Content Production & Governance
Build a reliable, repeatable editorial machine that turns research and strategy into high-quality pages—on time, on brief, and aligned with business outcomes.
Key Terms & Acronyms
Quick reference for terminology used throughout this guide
Core Skills & Outcomes
What you'll learn and what you'll deliver
Core Skills
Editorial Planning
Create rolling 12-week calendars by cluster, assign DRI (Directly Responsible Individual), set SLA (Service Level Agreement) timing, track capacity and dependencies.
Governance & Workflows
Design clear RACI (Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed), define handoffs, establish approvals, and create definition-of-done per step.
Style & Voice Operations
Build TOV (Tone of Voice) guide, formatting standards, sourcing rules, and internal linking conventions—so all content sounds like it came from one team.
Localization & International Ops
True localization (examples, idioms, regulations, pricing) vs. literal translation. Build market glossaries and validate with local SMEs (Subject Matter Experts).
E-E-A-T Operations
Author sourcing, credential display, review loops for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics, transparency with last-updated dates and methodology boxes.
Compliance & Accessibility
GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) for EU audiences, avoid PII (Personally Identifiable Information) in screenshots, follow WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) basics.
Key Deliverables
Quarterly Content Roadmap
12-week rolling calendar with owners, SLAs (Service Level Agreements), dependencies, and risk log for blockers.
Production SOP
Source-of-truth brief template and step-by-step SOP for brief → draft → review → publish → refresh cycle.
Editorial Style Guide
TOV (Tone of Voice) traits, structure standards, claims sourcing rules, internal linking conventions, anchor text best practices.
Localization Playbook
Market research notes, terminology glossary, examples/idioms to use/avoid, local SME review process.
E-E-A-T Pack
Author bios with credentials, review policy for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) topics, sourcing standards, methodology templates.
QA Checklists
Pre-publish checklist (intent, E-E-A-T, links), 14-45 day optimization pass, quarterly refresh criteria.
8-Step Production Workflow
From intake to optimization—the complete content lifecycle
Intake & Prioritization
Cluster priorities from strategy, capacity per role, seasonal moments
Briefing
Complete brief with SERP analysis, outline, proof requirements, internal links
Drafting (SME or Writer)
First draft with sources, image list, internal link anchors
SEO Review & Edit
Validate intent fit, SERP alignment, internal links, snippet opportunities
Legal/Brand Checks (If Needed)
Optional gate for sensitive topics, regulatory content, brand claims
Publish & Annotate
Format, upload, set publish date, log in tracker
Measure & Optimize
14-45 day pass: check GSC, improve CTR, monitor engagement
Refresh/Retire
Quarterly review: update content, consolidate overlaps, or retire low-value pages