Editorial SEO Operating Model
Split the work: SEO manager picks topics and outlines, a domain-expert writer writes, then analyze.
- Difficulty
- Moderate
- Time to result
- ~months to results
- Steps
- 4
- Confidence
- 90%
Editorial SEO fails when writers guess what to cover. The operating model separates two roles: an SEO manager who selects prioritized topics and builds the comprehensive subtopic outline, and a domain-expert writer who writes to that outline. Results feed back into the strategy. Unlike programmatic SEO, editorial skills can be picked up, so a strong content person can learn the workflow.
Origin
Ethan Smith's staffing and workflow model from editorial SEO builds at MasterClass, BetterUp and other Graphite clients.
Core principles
- 01The SEO manager owns topic selection and the subtopic outline; the writer owns the prose
- 02Writers rarely intuit the full subtopic coverage a topic needs, so the outline must be supplied
- 03Editorial SEO can be learned with the right workflow and tools; programmatic requires deep specialists
- 04Start small and scale only after leading indicators appear
How to run it
- 1
SEO manager sets prioritized topics and outline
Using the expected-conversions prioritization, pick topics, then build the outline of all subtopics the article must cover for comprehensiveness.
Pro tip The outline is the non-obvious value; a content-scoring tool helps ensure no subtopic gap.
Watch out Leaving outlining to the writer usually produces gaps (e.g. omitting butter lettuce health benefits) that cap rankings.
- 2
Domain-expert writer writes to the outline
Hand the structured outline to a writer who is ideally a domain expert, who brings the wisdom and prose the topic needs.
Pro tip On editorial (unlike programmatic) you can hire someone young and hungry; the SEO workflow can be taught.
- 3
Publish and analyze, then feed back
Publish via a CMS, analyze performance, and feed results back into topic selection and outlines.
- 4
Start small, scale on signal
Begin at ~10-30 articles a month (often ~25). Once leading indicators show pages ranking ~#5, scale toward 100+ a month based on ROI versus other channels.
Pro tip Minimum viable team is one SEO person plus one writer; Graphite typically runs 3-5 to move faster.
Watch out Writing 1,000 articles in month one, before any leading indicator, risks large wasted spend if the strategy is wrong.
In the wild
The MasterClass content team had no prior SEO expertise; Graphite shared its workflow and outlines, and the team, already strong at content and editorial strategy, learned SEO and executed it well.
→ A non-specialist content team became highly effective at editorial SEO once given the workflow and tools.
Common mistakes
Letting writers choose coverage unaided
Writers usually miss high-value subtopics, leaving content gaps that lower the content score and send searchers back to results, capping rankings.
Scaling article output before leading indicators
Committing to hundreds of articles a month before any page ranks risks huge wasted budget if the topic or page-type strategy is wrong.
Is it for you?
Best for
Companies standing up an editorial SEO function and deciding how to staff and sequence it
Not ideal for
Commerce/UGC-heavy sites whose growth is programmatic, which need specialist programmatic hires instead
From the transcript
“SEO manager does topics and an outline writer does writing”
“having the outline and the subtopics is really important”
“usually do 10 to 25 articles a month”
“one SEO person and one writer is the smallest group that you could have”
From the episode
The ultimate guide to SEO
Ethan Smith (Graphite)