SEO
8 Must-Have Content Guidelines To Set Writers Up for Success
Brands often turn to freelance writers or marketing agencies to scale up content production.
But that’s not always a smooth process.
A 2021 Semrush report shares that in-house content teams face frequent issues with outsourced writers:
- Lack of hands-on experience or knowledge (49%).
- Low-quality content (42%).
- Multiple edits (36%).
- Lack of consistency due to different writing styles (27%).
These issues mean your content team has more work to do – just what you didn’t want and what made you outsource the content in the first place!
Now, you can try finding a word magician who can Abracadabra your worries away and makes everything alright.
But it doesn’t always work that way – you do run into some misguided wizards here and there.
Instead of leaving things to chance, work toward preparing content guidelines you can give the outsourced writers to minimize the challenges of working together
Content Guidelines 101
Content guidelines (or writing guidelines) refer to the information brands or their in-house content teams give their outsourced writers to produce commissioned content.
These include style guides, product information, and access to tools.
Detailed content guidelines provide several benefits:
Save time and money.
Writers may be professionals, but they can’t read your mind, especially if they’re external to your team.
By sharing the required details with them, you can reduce the revisions on both ends.
In other words, content guidelines give writers an idea and context of what you want and expect from a content piece before they start the draft.
This lets them see the target before they attempt to hit a bullseye, and you don’t have to realign the overall direction after the first draft.
Encourages consistency.
A content brief ensures both writers and editors are on the same page regarding the content style, tone, and goals.
Sets your work in the right direction: Great content is a result of collaboration between brands and writers. By providing detailed writing guidelines, you do your part and show the writers what you want from the content piece.
Helps you scale content production.
A standard set of writing guidelines lets you grow and scale the content production since you can easily onboard more writers and editors to write and edit content in your brand’s voice and tone.
So, if you provide content guidelines, your issues are gone?
No, that alone won’t cut it. Your results depend on the details you add to those content guidelines.
What To Include In Content Guidelines
- Welcome packet.
- Editorial process.
- Brand style guide.
- Visual guidelines.
- Content brief.
- Persona details.
- Product information.
- Industry’s resources.
Once again, external writers can’t read your mind.
They’re not a part of your day-to-day team meetings. In order to make up for this gap, you must provide detailed content guidelines.
1. Welcome Packet
As you start working with new writers, provide them with a welcome packet that includes all the details they need to know to create content for you, including:
- Your brand and its value proposition.
- Your content goals.
- Topics you commonly write about.
- FAQs about working with you.
- People on your team the writers can reach out to for content and billing questions.
Your welcome packet helps onboard new writers and set them in the right direction.
But you still need more guidelines to cover everyday details.
2. Editorial Process
The editorial process details what the writers should expect to deal with regularly – your brand’s content workflow.
It defines the expected timeline for each action after both parties have signed an agreement.
For instance, here’s how my team handles it, from the client’s perspective:
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Screenshot from TheBlogsmith.com, June 2022
The writing process can certainly vary case by case, but it’s good to set expectations with writers in terms of what happens before, during, and after they turn in a draft.
3. Brand Style Guide
If there is one must-have with writing guidelines you give to writers, it’s a style guide.
A style guide covers the dos and don’ts of writing for your brand. It provides direction to in-house and outsourced content teams and ensures your content is consistent with the brand ethos.
This consistency enhances the customer experience and builds customer loyalty.
After years of working as a freelance writer, I shifted to a content agency model.
One of the first things I did to set my agency up for success was create The Blogsmith Style Guide – a document that details my best practices from years of experience working with different clients.
It helps writers capture the voice and tone that The Blogsmith is known for and gives editors a straightforward standard for editing content.
A style guide covers:
- Grammar (active voice vs. passive voice).
- Style and formatting requirements.
- Tone (conversational or formal).
- Punctuation preferences (oxford comma or not).
- Word usage (use of abbreviation, inclusive language, or jargon).
- Spelling preferences (e.g., ecommerce vs. e-commerce).
- Point of view or pronoun usage (first person or second person).
- Citations.
If you don’t have a style guide, the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook serves as a good baseline.
4. Visual Guidelines
Most brands include visual guidelines within their style guide, but some like keeping them separate.
Whatever the case, visual guidelines are a must-have part of your content guidelines, as brand visuals impact the written aspect of content creation.
Not to mention, visual guidelines ensure consistent output if you outsource your graphics.
Make sure to include the following in your visual guidelines:
Image directions
Include everything writers and graphic designers need to know about creating or choosing images for your website, such as: image attribution, featured images, custom images vs. stock photos, text vs. no text in featured images.
Preferred formats
Share formats you prefer for images and videos, such as .PNG, .JPEG, or .webP.
Image resolutions and sizes
Share your preferred image resolution and file size. For instance, it’s better to limit the file size of images to 250–300 KB to load them quickly on your website and score better in Core Web Vitals.
Colors
Include the brand palette and Hex, RGB, CMYK, and Pantone color codes to account for print vs. digital (and so on). You can also include the purpose of each color (e.g., main vs. accent, headings vs. body content, and so on).
Fonts
Include the fonts you use for different purposes. For example, Kinsta uses Brandon Text for headings and Roboto for body text.
Logos and icons
Include all versions of your logos and their proper use cases.
You can share your visual guidelines on your website for freelancers and agencies to reference – like Kinsta.
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Screenshot from Kinsta.com, June 2022
5. Content Brief
A content brief is a writing guide freelance writers can follow when creating a particular content piece for your company.
Compared to the other content guidelines on the list, content briefs differ in topics depending on the assignment – but they are essential to creating a stellar content piece.
-
Screenshot from Twitter, June 2022
The content brief must include basic information, such as:
- Client name.
- Topic.
- Word count.
- Article type (blog post, case study, or white paper).
- Rate.
- Due date.
More detailed briefs also include additional information that gives the writer context, like:
Intended Audience
Who are you writing the content for?
Adding your intended audience is crucial, especially if you have multiple target audiences.
It informs the angle you’ll be taking.
For example, content for C-suite executives differs from content targeting entry-level employees.
While some content brief details like competitors may be reusable, intended audience and content goals may vary across pieces.
It’s best to fill out all the information regardless of whether it varies to ensure you don’t miss anything.
Content Goals And Objectives
What is the purpose of creating the content piece?
One take on the content marketing matrix suggests that content’s four main purposes are to educate, entertain, inspire, and convince.
Whatever the content goal, share that with the writer.
Being clear about your content goals and objectives also makes it easier to do keyword research, determine search intent, and develop a relevant call to action (CTA) for the post.
Also, you can add a short abstract highlighting the important points you want in the piece or provide the writer with a suggested outline.
Keyword Research
If you’re creating SEO content, include the primary keywords you’re trying to optimize for and instructions or best practices.
For example, you can ask writers to include:
- Primary keyword in the title and within the first 100 words.
- High-volume keywords in subheadings.
- Low-volume keywords in paragraphs.
More than often, your writer or agency will provide this. But you should still plan to review and approve it, so everyone is on the same page before drafting.
Competitors
Include competitors and top-ranking blogs to help writers benchmark content.
It lets writers observe what other brands did well and how they addressed the problem.
Not to mention, It helps them identify missing information to strategize how to make your content stand out.
6. Persona Details
Buyer personas represent the target audience at different stages of the buyer’s journey.
Including this information in your content guidelines gives writers a better picture of what your customers want and need. They can fill in gaps and tailor messaging to each persona.
If you haven’t had the chance to define your personas yet, HubSpot’s Make My Persona tool is an excellent place to start.
7. Product Information
If you’re asking freelance writers to create product-led content, give them the tools they need to succeed like:
- A dummy account they can play around with and take screenshots of for tutorials.
- Case studies that show how customers have used your product and achieved results.
- Opportunities to interview SMEs (subject matter experts) about the product.
In other words, the writer should know enough about the tool and the problem it solves to address customer pain points and get them to convert.
8. Industry Knowledge
For thought-leadership content, give writers access to information from industry thought leaders and SMEs.
As a courtesy, before you give writers the details of an SME they can contact, let the SME know a writer will reach out to set up an interview.
Some SMEs may be uncomfortable speaking with other people (or too busy to nail down a specific time for a live interview), so give them the option to do an interview via a meeting, an email exchange, or a prerecorded video or audio response.
Make it convenient for both parties to get the information they need.
Conclusion
Good writing is often a result of collaboration between the brand and writers.
Don’t be a client from hell. Improve the experience of working with outsourced content teams by providing writing guidelines they can use to create content closer to your goals.
More resources:
Featured Image: sutadimages/Shutterstock
SEO
Google Clarifies Vacation Rental Structured Data
Google’s structured data documentation for vacation rentals was recently updated to require more specific data in a change that is more of a clarification than it is a change in requirements. This change was made without any formal announcement or notation in the developer pages changelog.
Vacation Rentals Structured Data
These specific structured data types makes vacation rental information eligible for rich results that are specific to these kinds of rentals. However it’s not available to all websites. Vacation rental owners are required to be connected to a Google Technical Account Manager and have access to the Google Hotel Center platform.
VacationRental Structured Data Type Definitions
The primary changes were made to the structured data property type definitions where Google defines what the required and recommended property types are.
The changes to the documentation is in the section governing the Recommended properties and represents a clarification of the recommendations rather than a change in what Google requires.
The primary changes were made to the structured data type definitions where Google defines what the required and recommended property types are.
The changes to the documentation is in the section governing the Recommended properties and represents a clarification of the recommendations rather than a change in what Google requires.
Address Schema.org property
This is a subtle change but it’s important because it now represents a recommendation that requires more precise data.
This is what was recommended before:
“streetAddress”: “1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy.”
This is what it now recommends:
“streetAddress”: “1600 Amphitheatre Pkwy, Unit 6E”
Address Property Change Description
The most substantial change is to the description of what the “address” property is, becoming more descriptive and precise about what is recommended.
The description before the change:
PostalAddress
Information about the street address of the listing. Include all properties that apply to your country.
The description after the change:
PostalAddress
The full, physical location of the vacation rental.
Provide the street address, city, state or region, and postal code for the vacation rental. If applicable, provide the unit or apartment number.
Note that P.O. boxes or other mailing-only addresses are not considered full, physical addresses.
This is repeated in the section for address.streetAddress property
This is what it recommended before:
address.streetAddress Text
The full street address of your vacation listing.
And this is what it recommends now:
address.streetAddress Text
The full street address of your vacation listing, including the unit or apartment number if applicable.
Clarification And Not A Change
Although these updates don’t represent a change in Google’s guidance they are nonetheless important because they offer clearer guidance with less ambiguity as to what is recommended.
Read the updated structured data guidance:
Vacation rental (VacationRental) structured data
Featured Image by Shutterstock/New Africa
SEO
Google On Hyphens In Domain Names
Google’s John Mueller answered a question on Reddit about why people don’t use hyphens with domains and if there was something to be concerned about that they were missing.
Domain Names With Hyphens For SEO
I’ve been working online for 25 years and I remember when using hyphens in domains was something that affiliates did for SEO when Google was still influenced by keywords in the domain, URL, and basically keywords anywhere on the webpage. It wasn’t something that everyone did, it was mainly something that was popular with some affiliate marketers.
Another reason for choosing domain names with keywords in them was that site visitors tended to convert at a higher rate because the keywords essentially prequalified the site visitor. I know from experience how useful two-keyword domains (and one word domain names) are for conversions, as long as they didn’t have hyphens in them.
A consideration that caused hyphenated domain names to fall out of favor is that they have an untrustworthy appearance and that can work against conversion rates because trustworthiness is an important factor for conversions.
Lastly, hyphenated domain names look tacky. Why go with tacky when a brandable domain is easier for building trust and conversions?
Domain Name Question Asked On Reddit
This is the question asked on Reddit:
“Why don’t people use a lot of domains with hyphens? Is there something concerning about it? I understand when you tell it out loud people make miss hyphen in search.”
And this is Mueller’s response:
“It used to be that domain names with a lot of hyphens were considered (by users? or by SEOs assuming users would? it’s been a while) to be less serious – since they could imply that you weren’t able to get the domain name with fewer hyphens. Nowadays there are a lot of top-level-domains so it’s less of a thing.
My main recommendation is to pick something for the long run (assuming that’s what you’re aiming for), and not to be overly keyword focused (because life is too short to box yourself into a corner – make good things, course-correct over time, don’t let a domain-name limit what you do online). The web is full of awkward, keyword-focused short-lived low-effort takes made for SEO — make something truly awesome that people will ask for by name. If that takes a hyphen in the name – go for it.”
Pick A Domain Name That Can Grow
Mueller is right about picking a domain name that won’t lock your site into one topic. When a site grows in popularity the natural growth path is to expand the range of topics the site coves. But that’s hard to do when the domain is locked into one rigid keyword phrase. That’s one of the downsides of picking a “Best + keyword + reviews” domain, too. Those domains can’t grow bigger and look tacky, too.
That’s why I’ve always recommended brandable domains that are memorable and encourage trust in some way.
Read the post on Reddit:
Read Mueller’s response here.
Featured Image by Shutterstock/Benny Marty
SEO
Reddit Post Ranks On Google In 5 Minutes
Google’s Danny Sullivan disputed the assertions made in a Reddit discussion that Google is showing a preference for Reddit in the search results. But a Redditor’s example proves that it’s possible for a Reddit post to rank in the top ten of the search results within minutes and to actually improve rankings to position #2 a week later.
Discussion About Google Showing Preference To Reddit
A Redditor (gronetwork) complained that Google is sending so many visitors to Reddit that the server is struggling with the load and shared an example that proved that it can only take minutes for a Reddit post to rank in the top ten.
That post was part of a 79 post Reddit thread where many in the r/SEO subreddit were complaining about Google allegedly giving too much preference to Reddit over legit sites.
The person who did the test (gronetwork) wrote:
“…The website is already cracking (server down, double posts, comments not showing) because there are too many visitors.
…It only takes few minutes (you can test it) for a post on Reddit to appear in the top ten results of Google with keywords related to the post’s title… (while I have to wait months for an article on my site to be referenced). Do the math, the whole world is going to spam here. The loop is completed.”
Reddit Post Ranked Within Minutes
Another Redditor asked if they had tested if it takes “a few minutes” to rank in the top ten and gronetwork answered that they had tested it with a post titled, Google SGE Review.
gronetwork posted:
“Yes, I have created for example a post named “Google SGE Review” previously. After less than 5 minutes it was ranked 8th for Google SGE Review (no quotes). Just after Washingtonpost.com, 6 authoritative SEO websites and Google.com’s overview page for SGE (Search Generative Experience). It is ranked third for SGE Review.”
It’s true, not only does that specific post (Google SGE Review) rank in the top 10, the post started out in position 8 and it actually improved ranking, currently listed beneath the number one result for the search query “SGE Review”.
Screenshot Of Reddit Post That Ranked Within Minutes
Anecdotes Versus Anecdotes
Okay, the above is just one anecdote. But it’s a heck of an anecdote because it proves that it’s possible for a Reddit post to rank within minutes and get stuck in the top of the search results over other possibly more authoritative websites.
hankschrader79 shared that Reddit posts outrank Toyota Tacoma forums for a phrase related to mods for that truck.
Google’s Danny Sullivan responded to that post and the entire discussion to dispute that Reddit is not always prioritized over other forums.
Danny wrote:
“Reddit is not always prioritized over other forums. [super vhs to mac adapter] I did this week, it goes Apple Support Community, MacRumors Forum and further down, there’s Reddit. I also did [kumo cloud not working setup 5ghz] recently (it’s a nightmare) and it was the Netgear community, the SmartThings Community, GreenBuildingAdvisor before Reddit. Related to that was [disable 5g airport] which has Apple Support Community above Reddit. [how to open an 8 track tape] — really, it was the YouTube videos that helped me most, but it’s the Tapeheads community that comes before Reddit.
In your example for [toyota tacoma], I don’t even get Reddit in the top results. I get Toyota, Car & Driver, Wikipedia, Toyota again, three YouTube videos from different creators (not Toyota), Edmunds, a Top Stories unit. No Reddit, which doesn’t really support the notion of always wanting to drive traffic just to Reddit.
If I guess at the more specific query you might have done, maybe [overland mods for toyota tacoma], I get a YouTube video first, then Reddit, then Tacoma World at third — not near the bottom. So yes, Reddit is higher for that query — but it’s not first. It’s also not always first. And sometimes, it’s not even showing at all.”
hankschrader79 conceded that they were generalizing when they wrote that Google always prioritized Reddit. But they also insisted that that didn’t diminish what they said is a fact that Google’s “prioritization” forum content has benefitted Reddit more than actual forums.
Why Is The Reddit Post Ranked So High?
It’s possible that Google “tested” that Reddit post in position 8 within minutes and that user interaction signals indicated to Google’s algorithms that users prefer to see that Reddit post. If that’s the case then it’s not a matter of Google showing preference to Reddit post but rather it’s users that are showing the preference and the algorithm is responding to those preferences.
Nevertheless, an argument can be made that user preferences for Reddit can be a manifestation of Familiarity Bias. Familiarity Bias is when people show a preference for things that are familiar to them. If a person is familiar with a brand because of all the advertising they were exposed to then they may show a bias for the brand products over unfamiliar brands.
Users who are familiar with Reddit may choose Reddit because they don’t know the other sites in the search results or because they have a bias that Google ranks spammy and optimized websites and feel safer reading Reddit.
Google may be picking up on those user interaction signals that indicate a preference and satisfaction with the Reddit results but those results may simply be biases and not an indication that Reddit is trustworthy and authoritative.
Is Reddit Benefiting From A Self-Reinforcing Feedback Loop?
It may very well be that Google’s decision to prioritize user generated content may have started a self-reinforcing pattern that draws users in to Reddit through the search results and because the answers seem plausible those users start to prefer Reddit results. When they’re exposed to more Reddit posts their familiarity bias kicks in and they start to show a preference for Reddit. So what could be happening is that the users and Google’s algorithm are creating a self-reinforcing feedback loop.
Is it possible that Google’s decision to show more user generated content has kicked off a cycle where more users are exposed to Reddit which then feeds back into Google’s algorithm which in turn increases Reddit visibility, regardless of lack of expertise and authoritativeness?
Featured Image by Shutterstock/Kues
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