Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Web Content Assistant
💰 $ - $
🎯 Role Definition
The Web Content Assistant supports content creation, publishing, optimization, and maintenance across web properties. This role is responsible for producing SEO-friendly copy, publishing in a CMS, tagging and metadata, managing rich media and accessibility, and working with stakeholders to improve user experience and conversion. The ideal candidate has hands-on CMS experience (WordPress, Drupal or similar), strong copyediting skills, basic HTML/CSS familiarity, and a data-driven mentality using Google Analytics and SEO tools to measure impact.
Primary SEO and keyword targets: web content assistant, CMS publishing, SEO copywriting, content optimization, Google Analytics, accessibility, metadata, content governance, content operations.
📈 Career Progression
Typical Career Path
Entry Point From:
- Junior Content Writer / Copywriter
- Marketing Coordinator with content responsibilities
- Editorial Assistant or Communications Assistant
Advancement To:
- Web Content Specialist / Content Editor
- SEO Content Strategist
- Digital Content Manager / Content Operations Manager
Lateral Moves:
- Social Media Specialist
- UX Content Designer / UX Writer
- Localization / Translation Coordinator
Core Responsibilities
Primary Functions
- Plan, create, and publish high-quality, SEO-optimized web copy including landing pages, product descriptions, blog posts, FAQs, help articles, and promotional pages while maintaining brand voice and tone across multiple web properties.
- Manage content within the content management system (CMS) — create, edit, format, schedule, and publish pages in WordPress, Drupal, or the organization’s enterprise CMS following established templates and workflows.
- Write compelling headlines, meta titles, meta descriptions, and structured metadata (tags, categories, schema markup where applicable) to improve search visibility and click-through rates.
- Perform routine content audits to identify outdated pages, thin content, duplicate content, and opportunities for consolidation or refreshes; prepare prioritized remediation plans and implement changes.
- Optimize on-page SEO including keyword placement, internal linking, header structure (H1–H6), alt text for images, URL slugs, and canonical tags in coordination with SEO strategy.
- Conduct content QA (quality assurance) before publish: proofread copy for grammar and style, validate links, test multimedia playback, check responsive rendering, and ensure accurate metadata and redirects.
- Collaborate with SEO managers, UX designers, product owners, and subject matter experts to translate business or campaign requirements into content briefs and page-level copy that support conversion goals.
- Upload, compress, caption, and manage images, video, and other multimedia assets; ensure correct file naming, alt text descriptions, accessibility attributes, and performance-optimized formats.
- Monitor site performance and content KPIs using Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and other analytics platforms — generate weekly or monthly reports on traffic, engagement, bounce rate, and conversions to inform content decisions.
- Implement and maintain accessibility best practices (WCAG 2.1 AA where applicable) across content: ensure semantic HTML, alt attributes, captioning transcripts for multimedia, and clear navigational structure.
- Maintain and enforce content governance, editorial calendars, style guides, and naming conventions; onboard new contributors to CMS workflows and editorial standards.
- Support SEO testing and A/B experiments by preparing content variations, integrating tracking parameters, and collaborating with CRO or analytics teams to analyze results and iterate.
- Execute small-scale content migrations, page builds, and template updates in coordination with development teams; prepare content packs and validate content integrity during site moves or redesigns.
- Manage and monitor redirects, 404s, and broken links; coordinate with engineering and devops to implement server-side fixes or large-scale redirects as needed.
- Localize web content by coordinating with translation vendors or localization tools (e.g., Smartling, Transifex), ensuring translated pages are published correctly and tagged for target locales.
- Respond to stakeholder content change requests and urgent updates (product recalls, legal notices, campaign launches) with rapid turnaround while ensuring brand and legal compliance.
- Maintain and update knowledge base and help center articles: improve searchability, add step-by-step instructions, update screenshots, and triage user feedback to reduce support tickets.
- Create and maintain templates, reusable components, and content blocks in the CMS to accelerate publishing while ensuring consistency across pages and campaigns.
- Liaise with marketing and social teams to repurpose web content into email, social posts, and paid media copy — ensure messaging aligns and tracking parameters are applied.
- Track and apply content-related legal and regulatory requirements (privacy notices, copyright, terms and conditions) and coordinate with legal/compliance teams when required.
- Support ongoing content strategy by researching competitors, monitoring SERPs, and compiling keyword opportunities, content gaps, and topic clusters to recommend new pages or content updates.
Secondary Functions
- Assist in ad-hoc content analytics and reporting requests; prepare slide decks and summaries for product or marketing leadership.
- Contribute to the content roadmap, prioritizing updates that align with SEO and business goals.
- Support stakeholder training and documentation for CMS users and new content contributors.
- Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies when publishing tasks relate to product or engineering sprints.
- Help triage site content incidents (e.g., accidental publishing, broken images) and coordinate rapid rollback or fixes with the web operations team.
- Maintain a library of approved images, icons, and design assets in shared repositories and ensure proper usage licensing.
- Participate in cross-functional workshops to define content requirements for new features, landing pages, or international launches.
- Conduct lightweight user research (surveys, heatmaps, session replays) to collect qualitative feedback on content clarity and navigation.
- Coordinate with external agencies, freelancers, and contractors for content creation, editing, and localization assignments.
- Support SEO migrations by validating redirects, updating sitemaps, and checking Google indexing status after structural changes.
Required Skills & Competencies
Hard Skills (Technical)
- Content Management Systems (CMS): practical publishing and templating experience with WordPress, Drupal, Sitecore, Contentful, or similar enterprise CMS platforms.
- SEO fundamentals and tools: on-page SEO, keyword research, meta tags, and experience with SEMrush, Ahrefs, Moz, or similar tools and Google Search Console.
- Web analytics: proficiency with Google Analytics (GA4 preferred), Google Tag Manager, and the ability to extract insights and build basic reports.
- Basic HTML/CSS: ability to edit HTML snippets, fix simple markup issues, and apply inline styling responsibly; comfortable troubleshooting spacing, headings, and link targets.
- Metadata and structured data: experience adding meta titles/descriptions, alt text, and implementing basic schema.org markup for articles, products, and FAQs.
- Accessibility (a11y): working knowledge of WCAG principles and techniques to create perceivable and operable web content.
- Multimedia handling: image optimization, basic image editing (Photoshop, Affinity, or equivalent), video captioning and embedding best practices.
- Content governance and editorial tooling: experience managing editorial calendars, style guides, content auditing tools, and version control for content.
- Localization and CMS internationalization: familiarity with translation workflows, language tagging, and in-CMS locale management.
- Conversion optimization basics: understanding of A/B testing workflows, UTM parameters, and how content influences funnels and CTAs.
- Basic scripting or templating (optional but valuable): comfort with Liquid, Handlebars, or CMS templating languages is a plus.
- Familiar with SEO and content quality testing tools: Screaming Frog, Sitebulb, Lighthouse, or similar technical SEO utilities.
Soft Skills
- Excellent copyediting and proofreading skills with strong attention to grammar, style, punctuation, and tone.
- Strong written and verbal communication; able to translate technical or product information into clear, customer-focused content.
- Detail-oriented with a commitment to content accuracy, brand consistency, and compliance.
- Time management and prioritization: able to juggle multiple publishing deadlines and urgent change requests.
- Collaborative mindset: comfortable working with cross-functional teams including SEO, product, design, engineering, and legal.
- Problem-solving and critical thinking: diagnose content issues, recommend pragmatic solutions, and iterate based on data.
- Adaptability and learning agility: keep up-to-date with SEO algorithm changes, CMS updates, and web best practices.
- Customer-focused empathy: craft content that anticipates user needs and reduces friction in the user journey.
- Project coordination: experience coordinating small projects, tracking tasks, and ensuring on-time delivery.
- Discretion and judgment when handling sensitive or regulated content (legal, financial, or healthcare).
Education & Experience
Educational Background
Minimum Education:
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience in Communications, Journalism, Marketing, English, Digital Media, or related field; relevant professional experience may substitute for formal education.
Preferred Education:
- Bachelor's degree in Marketing, Digital Communications, Journalism, Information Science, or similar; certifications in SEO, Google Analytics, or HubSpot are a plus.
Relevant Fields of Study:
- Communications and Journalism
- Marketing and Digital Marketing
- English, Creative Writing, or Technical Writing
- Information Science or Human-Computer Interaction
- Multimedia Design or Web Development fundamentals
Experience Requirements
Typical Experience Range:
- 1–4 years of professional experience in web content production, CMS publishing, or digital marketing roles.
Preferred:
- 2+ years working with modern CMS platforms and demonstrated experience optimizing content for SEO and accessibility. Experience in e-commerce, SaaS, publishing, or enterprise websites preferred.