How do I hand over my content site’s editorial calendar and keyword research?

Start with the calendar. Show what is planned, in progress, published and set aside, and add the reason behind each topic. A bare list of titles tells the buyer little. A note such as which reader question it answers, or which earlier piece it supports, helps them continue your thinking. Include any notes about topics that proved harder than expected, so the buyer does not spend weeks repeating the same experiment.

For the keyword research, hand over the original spreadsheet along with how you gathered it, which tools you used, and how you ranked ideas. Mark the topics you have already covered, the ones you chose to avoid, and the ones you expected to try next. Include any unfinished briefs and drafts. Share how often you refresh the keyword list, and what signals told you a topic had run out of room.

Add a page of judgment. How do you choose between topics? What do you look for in a competitor’s page before writing your own? Which approaches have worked for you and which flopped? This is knowledge the files themselves will not show. Agree in the sale terms how long you will be available for questions.

Key takeaways

• Share live files with status marks and the reason behind each topic.
• Include your method for choosing and ranking keyword ideas.
• Work through one new article together before you step away.