Editing for SEO is key to driving organic traffic to your site.
By creating content that appeals to both readers and search engines, you can start ranking higher in Google for your target keywords.
Whether you’re busy running your own business and want to hire someone to help you with your SEO efforts, or you want to become an SEO professional yourself, you need to understand the difference between roles in the content writing process.
This is why it is crucial for you to know the difference between SEO editors and SEO copy editors.
- What Is an SEO Editor?
- What Is an SEO Copy Editor?
- SEO Editor vs SEO Copy Editor: What’s The Difference?
- Why the Difference Is Important
- Conclusion: Clearly Defined Roles Are Key To An Effective SEO Strategy
What Is an SEO Editor?
An SEO Editor is someone who plans, creates, and revises content to rank in search engines.
Some may only focus on the revision aspect of the process.
However, these people fail to understand the larger scope of the role.
To create a truly effective SEO strategy, an SEO editor needs to be involved in content planning and creation as well.
This ensures a cohesive SEO strategy.
After all, your blog is just like any other publication, such as a magazine.
However, you’re writing your “publication” for both readers and search engines.
Just like an editor-in-chief at a magazine or newspaper should be involved in every stage of the publication process, so should an SEO editor be involved in every stage of the content creation process.
What Is an SEO Copy Editor?
An SEO copy editor is someone who revises writing to optimize it for search engines.
They will typically only focus on the revision stage of the content creation process.
This means they’ll pay close attention to improving on-page SEO and making the copy for each post as perfect as possible.
They aren’t too involved in the planning or writing of content.
Instead, an SEO copy editor will work with an SEO content writer and SEO strategist to put the final touches on the text.
SEO Editor vs SEO Copy Editor: What’s The Difference?
Put simply, an SEO editor is involved in every stage of the content creation process, whereas an SEO copy editor is only involved in the revision of content.
It is true that SEO editors will need to revise copy, whether it was written by themself or one of their team members.
However, the role encapsulates the entire content creation process, from planning to writing to revising.
On the other hand, the role of an SEO copy editor is much smaller in scope.
They will only focus on the final stage of the process: revision.
Who Should Hire An SEO Editor?
SEO editors can help both large and small brands.
For a large brand, they can help organize the entire content writing process.
This may involve helping plan the SEO strategy, doling out assignments to writers, and revising these assignments for publication.
For a small brand, they will likely take care of all duties related to SEO.
This will probably include keyword research, planning out content, building the site’s linking structure, writing content, posting content on the site, and continually updating posts with relevant links and new information.
Who Should Hire an SEO Copy Editor?
An SEO copy editor will likely only be able to work with larger brands.
This is because a small brand probably doesn’t have the resources to dedicate to building an entire SEO team.
After all, while having clean copy is great for both readers and search engines, you will only improve your search engine rankings if you stick to a focused strategy and write engaging content.
For large brands, having someone dedicated to each stage of the content creation process can help speed things up and ensure a streamlined operation.
However, for a small brand with limited resources, hiring an SEO editor to take on the entire process is likely the best way to go and is still an effective strategy.
Why the Difference Is Important
The truth is, many people in the digital marketing world will use the terms interchangeably.
This can make things a little complicated if you’re applying to jobs related to SEO or trying to hire the right person to optimize your search engine marketing efforts.
However, this doesn’t mean the difference isn’t important.
Clearly defined roles are key to your brand’s success, whether you have a large team dedicated to SEO or just one person.
Whichever role your brand needs, you’ll want to communicate as clearly as possible what the role entails.
By using these terms appropriately, you can better understand the responsibilities that each position entails.
Conclusion: Clearly Defined Roles Are Key To An Effective SEO Strategy
Which type of editor editor you need will depend on the needs of your brand.
While it would be great if every business had the resources to devote to building an entire SEO team, many businesses simply can’t afford to.
However, every business that’s serious about digital marketing should have some sort of SEO strategy.
If you’re a small brand, this makes selecting the right SEO editor an incredibly important task.
I love working with small brands and taking on the entire content creation process, so contact me about my SEO Editing services if you’d like to learn more.