Understand the work of the web editor to choose the right one
Knowing how a web editor works is essential when looking to hire one. Indeed, this profession is home to an infinity of individuals with very heterogeneous skills. You wouldn’t want to hire a web designer only to be disappointed with their performance, would you? To succeed in your selection and avoid wasting time and money, you will inevitably have to look into the profiles and working methods. In this article, we therefore help you to distinguish between the different types of web editors and their ways of do the job! Thus, you will have all the cards in hand to choose the right one and be fully satisfied with your collaboration!
How does a web editor work? Discern the profiles
In web writing, as in any profession, there are different levels. Some will rank in the amateur category, while others will rise to the rank of professionals. Consequently, the working methods adopted as well as the results obtained will differ according to the profiles of writers.
Hobbyist/professional
The amateur web editor generally exercises his profession on an ad hoc basis, in addition to salary within the framework of a parallel activity. He often offers his services via writing platforms such as Scriber or Text Broker. He has no particular skills in web writing or training. His texts may therefore contain errors of syntax, grammar, typography, spelling, conjugation, etc. Beyond that, he does not necessarily master the codes of online writing.
The professional web editor, on the other hand, works full-time and lives from it. He has a solid background, either by his long experience in the field of writing on the Web, or by following a complete training. His skills are proven and he is able to provide all kinds of quality content to his clients. It can also be present on editorial platforms, except that it is distinguished by the highest rating according to the evaluation system in place. His texts are irreproachable and adapted to the Web. In addition, it presents a rich and complete portfolio that you will find useful to consult before recruitment. You will thus be able to see the extent of his skills and his adaptability. On this point,
The job of web editor is more complex than it seems and cannot be improvised. Indeed, writing for the Web has nothing in common with traditional writing. On screen, the reader gets tired more quickly. It is also solicited from all sides (notifications, SMS, etc.) and bounces from page to page. A little profiling, the editor must therefore succeed in captivating his audience and aiming for the bull’s eye the first time. He only has a few seconds to convince. As a result, its mission is to slip into the shoes of the Internet user who consults your page. What content does he hope to find when he arrives? What could push him to continue reading? It is by answering these questions that the professional writer will develop your texts.
Also, to discover: the 4 good reasons to hire a professional web editor!
SEO/pas SEO
The SEO criterion will also influence the way a web editor works. If the term is completely foreign to you, our article on understanding SEO will help you see it more clearly. Simply put, it is search engine optimization to position a site in the top results. The SEO web editor masters writing techniques to help his clients to be well referenced on Google. This is called content strategy. Thus, his entire working method will be conditioned by the knowledge of these editorial content optimization techniques. Conversely, the average web editor will write in “freestyle”, without any optimization. It is then up to you to gauge the needs of your site and choose your editor accordingly.
The working methods of a professional web editor
There are as many ways to work as web editors! However, we can still highlight certain characteristics specific to the profession.
Employee or self-employed
The web editor can be salaried. In this case, he will work for a company and write on topics related to his sector of activity. More commonly, he works independently as a freelance web editor. It is then up to him to canvass and build up a client portfolio. Its possibilities of collaboration are multiple:
- e-commerce;
- professionals and artisans;
- bloggers;
- Digital strategy agencies…
With all these partners, he will carry out different types of orders, ranging from the product sheet to the category page, via the blog article, the homepage or even the eBook. All this while respecting the editorial line of its clients and the spirit of their site. As a good web craftsman, he will have to use tools on a daily basis. These can be free or paid. The use of writing tools remains at the discretion of each, here is a non-exhaustive list:
- Online proofreaders (Scribes, Antidote, etc.);
- duplicate content checkers;
- Keyword research tools (1.fr, Uber suggest, Keywords Everywhere, etc.);
- Web writing assistants (Youssef, YourTextGuru…)
Generalist or specialist
If he is more of a generalist, the web editor will begin his work by researching information from reliable sources. He will carry out a kind of informative watch and take notes in order to fully understand and apprehend his subject. In this way, he will be able to offer relevant articles that will provide the best possible user experience. By doing so, he will be able to write on almost all themes!
For his part, the specialist web editor will write content around his chosen field. Very often, his expertise is explained by the existence of professional retraining. He combines his former profession (for example architect or nutritionist) with SEO web writing, which allows him to provide very sharp articles in his vein. However, specialization can also relate to very specific writing techniques. This is particularly the case for copywriting and storytelling. Some professional Wikipedia writers excel in these highly targeted branches and become full-fledged copywriters and storytellers.
Performer or Swiss army knife
Here again, there are various profiles that will influence the way of exercising the profession. Where an executing web editor will be content to follow your briefings to the letter and respect deadlines, a “multifunction” editor will be proactive and will go beyond his main mission. If he knows SEO, he can, among other things:
- analyze your traffic;
- develop your editorial schedule;
- compose briefings for a team;
- carry out a complete SEO audit of the editorial content;
- optimize your fixed pages;
- help you reference your YouTube channel;
- Retouch and improve your existing content according to his observations…
If he is very comfortable with social networks and sensitive to marketing concepts, he can even become your social media manager!
As you will have understood, to understand how a web editor works, you have to dwell on his profile and his specificities. His status, his knowledge, his training, his technical skills, his tools or even his personality are all factors that will affect his way of exercising his fabulous profession! All you have to do is find your ideal copywriter…
