cuppa” resonates more with a British audience than an American one.
Finally, copy editing ensures the content follows your style guide. For example, using the em dash without spacing on either side. Again, this helps create consistent content.
Put simply, copy editing puts the technical aspect of content under a microscope to catch errors and inconsistencies. Whereas content editing sees the big picture with the goal of improving a draft’s flow and readability.
Now, back to content editing specifically. It’s an essential part of the editing process. After all, it ensures that content is on-brand, easy to follow, and optimized for readers and search engines. Ultimately, it:
“Content editing is an essential part of the editing process. It ensures that content is on-brand, easy to follow, and optimized for readers and search engines.”
To produce the benefits above, there are several skills a content editor must have. We chose eight of the most common. Then, we asked a group of 40+ content editors and the people who hire them to rank their value.
From most to least important, here are the top skills for successful content editing:
Curious about the experts’ reasoning for these responses? Here are some of their insights on why the skills mentioned are so valuable. And on what underrated skills are useful and why.
Written communication. Lucia Tang, Head of Content at Keeper Tax says:
“It means articulating the principles behind your edits, so your writers don't have to do all the work of inductive reasoning by themselves. With this sort of feedback, every round of edits does more than just enhance the deliverable—it develops the writer.”
Creative thinking. “Just about anyone can be taught to proofread, make edits here or there, and use a CMS,” remarks Brooks Manley, Owner of Brooks Manley Marketing. “But the best content editors can approach an article from the audience's perspective, evaluate whether or not it's going to achieve its goal, and provide creative solutions to make it a truly valuable piece. This kind of content editing is what sets apart average content from 10x content.”
Verbal communication. “This may seem counterintuitive since their work is done via writing,” admits Logan Mallory, VP of Marketing at Motivosity. “But a copy editor needs to be able to speak with clients, give feedback, as well as review and go over edits with clients. Good verbal communication can help the editing process move forward more efficiently for everyone involved.”
Ability to adapt content for different audiences. Mark Whitman, CEO and Founder of Contentellect shares: “One undervalued skill we look for is the ability to translate complex content into more understandable and accessible insight. Expert writers often use terminology that is highly specialized. Good editors are able to adapt articles for a wider readership without watering down the depth.”
And language isn’t the only consideration when it comes to audience. Robert Beames, Head Content Editor at Flying Cat Marketing says: “The best content editors have a clear understanding of where the reader is in the buyer journey and their pain points.”
Problem-solving. “A content editor's job is to solve content-related problems,” says Nina Pączka of Resume Now. “Sentences that are too long, or have incomprehensible wording, poor grammar, and awkward formatting are just some elements an editor has to pay attention to.
However, the real work begins after catching all the obvious errors. The editor's task is to propose the best possible corrections so that the material fits the target audience. This task is often challenging and requires looking for creative stylistic, linguistic, or grammatical solutions.”
As you can see, much skill and intention are necessary to be a successful content editor. But there’s more. Prioritization frameworks can also contribute to an editor’s success.
The question now is: how do experts prioritize editing content?
Here’s a summary of the content editing prioritization framework that two experts follow.
Billy’s editing prioritization framework: Review flow, subheadings, grammar, and headline
Billy Chan, Editor-in-Chief at DroneLast, prioritizes checking the following as part of the content editing process:
Susan’s editing prioritization framework: Grammar check, review 4Ws and 1H, fish for the hook, fact check, and prune
Next, Susan Melony, the Editor-in-Chief of Product Diggers, explains a 5-step content editing framework as a content editor. You’ll find it shared word for word below:
Susan concludes, “Re-read the piece two to three times, and you’re done.”
Now that you’ve seen how some expert editors go about their work, let's define your process. First things first, carve out enough time in your content workflow for editing. You can’t afford to gloss over it.
Once you’ve done that, follow these steps for a well-oiled content editing process:
Read content from start to end before you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard. If you jump into editing right away, you’re more likely to make bad edits that aren’t informed by what’s covered later in the content. Read first to figure out what you’re working with, and edit second.
Ask yourself:
Starting drafts with an outline doesn’t mean you can skip this step during the editing stage. However, a thoughtful outline can reduce the need for revisions to content structure.
Check sentence structure (syntax) and voice. Active voice sentences are clearer, more direct, and less wordy than sentences written in passive voice. They improve both readability and comprehension.
Start fact-checking in this step. Make sure your data and information are both credible and fresh. If the content features insights from relevant professionals, double-check that they’re authorities on your topic.
Check keyword density (the number of times the main keyword is used), as well as where keywords and how they’re used. They should fit into the content naturally.
Add internal links to relevant content. Make sure any external links go to high-authority sites. While you’re at it, review anchor texts for both types of links to make sure they’re descriptive.
For all the images and screenshots in the draft, add or review alt text and captions to make the content accessible. This is an essential but often forgotten aspect of SEO.
There’s a lot of work you can do to improve readability. For example:
💡 Pro tip: Add Hemingway Editor to your editing tools stash. It gives content a readability score and helps you improve it by highlighting passive voice, hard-to-read sentences, and more.
The headline is key for persuading readers to consume your content.
Ideally, ask writers to share a few headline variations so you can pick the most compelling one. Or, get to work yourself and write down at least 25 headlines using these headline formulas to get to the best one.
Also, review the introduction. Does it push readers to continue reading without being needlessly wordy? Does it convey the gist of the piece, accurately summarizing what readers can expect from the content?
Now, analyze the content for its tone of voice. If necessary, make adjustments to align it better with your brand. This includes scrutinizing word choice.
This shouldn’t take long if you’ve provided brand voice guidelines to your writers.
If there are significant changes to be made by the writer, provide feedback and suggestions at this point.
If you only had to make small changes—for example, changing the headline formatting from title case to your standard sentence case—leave a comment informing the writer. This way, they can make a note and avoid repeating the same mistake in future drafts.
💡 Learn more: How to provide feedback on content
Now pass on the draft to the copy editor so they can catch typos and grammar errors, and make other technical improvements. Or, if you don’t have a copy editor on your team, take care of it yourself.
Review any edits the writer makes and finalize the changes. Then, proofread to ensure no errors have snuck in and that you’ve checked off everything on your editing checklist.
💡 Remember: Creating quality content isn’t a content writer’s job alone. Professional editing can improve each piece of content, helping it rank and offer better value to readers.
What are you waiting for? Try GatherContent for free to improve your content editing process today.