If you’re tired of content chaos—missed deadlines, scattered drafts, SEO “best practices” that never seem to stick—this guide’s for you. Whether you run a scrappy blog or manage a team of writers, building a clean editorial workflow is the difference between publishing with confidence and endless Slack pings about “Where’s that draft?”
Here’s a step-by-step guide to building a workflow that actually works, using Clearscope for content optimization, plus any halfway decent project management tool (think Trello, Asana, ClickUp, Notion, or even a good Google Sheet).
Step 1: Map Out Your Editorial Workflow (Before Touching Any Tools)
First things first: don’t let shiny tools dictate your process. Lay out what needs to happen for each piece of content, from idea to published. This matters more than whatever app you use.
Typical editorial workflow steps:
- Content ideation and briefs
- Assignment to a writer
- Drafting
- Editing and feedback
- SEO optimization (with Clearscope)
- Final approval
- Publishing
- Promotion
You might not need every one of these, or maybe you need extras (fact-check, design, legal review, etc.). Write your steps down—literally, on paper or a doc—so you’re not winging it later.
Pro tip: Keep your workflow as simple as possible. Complexity kills momentum.
Step 2: Pick Your Project Management Tool
Don’t overthink this. Any tool that lets you:
- Make lists or boards (Kanban style is great for editorial)
- Assign tasks to people
- Add comments/attachments
- Set due dates and reminders
…will work. Here’s the honest rundown:
- Trello: Simple, visual, works for solo creators or small teams.
- Asana: A bit more robust; good for teams, but can get cluttered.
- ClickUp: Feature-rich, but can feel overwhelming fast.
- Notion: Flexible, but takes time to build out. Good if you want an all-in-one wiki and workflow.
- Google Sheets: Not fancy, but shockingly effective if you set up columns for each stage.
Don’t get hung up on the “right” tool. Most content teams switch tools every year anyway. Just pick one and stick with it for a while.
Step 3: Set Up Your Editorial Pipeline
Now, lay out your workflow steps as columns (in Kanban tools) or as stages (in a spreadsheet). Here’s a straightforward setup:
- Ideas / Backlog
- Briefing
- Assigned / In Progress
- Writing
- Editing
- SEO (Clearscope)
- Ready for Publish
- Published
You can tweak these, but don’t add unnecessary steps. Each content piece (blog, article, whatever) gets its own card or row. Move it across the pipeline as it progresses.
What to include on each card/row:
- Title or topic
- Assigned writer/editor
- Due dates
- Links to docs (Google Docs, Dropbox, etc.)
- Comments/discussion
- Status/checklist
Step 4: Build a Real Content Brief
Most bad content comes from bad (or missing) briefs. Before you assign anything, write a clear brief that covers:
- Target audience (be specific)
- Goal of the piece (what do you want readers to do or feel?)
- Main keywords (what are you hoping to rank for?)
- Outline or main points
- Notes on voice, style, or must-include info
- Links to research or references
- Deadline and word count
If you’re using Clearscope, run your main keyword through it while building your brief. This gives you a sense of what topics to hit, what sub-questions to answer, and which terms to weave in (naturally—don’t keyword-stuff, Google’s not dumb).
Attach the brief to your card or task in your project management tool. No brief, no assignment.
Honest take: Most teams think they’re “too busy” for briefs. They end up wasting more time on rewrites. Don’t skip this.
Step 5: Assign, Draft, and Track Progress
Now, assign the piece to a writer. Make sure:
- The brief is attached and clear.
- They know the expected deadline.
- They have access to whatever docs or tools are needed.
Writers work in whatever doc platform you use (Google Docs is the usual suspect). As they draft, move the piece through the pipeline: “Writing” → “Editing” → etc.
Set up reminders for deadlines. Most project management tools do this, but if you’re using a sheet, set up a column for “Due Date” and check it manually each week. Not glamorous, but it works.
What to ignore: Overcomplicated automations. Unless you’re running a 50-person content team, manual movement is usually fine.
Step 6: Edit Like You Mean It
Editing isn’t just for typos. Make sure someone who didn’t write the draft reads it for:
- Clarity (does it actually answer the brief?)
- Structure (is it easy to read, skimmable?)
- Factual accuracy
- Tone and voice (does it sound like your brand—or at least not like ChatGPT?)
Add comments or use “Suggesting” mode for changes. Once edits are done, mark the piece as “Ready for SEO” or “Ready for Clearscope” in your workflow.
Pro tip: If you’re the only person, take at least a few hours between writing and editing. Fresh eyes catch more mistakes.
Step 7: Optimize with Clearscope
Here’s where Clearscope comes in. Paste your draft into Clearscope, plug in your main keyword, and see how you score. Clearscope highlights:
- Relevant terms and topics you should cover
- Competitive content (so you can see what’s missing)
- Readability and word count feedback
Go through the recommendations, but don’t treat them as gospel. If a suggested term doesn’t fit, skip it. The goal is to make your content genuinely useful, not to game an algorithm. Google’s smarter than most SEO tools admit.
What works:
- Use Clearscope to catch gaps—are you missing important subtopics?
- Use it to check for overused phrases or jargon.
What doesn’t:
- Writing for the score. Chasing a perfect grade is a waste of time. Good enough is good enough.
Once you’ve made sensible edits, mark the piece as “Ready to Publish” in your workflow.
Step 8: Final Approval, Publish, and Promote
Before you hit publish:
- Double-check for final edits, links, images, and formatting.
- If someone else reviews for approval, assign them in your tool and set a due date.
- Move the piece to “Published” when it’s live.
Don’t overcomplicate promotion. At a minimum, share on your main channels (newsletter, social, Slack, whatever). If you have a separate promo workflow, great—but don’t let it slow down publishing.
Pro tip: Each published card/row should include the live URL and date. This makes tracking and reporting way easier later.
Step 9: Review and Iterate
Every month or so, look back at what’s working:
- Are drafts consistently late? Maybe the process is too complicated—or you need better deadlines.
- Are writers missing SEO targets? Maybe briefs need to be clearer, or you’re asking for too much.
- Are you spending too much time moving cards around? Consider automating only the steps that actually slow you down.
Workflow isn’t set-and-forget. Tweak it a little at a time, not all at once.
Wrapping Up: Keep It Simple, Ship Often
Don’t fall for the trap of endless workflow “optimization.” The best editorial workflows are the ones that actually get content published. Start simple, keep your steps clear, and use tools like Clearscope and project management apps to take the grunt work out of tracking.
You’ll never have a perfect system. But if you keep shipping, you’re already ahead of most teams. Adjust as you go, and don’t be afraid to cut steps that just create busywork.