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CHECKLIST: Articles

Insights article must-have checklist:

  • Byline 
  • Article Category 
  • Article Topic 
  • SEO keywords  
  • Headline
  • Meta / Social Description  
  • Article Introduction 
  • Body Intro / Lede
  • H3 Section Header / Subheads 
  • H3 Supporting Body Copy 
  • Pull Quote / Data Callout  
  • Citations 
  • CTA 


Content Must-Haves

Findable: Can our audience find this content?  

SEO must-includes:  

  • H1 
  • H2 
  • H3s 
  • H1 tags 
  • Metadata: title, description, tags  
  • At least 2 links in the body copy  
  • Alt tags for images  
  • No keyword stuffing — is your use of SEO keywords natural and in-context? Or does it feel spammy? 

Skimmable/Readable: Can our audience easily consume this content?  

Consider: 

  • Inverted pyramid writing style (get to the point quickly)  
  • Nut graf — An almost-summary or a-ha! paragraph shortly after the lede but before the first H3 that contextualizes why this story is happening 
  • Bullets and numbered lists — Use liberally 
  • H3 subheads – Break-up long stretches of text with subsections 
  • 1 Pull-Quote — Break-up up copy with pull-quotes that “pull” the reader into the story if they’re just skimming 
  • “Chunking” copy — Paragraphs should be no more than 2-3 sentences, and sentences should be no more than 25 words.  
  • Writer — Use to ensure your writing is grammatically correct and on-brand from a tone and voice perspective 

Understandable: Can our audience understand this content?  

Make sure to:  

  • Set context with an introduction  
  • Avoid jargon 
  • Define words or concepts with sort and clear explanations 
  • Ensure this is the most appropriate content type/channel for this message  
  • Respect the specific audience’s ability to understand  

Actionable: Will our audience want to take action after consuming this content?  

Must-includes: 

  • CTA  
  • Invitation to share  
  • Links to related content  

Sharable: Will our audience want to share this content?  

Make it easy — and compelling — to share, via:  

  • A reason to share — something that provokes an “aha!” or an emotional response
  • An ask to share
  • An easy way to share
  • Personalization — like a click-to-share function pre-populated with copy and hashtags