Hi, Lauren Kaye here for this week’s Content and Coffee with some tips for conducting a content quality check. You’ve probably noticed that there’s content everywhere. Everyone is doing it and everyTHING is content.

But that doesn’t mean it’s all good. There’s a lot of stuff out there that’s just OK, and the goal isn’t to be just Ok – it’s to hit it out of the park. So here are my four tips to make sure the content you’re publishing is top notch stuff that’s worth reading .

1. Check for readability

Content and Coffee readibility

I’m talking sentence structure, comprehension and overall flow. If you read it outloud and find you’re stumbling over words or getting lost in sentences, it’s time to rework the writing. I love 5-dollar words probably more than the next guy, but that doesn’t mean your web readers will.

It might sound crazy, but aim for a middle-school reading level if you want to appeal to online readers. That’s the sweet spot for top-ranking content.

2. Fact-checking

Content and Coffee Fact Check

In reporting, it’s a given, but you’d be surprised at how easy it is for typos to sneak into the most diligent writers’ work. After editing for grammar and style, it’s really worth doing a pass to make sure the facts, figures and names in an article match up with what’s published in the primary source. Your credibility will thank you. 

3. Visual appeal

Content and Coffee Visual Appeal

Before you hit the publish button, take a step back and preview the screen. Make sure the featured image is attractive and complementary to the article – not competing with it. Use subheads to add structure and bullet points to break up long sections of text. I also recommend looking at the article to make sure all those visual points of interest you added don’t hurt your eyes or distract you from the reading experience.

4. Originality

Content and Coffee Be Original

I’m not even going to get into Plagiarism – because – don’t cheat. But what are you bringing to this piece that readers can’t find anywhere else? What unique perspective, insight or knowledge can you impart on your audience that will make them better for reading it? If you can answer this confidently, your content is already ahead of the game.

Thanks for checking out today’s Content and Coffee – What other quality checks you live by? Tweet @Brafton of leave a comment below to let what know!

Lauren Kaye is a Marketing Editor at Brafton Inc. She studied creative and technical writing at Virginia Tech before pursuing the digital frontier and finding content marketing was the best place to put her passions to work. Lauren also writes creative short fiction, hikes in New England and appreciates a good book recommendation.