The Edit step turns a rough draft into a finished post by cutting, not adding. You edit what you wrote, keep the locked outline as it is, and work in order of importance: the opening first, then the main content, then the ending.
This is the step that makes customers like the post: it gets shorter, tight, just enough and straight to the point, without drifting from the message.
Before you begin
- You have a locked outline (see How to build an outline from a one-line topic).
- You have a rough draft written from that outline, long and not yet edited (see How to write a draft in one go from the outline). The thicker the draft, the stronger the post you squeeze out of it; squeeze a draft that is already thin and the post comes out paper thin.
Steps
Tighten the opening first
The opening is the most important part of the Edit step and takes the most time, so do it first. The outline has no opening; now that the draft is full, you can see what the post really says. Ask AI to read the draft and suggest a few highlights, then rewrite it yourself, in your own words: AI struggles to write a good opening, because it takes real feeling for the reader.
The opening is short, just enough to lead the reader into the main content. It names the exact problem the reader has so they feel understood, then points straight to the solution. Too long, and readers leave before they reach the main part, and you lose your chance to make your case.
Find repeated ideas
Read the main content again and mark the places that say one idea two or three times. AI does this very fast: give it the draft and ask it to point out the parts that repeat an idea and suggest how to tighten them. You decide which sentences to keep.
Cut the extra
Cut the repeats, the parts that are hard to follow, the parts only you understand, and the parts only loosely tied to the idea. While writing you just said them because they seemed related; now read again by gut, and if it feels like too much, cut it.
AI can do a rough tightening for you, then you polish the final version. If it does worse than you would, do it yourself. Either way, do not add words to reach a length: a post is long because it has many ideas, not many words. If you want a longer post, go back to the Idea step and add ideas; the Edit step only cuts.
Switch to your customers' words
For each technical term, ask: do my customers say this word? If not, change it to the word they really use. Use words people already know; do not make up new ones. Turn long sentences into short ones. The rule is to never make customers stop and think.
Format the main content
Add lists, tables or pictures where readers need to skim fast. Tighten the wording so it is easy to follow and stays true to the big idea of each part. Keep the big idea titles exactly as they are in the outline.
Write the ending
End with one clear next step that leads the reader on: what they should read or do after this post.
Adjust the description and the SEO title
Keep the post title as it is. Make the description clearer. The SEO title has a length limit: if your post title is just right but one or two words too long, the SEO title gives you the chance to shorten it.
The four things readers skim
Readers decide to stay or leave after skimming just four things. Those four things must match and say the same idea.
| Part | Its job |
|---|---|
| Title | A promise |
| Description | A quick summary, usually the core message |
| Opening | Names the problem so readers feel understood, then points straight to the solution |
| Table of contents | The big idea titles: flowing, with a flavor of their own, unlike other posts |
Many people read only as far as the table of contents and stop. A good opening with a table of contents that is choppy, dull or like other posts still makes them leave.
Each type of post has a different opening, because readers hope for something different from a Know post, a Trust post and a Love post.
Check your edited post
- Are the big idea titles still exactly as in the outline? If you changed them, change them back; the content below was written for the old titles.
- Is the post much shorter than the draft? A 10,000-word draft usually ends up around 4,000 to 5,000 words. If it is barely shorter, go back to the step where you cut the extra.
- Is there a term customers have to read twice to get? If so, switch it to their words.
- After reading the four things above, do you want to keep reading? If not, rewrite the opening.
- Do you understand it, do your customers understand it, and do you like the post? If so, the post is ready to go on your website. This is the stopping point of the Edit step.