Free template
Free, ready-to-use content publishing SOP template for marketing teams. Standardize your blog and article workflow from brief to publish. Copy, customize, or create it in Folge with screenshots and checklists.
A Content Publishing Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a documented process that marketing and content teams follow to plan, write, review, optimize, and publish content consistently across every channel.
Without a content publishing SOP template, quality varies from post to post, SEO steps get skipped, and approvals bottleneck in someone's inbox. This template gives your team a repeatable workflow so every blog post, article, and landing page meets the same standard before it goes live. Pair it with an SEO SOP for end-to-end search optimization.
Standardize the end-to-end workflow from content brief through publish and promotion
Give external contributors a clear process so drafts arrive ready for review
Ensure every piece of content is optimized for search before it goes live
Maintain consistent quality, formatting, and brand voice across all authors
Purpose: To ensure every piece of content is planned, written, reviewed, optimized, and published to a consistent standard
Scope: Content marketing, SEO, editorial, and social media staff involved in blog posts, articles, and landing pages
Time Required: Typically 3–10 business days per piece, depending on length and review cycles
Tools Needed: CMS (WordPress, Webflow, etc.), SEO tool (Ahrefs, SEMrush), grammar checker (Grammarly, Hemingway), project management tool, social media scheduler
Action:
Expected Outcome: Writer has a complete brief with topic, keyword, outline, and deadline so they can begin drafting immediately
Action:
Expected Outcome: A complete first draft that follows the brief, matches brand guidelines, and is ready for editorial review
Action:
Expected Outcome: Content is accurate, polished, and approved by the editorial team with no outstanding revisions
Action:
Expected Outcome: Content is fully optimized for search engines with proper metadata, heading structure, and keyword placement
Action:
Expected Outcome: Content looks correct in the CMS, all links work, and the page renders properly on all screen sizes
Action:
Expected Outcome: Content is live, distributed across relevant channels, and the team is aware of the new publication
Action:
Expected Outcome: Content is error-free post-launch, performance is tracked, and a refresh cycle is in place
Never start writing without a content brief. A clear brief with topic, keyword, audience, and outline prevents rework and keeps everyone aligned.
A documented brand style guide ensures consistent tone, formatting, and terminology across all authors and content types.
SEO should happen before you hit publish, not after. Build keyword research, metadata, and link checks into your workflow.
Most readers will see your content on a phone. Always preview on mobile before publishing to catch layout and readability issues.
Use Folge to capture your actual CMS workflow with screenshots so new team members can follow the exact steps in your tools.
Set a reminder to review and update published content every 6–12 months. Outdated content loses rankings and reader trust.
Capture your real content publishing workflow with screenshots. Add annotations, checklists, and export to PDF or your wiki.
A content publishing SOP should cover every stage from briefing and writing through editorial review, SEO optimization, CMS setup, publishing, distribution, and post-publish monitoring. Include checklists for each step so nothing gets skipped, and define who is responsible at each stage.
It depends on content length and review complexity. A standard blog post typically takes 3–5 business days from brief to publish. Longer guides or pieces requiring subject-matter review may take 7–10 days. Building buffer time for revisions prevents last-minute rushes.
Use Folge to record your screen while you walk through each step in your CMS, SEO tool, and social media scheduler. Folge captures screenshots automatically and creates a step-by-step guide your team can follow. This is far more effective than text-only documentation because new team members can see exactly what each screen looks like.
Review your SOP every quarter or whenever you change tools, platforms, or team structure. If your team switches CMS, adds a new approval step, or changes SEO tools, update the SOP immediately so it stays accurate and useful.
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