Start with the article job
Confirm the article has a clear purpose: answer a buyer question, support a priority page, explain a category, compare options, or solve an implementation problem.
If the article job is unclear, do not polish the draft first. Rework the brief so the page has one primary intent.
Review substance before style
Read for usefulness before editing voice. Check whether the article answers the question, gives enough context, avoids filler, and includes concrete examples or constraints.
Generic AI drafts often sound smooth while saying little. The QA pass should catch that before tone editing makes the draft feel more finished than it is.
Check claims and sources
Mark claims that need support, verify source quality, remove unsupported statements, and make sure cited material matches the point being made.
Definitions, statistics, platform behavior, pricing, technical limits, legal references, and time-sensitive claims need especially careful review.
Check structure and search intent
The article should answer the main question near the top, use descriptive headings, and avoid mixing unrelated intents.
If readers searching the target query need a checklist, comparison, or implementation guide, the structure should match that need.
Check internal links
Confirm the article links to relevant service, guide, comparison, or product pages and that existing related pages can link back after publication.
Internal links should help the reader understand the site, not just repeat target keywords.
Check publishing readiness
Before handoff, confirm the title, meta description, headings, internal links, image notes, CMS fields, and approval status are ready.
The reviewer should be able to see what passed, what changed, and what still needs client approval.