Small publishing mistakes add up: a broken link, a missing meta description, an image that loads slowly on phones. This is the checklist we run on every article. It takes about 15 minutes, and it is grouped so you can work top to bottom.
Content
- The first 100 words answer the main question or state the outcome.
- Every statistic, price, date and quote has been checked against its source.
- The article includes at least one example, result or observation from real experience.
- Readability is checked; long sentences are split. (Readability Checker)
- AI-assisted drafts have had a full human edit and pass the AI Draft Checker.
- Spelling and grammar are checked, including names and product names.
Search
- The title tag leads with the main keyword and fits in about 60 characters.
- The meta description is 120 to 155 characters and says what the reader gets. (SERP preview)
- The URL slug is short and readable, such as /publishing-checklist/.
- Headings follow a logical H2 and H3 order, with no skipped levels.
- Questions from “People also ask” are answered somewhere in the article.
Formatting and media
- Paragraphs are short enough to read on a phone, about four lines or fewer.
- Images are compressed and sized for the layout (under about 200 KB each is a good target).
- Every meaningful image has alt text describing what it shows.
- Tables, lists and callouts are used where they make scanning easier.
- The article looks right on a phone. Check it, don’t assume.
Links
- Two to five internal links point to related guides, using descriptive anchor text.
- At least one older article now links to this new one.
- External links go to original sources and open correctly.
- Affiliate and sponsored links are marked (rel=”sponsored”) and disclosed.
After publishing
- Share it with your email list and in the one or two places your readers actually spend time, then put a reminder in your calendar to review the article’s performance in 30 days.
Keep a refresh schedule
Publishing is not the finish line. Articles with prices, product picks, screenshots or dates go stale. Review important articles every six to twelve months: update facts, replace outdated sections, recheck the search results for intent changes, and change the “updated” date only when you have made real changes.