‘Tis still the holiday season, and while you can afford to make a mistake or two buying the wrong present, you cannot leave any room for mistakes in your content. This is why, today we are directing our attention toward the topic of editing/proofreading, its importance, and answering the question of why you cannot skimp on it. Here is all you need to know, and what we at 411 Locals do on a daily basis for all our clients’ content.
What Is Editing/Proofreading Exactly?
In a nutshell, it is the process of revising a piece of text, rectifying any grammar and stylistic mistakes. Factuality is also a concern for many editing/proofreading professionals.
Does Your Website Content Need Editing/Proofreading?
Yes, it is absolutely mandatory. The importance of editing/proofreading goes in two equally significant directions.
1. Non-Revised Content Can Hurt Your Image
The image of your company is primarily shaped by your online voice. Your online voice is based on the tone you set with your website content. Imagine putting up content that has not been edited/proofread. A prospective client lands on your site from your landing page to find poor grammar, stylistic inconsistencies, missing punctuation, the list goes on. You may have got all the facts right, but if you missed the huge detail of including content that has been carefully checked, you will miss that prospective client, too. They will move on to your competitor who will come across as a lot more credible if they have edited/proofread content on their site.
2. Non-Revised Content Can Hurt Your Ranking
It is true that search engines have got smarter and can often predict and infer what users are looking for in their queries even when they type them with spelling errors. That should not put you at ease because the same does not apply to your website. Bots will not display your content if it has typos, punctuation mistakes, and other errors.
It Is About a Lot More Than Making Corrections
Editing/Proofreading is not done by the original writer which means you get an extra pair of eyes having a look at the content. Sometimes we cannot escape the trap of our own minds, as we might miss some points, overemphasize others, or fail to prove a point we are making. A skilled editor/proofreader will flag those, so the writer can go back and make the content better, more meaningful, and factual.
Any respected company providing editing/proofreading services should cover the following basics:
- Grammar
- Punctuation
- Spelling
- Sentence structure
- Capitalization
- Stylistic & Topic Consistency
- Numbers
- Formatting
Bear in mind, we have a special team of Quality Assurance specialists at 411 Locals, whose proofreading and editing is masterful. They never miss a detail!
So, go on then. Buy that ugly Christmas sweater for your loved one, but make the right choice for your business and let our SEO company take care of your online presence and providing mistake-free content!
Stay tuned for our next topic!