Website content editing

Website content editing involves taking pre-existing copy and content and refining it. Expert web copywriters like the team at 42group can transform tired copy, unfocused messaging and outdated content, creating messages that build human connections.

In the science, technology, and engineering sectors, the quality and clarity of your website copy and content directly impact your success. The precision of your message can make or break your online presence. At 42group, we understand the critical role that web content editing plays in shaping the narrative for organisations – and can help you do it better.

We explore the basics of web content editing and why 42group’s web copy editing and rewriting service is tailored for innovators and disruptors in science, tech, and engineering.

Web content: Building human connections

Your website is often the first point of contact between your organisation, brand or business and potential clients or collaborators. 

This initial touchpoint should tell them everything they need to know about your business, with key brand messages communicated in seconds.

For sectors driven by precision, like science, tech, and engineering, the margin for error in messaging is minimal. 

This is where web content editing transcends its traditional role. It’s more than a mere phase in content creation. It is a critical part of packaging up your proposition. 

So, what do web copy editors actually do? Web copy editors take the existing content you’ve created and review, refresh and refine it. It’s about improving your messaging, sharpening the focus on your audience, and maximising impact.

We call it building human connections – and it’s about cutting through the noise to convey your message.

Before we look in detail at how website copy editors work, it’s worth exploring what makes great website copy.

What makes great website copy?

We’re all individuals with our own ideas about what constitutes great website copy and content, but there are some fundamental principles for the perfect website:

When you’re dealing with sectors where complex ideas, concepts and terminology are normal, it’s easy to slide into industry-speak. But you must avoid this at all costs.

Clarity above all

When all your competitors are focusing on complexity, clarity becomes your most potent tool. 

Editing a website for clarity involves distilling complex concepts into digestible, engaging content without diluting the message’s essence. It’s a delicate balance between accuracy and accessibility. We need to stay true to what you do (integrity) while making it accessible and providing value.

The purpose is to ensure that your audience – regardless of their expertise level – has a clear understanding of your message and purpose. 

Don’t worry about losing your audience. You can increase complexity as visitors dig deeper into the site.

Consistency is key

Whether it’s the use of technical terms, the voice and tone of your content, or the formatting of your documents, consistency helps in building trust and credibility. Web editors can take copy that’s been created by multiple authors through several revisions and ensure it all speaks with one voice. 

A well-edited website should read as though it’s been crafted by a single, knowledgeable entity, even if multiple contributors have worked on it behind the scenes.

SEO: Amplifying reach, engaging your audience

Search engine optimisation (SEO) amplifies your voice and ensures it’s heard by those seeking your expertise. 

Editing content with SEO in mind involves analysing and refocusing it around specific search terms. In the wrong hands, this can read like it’s written by a computer. But, when done by experts like the 42group team, SEO optimisation is a seamless part of the content editing process. 

Our web editors spend time on your keywords, meta descriptions, and titles to boost your visibility on search engine results pages (SERPs). The key to effective web content is subtlety. Your content should still read naturally to your human audience as well as making the purpose clear to search engines.

Engagement through storytelling

Your website should have a narrative, even if the content is short. You’re taking your visitors on a journey of discovery. 

We’ve seen that editing content to weave a narrative can transform a dry presentation of facts into a compelling story. This approach not only makes your content more memorable but also helps to engender a more effective response among your audience. 

It’s important that storytelling is used intelligently and sparingly. We’ve also found that the approach suits some sectors (healthcare, for example) more than others (scientific supply organisations).

Storytelling is an important and impactful content editing strategy when used sparingly.

Accuracy and Credibility

Factual accuracy and credibility are non-negotiable elements of web content. 

Content editing in these fields involves rigorous fact-checking and the correct citation of sources. Editors here are doing the typical editorial job of ensuring accuracy, keeping a keen eye on the details and ensuring that they don’t undermine your credibility.

User experience (UX) considerations

The best content is not just informative but also easy to understand. Visitors to your website should quickly understand exactly what you do and what you want them to do. Content can help funnel users to the most important parts of your site. 

Editing with UX in mind involves structuring your content for easy scanning, using headers, bullet points, and images to break up text and guide the reader through your narrative seamlessly.

It’s a challenging process that involves the combination of UX and audience insights in combination with website design and flow.

42group’s approach to web content editing 

At 42group, we don’t just edit content; we explore it from all angles to create content that works for audiences and algorithms. 

Our approach is holistic, combining the rigour of scientific editing with the flair of storytelling. We understand that in specialist fields like science, tech, and engineering, the copy needs clarity and impact.

We don’t start tearing up your content but work through a transformation process that ensures your completed website copy delivers in every aspect we explored above.

Here’s 42group’s 5-step process for web copy editing:

1. Tailored content strategy: We begin by understanding your unique voice, your audience and what you want to say. By analysing your current site, including its performance, UX and content, we can develop a gap analysis to identify what needs to change and why. This comprehensive and structured approach to editing ensures that the content we create aligns with your brand’s identity and strategic goals.
2. Collaborative editing process: Our editing process is collaborative and transparent. We work closely with our clients, incorporating their feedback and insights to ensure the final content not only meets but exceeds their expectations. Behind every project is a set of collaborative documents where we can work with key stakeholders to share ideas and develop content approaches that fit your audience. We know that we won’t get it right the first time, which is why communication and collaboration are critical.
3. Expertise in science, tech, and engineering: We’ve got expert editors with backgrounds in science, technology, and engineering. This gives us an advantage over generalist agencies and ensures that your edited and updated website content is not only well-written but also technically sound.
4. SEO and UX integration: your audience is foremost in our editors’ minds ,but we never ignore the fundamental importance of incorporating SEO and UX best practices into our editing process. The result is refreshed content that’s engaging and inspiring and performs well on all relevant search engine queries. We can’t guarantee a #1 potion or a snippet text, but it’s what we aim for.
5. Continuous learning and adaptation: We know from over two decades of experience that science, tech, and engineering are ever-evolving, and so are we. We’re dedicated to staying in touch with the latest developments to keep your content fresh, modern and relevant. We’re members of the ABSW and work with subject matter experts when required.