Copyable content-planning columns
Page or working title | URL | Reader question | Page purpose | Evidence and source links | Owner | Editor/fact checker | Status | Next action | Due date | Publish date | Review trigger
Keep the status choices few and defined—for example, Brief, Draft, Edit, Fact check, Approved, Scheduled and Live. “In progress” is less helpful if it does not say who must act next. For an existing page, fill in its current URL and decide whether to update, combine or retire it before commissioning another article on the same question.
Example row for a planned page
Suppose a service firm keeps receiving questions about what a maintenance plan includes. A planning row could say: Page: Maintenance plan explained; URL: existing service page or a proposed new path; Reader question: Which tasks and response times are included? Purpose: help a prospect assess fit before enquiring; Evidence: current contract terms and service-team review; Owner: marketing; Next action: confirm exclusions and response times; Review trigger: a plan or price change. This is an illustrative brief, not a claim about a real business.
The row makes a missing fact visible before writing. If the service team cannot confirm the terms, the editor should hold that claim instead of filling the gap with generic reassurance.
Move each item through a clear workflow
- Brief: define the reader question and what the page must establish.
- Draft: answer the question early and mark claims that need evidence.
- Edit: check usefulness, duplication, structure and links.
- Fact check: verify changing facts and the cited source behind each important claim.
- Approve: get the accountable owner’s sign-off before scheduling.
- Publish and review: check the live page and set the next content check.
The separate website content strategy template helps decide which pages deserve priority. This calendar handles who will produce them and when. For a more detailed handoff between writing and editing, use the content creation workflow.
Review the calendar without manufacturing output
A weekly check can focus on blocked items, overdue source checks and pages that are scheduled with unverified facts. A monthly review can compare published pages with their stated purpose. Search impressions, clicks or enquiries may be useful, but no single number proves that a page caused a business result. Record the date and nature of substantial changes so you can interpret later performance.
A spreadsheet is enough until the team needs more permissions, automation or reporting. The best template is the one that makes an editor’s next decision and a source gap visible. Do not add columns solely because a project tool offers them.
Frequently asked questions
What should a website content planning template include?
Use columns for the page, URL, reader question, purpose, sources, owner, editor, status, next action, dates and review trigger. Add only fields your team will use.
How is a content plan different from a content strategy?
A strategy sets audience, goals and page priorities. A content plan assigns specific page work, owners, stages and dates to execute that strategy.
Should every planned article have a target keyword?
Record the reader question and relevant search terms when search is a distribution channel. Do not force a keyword into a page whose real purpose is support, navigation or conversion.
What status labels work for an editorial calendar?
A small set such as Brief, Draft, Edit, Fact check, Approved, Scheduled and Live can show where work is blocked. Define who owns the next action.
When should a scheduled page be fact checked again?
Recheck changing details such as prices, rules, product features and dates shortly before publication. Set a later review trigger for the live page.
Can I use a spreadsheet for content planning?
Yes. A shared spreadsheet can manage a small editorial calendar if owners, status, sources and next actions are kept current.
Lorelei has been an online entrepreneur, marketer and writer since 2006. Her biggest passion is WordPress, which is why she switched to being a full-time blogger 20 years ago and hasn’t looked back since. With so many years of experience behind her, she is an expert in copywriting, SEO, marketing and business strategies.
