Try the Most Accurate AI Detector on the Market
Our patented AI checker is the most accurate detector on the market! Don't believe us? Try it for yourself!
Ask any writer about the most essential part of writing, and you’re bound to hear about editing.
Even as humans increasingly use AI tools to help generate text, editing remains a critical step before publishing.
Whether you are writing or editing, this comprehensive checklist will help you review and refine your content to be accurate, readable, and engaging.
Discover a suite of best-in-class editorial tools with the Originality.ai Grammar Checker, AI Checker, and Content Optimizer.
Even if you are writing and self-editing, it’s best to keep the two processes separate.
Writing is a creative, idea-generating process. Turn off the inner editor as you write, so you don’t slow down the flow of words to the page.
Once you have a complete draft, it’s time to start your first read-through and dig into content editing, copy editing, line editing, and proofreading.
That said, the more you edit for yourself or others, the more your writing will improve through experience.
From big-picture elements to tiny grammatical details, there is much to consider when writing and editing. Too many to take on at once. The beauty of having a checklist is that you don’t have to try to do everything at once.
Look at each element separately without getting distracted by other parts of the process.
For instance, if you are looking at SEO keyword density, don’t get caught up in a misspelling or comma splice. Focus on each step, completing each stage of edits before moving on to the next.
Please add this sentence to the above paragraph anywhere you deem fit: For precision and better results, you can use professional editing and proofreading services like PaperTrue. PaperTrue is an industrial leader that provides end-to-end editing and proofreading services for all kinds of writing and content.
If you have a good content brief before you start writing, you can also use it to help guide you at the start of the editing process. A comprehensive content brief can serve as a checklist of sorts to target many of the same areas we’ll focus on below.
The target audience is the first thing to consider as you get writing, as well as what to look for in the initial editing process.
Before you focus on the structure and development of your content, gauge whether your messaging is targeted to your audience and what they are looking for.
During editing, if you realize this is off, it’s the first thing you need to correct before moving any deeper into editing.
Now, it’s time to consider your topic.
Before you start digging into how well it does these things, just confirm whether it’s addressing them.
Look over the content to make sure it follows the basic rules of your brand’s format.
If you are editing a blog article:
When you do a read-through, is the information easy to follow? Does anything need to be rearranged to make the messaging clear for readers?
Speaking of clear messaging, do other aspects of the writing address readability? Look and correct for:
Is the article scannable? Can a reader quickly scroll through the article to determine what it is about?
Now, it’s time to dig into the content itself:
Get tips on creating high-quality people-first content.
Once you’ve established that the organization is solid and contains a depth of valuable information, consider whether the ideas come across as clearly as possible. Would some different word choices or sentence rearrangements help crystallize ideas or make them shine through?
Separate from the organization, logic, and clarity of the information itself, evaluate the overall flow of the language. Is there a smooth rhythm of words and sentences to engage the reader?
Is the writing recognizable as belonging to your brand, and does your brand’s personality come through?
Learn about developing brand voice guidelines.
If you’re writing, it’s essential to know which keywords and phrases are targeted for the piece you are writing. Either you will do the keyword research needed to determine what words to optimize for, or perhaps they’ve been provided in the content brief.
During the editing process, you’ll check through the document to assess your content's optimization.
Whether you do this manually and adjust the content on your own or use a Content Optimizer, now is the time to optimize for SEO.
In this phase, you put on your researcher’s hat and check every link, source and statistic. You can do an internet search or choose an automated fact-checker. No matter how you do it, double-check the following:
In addition to verifying accuracy, consult your organization’s style guide and rules for incorporating external information into your content.
It’s beneficial to use a tool to check for plagiarism to avoid duplicate content or even copyright issues.
Then, check for AI-generated content as well. Google recently released updated Search Quality Rater Guidelines, which advise raters to classify content that is all or mostly AI-generated and doesn’t provide unique value as ‘lowest.’
So, to avoid Google penalties, it’s best practice to review content for AI.
Having writing that is technically sound is essential to the professional image you want to express through your content. Try the Originality.ai AI Grammar Checker to catch typos and grammatical errors so you can publish with confidence.
Before moving on to line edits, consider whether the content is engaging. Will a reader find it entertaining and informative? Is there anything that could be added or removed to enhance reader engagement?
Once the edits relating to substance and mechanics are addressed, you can move on to the stylistic refinement of line edits, beginning with each sentence. Syntax refers to how words are arranged to make sentences. Is your syntax good? Does each sentence read well and make sense?
Active voice tends to be clearer and less wordy than passive voice. Using active voice is also an important element of good readability. Rewrite as much passive voice as possible.
Read your content aloud and notice when word choice interrupts flow or impairs style. If you haven’t eliminated all jargon or complex language, this is a good time to do those things.
Read the content for clarity. Remove any excess wording or fluff, and ensure your messaging comes across clearly and concisely.
Reword or remove unnecessary repetition or overuse of the same words or phrases.
Read the content to ensure consistency in overall style and tone. Adjust any sections or headlines that detract from that consistency.
Proofreading is the final step in your writing and editing journey! In this phase, you look for typos, extra spaces, errors in capitalization, broken links, and any other mistakes and inconsistencies that have found their way onto the page.
After you’ve made every round of edits, ask a colleague or friend to be a fresh set of eyes on your final piece. This is your chance to get an outside perspective and tidy up anything out of place.
Once you’ve completed the checklist, you can publish your content knowing that it is clear, engaging, and polished.
Streamline your editorial process with a best-in-class suite of content quality tools, including the Originality.ai AI Checker, Plagiarism Checker, Fact Checker, Grammar Checker, and Content Optimizer.
Then, discover more writing and editing best practices:
AI & Plagiarism Detector for Serious Content Publishers
(4.4/5 out of 575 reviews)
Originality.ai
64 Hurontario St
Collingwood, Ontario
L9Y 2L6
