Content Editor Overview: Job Description, Why You Need One, and What To Look For
You have a great piece of content for your website (at least you think so). Your SEO buddy suggests you hire a content editor.
But you wonder, “Do I really need an online content editor?”
We now live in an online world full of content writers. Businesses know that it’s important to have quality content to compete with competitors.
So, how do you stand out from the crowd? How do you outperform the competition?
You can hire a content editor–a good content editor.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through just exactly what a content editor is, what to look for in a content editor, and what hiring one can do for you and your business.
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Contents
What Is A Content Editor?
When you’re looking to raise the bar on your content, especially your SEO content, you’ll want to bring on a content editor.
How are content editor jobs different from those of content writers?
Your web search “what is content editor job” didn’t get you very far, but we’ll break it down for you.
Let’s take a look at what content editing is, and what a content editor does.
What Does Content Editing Mean?
Content editing is the next step after writing a piece of content. A good content editor anticipates the needs of the reader.
Not only should a content editor edit for grammar and other proofreading concerns, but they should also consider the readability and message of the content.
Does it add value to the reader?
A content editor is typically responsible for:
- editing
- updating
- proofreading
- polishing
Here at PSG, we are serious about content writing and we value our content editors as much as our copywriters.
If you think that you need help with either, we’d love to work with you. We know SEO, and our experts make Google stop and notice businesses like yours.
What Does An SEO Content Editor Do (The 3 R’s)?
If you’re not new to SEO, you know there are several steps involved to make sure that it’s optimized.
You’ve already worked behind the scenes to find the right keywords. You understand who the intended audience is. And you’ve written (or had your copywriter write) a great piece of content.
You want to:
- Reach the masses
- Present quality work
- Outperform the competition
If you don’t have a web content editor, you’re missing a crucial piece in your SEO content toolbox.
An SEO content editor will take things a step further to:
- Analyze the keywords used
- Look at sentence length (variety is best)
- Correct spacing
- Add bolds and italics
- Optimize the title structure
- And even more to optimize for SEO
To boil it down – they make it more appealing to search engines like Google.
Content Editor- R #1: Review
Your multi-talented content editor will first stand back and take a “bird’s eye” approach to your piece to review the content as a whole.
They might look at things like:
- Word count (how it compares to competitors)
- Keywords and secondary keywords used
- External links used
- Internal links used
- Images or video content choices
- Sentence spacing throughout
- Readability
- Font, bolding, italics, dash, em/en dashes, etc…
Content Editor- R #2: Revise
After reviewing your content, your content editor gets to work on the editing basics–proofreading.
They’ll check your content for any errors in:
- Spelling
- Grammar
- Punctuation
- Sentence structure
Your content editor may even rework sentences and sections throughout the content to make sure that it flows well and is ready to stand up to the competition on Google.
A resourceful content editor will even get assistance from resources such as:
- Grammarly
- Hemingway Editor
- Stack Edit
- Word Counter
- Power Thesaurus
Content Editor- R #3: Research
Professional content editors won’t stop there.
To fully optimize for SEO and Google, there’s one more very important step.
Google knows all. Seriously. It knows.
Your content needs to be current, accurate, and your own.
One of the tools that our superhero content editors use is Duplichecker.
Duplichecker is a free site that works to ensure your content is void of any plagiarism.
Google wants content that is fresh and unique.
In addition, your content editor should check sources, stats, and other information throughout the content for current and accurate information.
Think: fact-checking.
3 Qualities You Should Look For In A Content Editor
By now you might be strongly considering your need for a qualified content editor.
You understand that it’s a full position and that a candidate will need to have a specialized skill-set to offer you the very best finished product that will have Google quickly raising you to the top of the heap.
Let’s take a look at a few of the qualities that you’ll want in your new content editor.
Content Editor Quality #1: Writing Skills
Quality over quantity.
We’ve all heard this saying, but what does it mean for your content?
While you want to beat the competition on Google, it’s not just about the right keywords and having no grammar issues.
Proofreading skills are important.
They should be correcting simple mistakes like:
- Spelling errors
- Subject/verb agreement issues
- Comma splices
- And other grammar issues…
But if they are simply plugging your content into Grammarly and correcting the basic issues, it’s not enough for your SEO content to be optimized for Google.
Your content editor will need to be able to recognize other content issues AND make the corrections. They should be able to read and optimize the content as needed to make it ready for Google to take notice.
Content Editor Quality #2: Attention To Detail
“It’s attention to detail that makes the difference between average and stunning.”
Francis Atterbury wasn’t discussing content writing when he was busy being a Jacobite, writing letters, and serving as a bishop, but he was onto something.
In the online world of SEO content writing, it’s attention to the details that causes you to stand out. It makes you above average and well, stunning.
You want to outshine your competitors.
The right content editor knows this and it will be evident in the final content.
Some things that a content editor might focus in on are:
- A compelling intro that is clear and concise
- If the reader can easily skim the content
- The value added to the reader
- If it will cause the reader to take action
- Is it fully optimized for search engines
Content Editor Quality #3: SEO Knowledge
Your content editor needs to know SEO inside and out.
Being able to edit and finalize a fully optimized piece of content that blows your competitors out of the water goes well beyond knowing what SEO is.
Instead of spending days searching for a content editor (or trying to do it yourself), Portland SEO Growth can help. PSG services businesses across the United States. Click here to learn more about how we can help you.
Why Do You Need A Content Editor (5 Benefits)?
You know your business. Who could polish better content than you?
Short answer: a professional content editor.
You might know your industry, but a content editor knows their industry. They know what it takes to take your content from good (or even great) to the top of Google’s Who’s Who list.
A great content editor is comfortable working in any kind of environment and business.
They become your voice, speaking from you–to Google–to your targeted audience.
Want to climb up the Google ranks? Then you need a content editor.
Benefit #1 Of Having A Content Editor On Your Team: Multitasking Ninjas
Sure, you can’t have content to edit without copywriters. We get that they’re important–very important. We love, adore, and lavish on our writers.
But, the buck can’t stop there. Writers write, but editors bring an entire arsenal of tools with them. They make good writers even better.
An ear for language and an eye for structure…
Your content editor will present you with a strategic and optimized piece of content that will make heads turn.
Your copywriter will comment, “Man, that’s good. Did I write that?”
Benefit #2 Of Having A Content Editor On Your Team: Fresh Set Of Eyes
When you’re reading through your own work, it’s often difficult to catch every little mistake. It’s also hard to be critical.
You’re not a bad editor. It’s just how it is. A professional editor will miss mistakes in their own work.
You need a fresh set of eyes on the content. The eyes of a trained content editor will greatly improve your content.
Benefit #3 Of Having A Content Editor On Your Team: They Know SEO
If you’re writing content with the goal of ranking on search engines like Google, then you’re not new to Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Your copywriter is writing with the intent to optimize for SEO.
For a content editor, this is the MAIN goal. The content is written. Now, let’s make it better. Let’s make it for the audience and for Google.
They’re trained in “Google speak” and know how to make Google take notice.
Benefit #4 Of Having A Content Editor On Your Team: Stay In Style
Trends change. How people search for information changes. How people talk about information changes.
A trained content editor knows what’s what.
They know:
- What people are currently searching
- How they are searching
- What language they speak
They know the people–the people you want as your readers.
Benefit #5 Of Having A Content Editor On Your Team: Your Competitors Have One (Or Several)
By now you see that content editors are essential for SEO content writing.
Have you Googled keywords that you’d like to use? Who comes up first?
Have you stalked the competition? Sized them up?
Guess what? They most likely have professional content editors.
Do you want to rank higher?
You want more phone calls, clicks, sales…
Then you need a content editor.
What Can A Content Editor Add To Your Business?
It’s no secret by now that we think (we know) that you need a content editor.
We love businesses, big or small. We want you to succeed. We want you to rank on Google.
We know how to help you:
- Get better Google ratings
- Increase your website traffic
- Get more clicks, calls, and sales
- Create a long-term strategy
Are you ready to grow your business? Your Google presence? Get more readers who turn into customers?
Do you want quality content that adds value to the customers while increasing your business?
We’re here, and we’re ready to help you be successful as we’ve helped many businesses just like yours.
