The amount of content available online is higher than ever – for instance, over 7.5 million blog posts are published daily! A content editor plays an essential role in publishing and marketing blog posts, articles, website copy, and much more. In this post, we’ll take you through what a content editor does and how their work fits into the overall writing process.
What Is Content Editing?
Most businesses, especially ecommerce ones, rely heavily on content to bring in potential customers and boost brand awareness. Many content editors, both in-house and freelance, work closely with businesses to review and revise content of all kinds and prepare it for publication. Editing, which can involve major organizational or structural changes, typically occurs before proofreading. And although a substantial amount of content editing occurs after the first draft is complete, content editors can also work with writers during the developmental and conceptual stages of content production. They may even collaborate with writers (and other content creators) throughout multiple stages of a project.
What Does a Content Editor Do?
Depending on the client/company a content editor works for, their range of specific duties will vary. However, most content editors typically have the following tasks and responsibilities.
Ensure That Content Is Clear and Focused
One of the primary responsibilities of content editors is to ensure that writing is clear, concise, and appropriate for the target audience. They may have to do things such as eliminating repetition, cutting extraneous information, and editing the vocabulary and sentence structure to appeal to the intended reader. Different pieces of content will have different objectives – such as to inform, to entertain, or to persuade someone to do something – and part of a content writer’s job is to ensure the content meets those goals.
Adhere to Brand Voice Guidelines
If an editor is working with a business, they may have to edit content to reflect that business’s specific brand voice or “personality.” Doing this involves rewriting and rephrasing content to match those guidelines – even down to the punctuation used (e.g., exclamation points). Depending on the company and the customer base, the brand voice could be funny, serious, academic, or authoritative, and it typically applies to all forms of content, from social media to product descriptions.
Follow a Style Guide
Most content editors refer to a style guide for spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar guidelines. The style guide could be general, such as AP style, or one developed for a specific company. Following style guidelines ensures consistency across all published content, something that is especially helpful for content editors who review and manage material from several writers or departments within an organization.
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Verify Claims and Fact-Check
Publishing false or misleading information could damage a business’s brand, so many content editors will check facts, data, statistics, and claims. They’ll also typically review content prior to publication to ensure that all facts and information are up-to-date.
Implement SEO Techniques
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) helps businesses boost their ranking on search engine results pages, potentially helping to increase sales or meet other marketing objectives. A content editor may be responsible for implementing specific SEO techniques, such as adding keywords or optimizing the content for specific search intent. Doing this often involves working closely and collaborating with marketers and SEO experts.
Adapt Content for Various Platforms
Most businesses with an online presence need their content edited to fit various platforms, such as websites and those used in mobile devices. An example of this is editing the content to be suitable for skim reading, such as by adding headings and subheadings or breaking up blocks of text.
Expert Editing Services
If you’re looking for first-rate content editing, Proofed’s editing services can help. Our experienced editors from around the world can act as your own expert content editing team. Send in your free sample of 500 words or less today!