The Ultimate Checklist for Content Publishing

🧱 1. Pre-Publishing Essentials

Before you even open your CMS, confirm the foundation is solid.
✅ Strategy Alignment:

• Does this piece fit within your content strategy or editorial calendar?
• Is it tied to a goal — awareness, engagement, or conversion?
• Does it align with your brand tone and audience personas?

✅ Originality & Accuracy:

• Check for plagiarism and duplicate content.
• Verify all facts, names, statistics, and sources.
• Ensure quotes and references are accurate and properly attributed.

✅ Compliance:

• Confirm rights for all images, graphics, and videos.
• Add citations and license attributions where required.
• Verify accessibility and legal disclaimers if needed.

✍️ 2. Editorial Quality

Strong writing sets the tone for your brand.
✅ Clarity & Flow:

• Is the message clear from the headline to the conclusion?
• Are sentences concise and free of jargon?
• Does each section logically flow into the next?

✅ Grammar & Readability:

• Proofread manually and through tools like Grammarly or LanguageTool.
• Aim for a Flesch Reading Ease score above 60 (easy to read).
• Check for consistent tense, tone, and formatting.

✅ Voice & Style:

• Match the brand’s editorial style (formal, friendly, informative).
• Use inclusive and gender-neutral language.
• Keep tone consistent across the site.

🔍 3. SEO Optimization

Visibility depends on optimization done right — not forced.
✅ On-Page SEO:

• Primary keyword in title, URL, and first 100 words.
• Natural keyword placement (avoid stuffing).
• Add internal and external links to relevant pages.

✅ Technical SEO:

• Optimize meta title (50–60 characters) and description (up to 155).
• Add alt text for all images.
• Use proper header hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3).
• Test load speed and mobile friendliness.

✅ Structured Data (Optional but Valuable):

• Add Article Schema or NewsArticle Schema for Google visibility.

🎨 4. Visual and Media Review

✅ Image & Video Quality:

• High resolution, compressed for web.
• Consistent aspect ratios and styling.
• Add captions and credits where needed.

✅ Graphics and Design:

• Align visuals with brand colors and typography.
• Check placement and readability on mobile and desktop.
• Verify all embeds (social posts, charts, videos) load correctly.

📢 5. Distribution Setup

Before publishing, plan how and where content will live and circulate.
✅ Channel Readiness:

• Schedule social media snippets, newsletter teasers, and syndication posts.
• Prepare campaign UTM links for tracking.
• Set cross-posting rules (LinkedIn, Medium, Substack, etc.).

✅ Internal Promotion:

• Notify sales, PR, or partners of new content.
• Coordinate cross-links with related departments or brands.

✅ Automated Distribution:

• Use SaaS editorial tools like Storifyr to handle multi-channel publishing automatically.

📈 6. Post-Publishing Review

✅ Performance Tracking:

• Verify Google Analytics and Search Console tracking.
• Set KPIs: CTR, engagement, time on page, conversions.
• Review data weekly for optimization.

✅ Continuous Improvement:

• Monitor comments or feedback.
• Update content regularly (especially evergreen pieces).
• Archive or merge underperforming pages.

Content publishing doesn’t end at publication — it evolves with every interaction.

🧭 7. Team and Workflow Coordination

✅ Collaboration:

• Ensure editors, designers, and SEO specialists signed off.
• Keep notes or approvals in a shared platform (Storifyr, Notion, or Asana).

✅ Version Control:

• Save backups before each major update.
• Track revisions and publishing history for transparency.

Final Thought

A reliable content publishing process turns chaos into consistency.
When every team follows a shared checklist, quality becomes predictable — and growth, repeatable.

The formula:
🧠 Strategy → ✍️ Quality → 🔍 Optimization → 📢 Distribution → 📈 Review.