SEO Copy Editor

The Motley Fool is looking for a freelance copy editor to help us polish SEO-based and Evergreen content before it’s published! We’re estimating a commitment of 30-40 hours per week for this opportunity. 

NOTE: Though this role is flexible and 100% remote, candidates must reside in the United States for consideration. 

Who we are

We are The Motley Fool, a purpose-driven financial services firm with more than 30 years of expertise. Our goal is to make the world smarter, happier, and richer by providing outstanding business and investing advice, at scale. But what does that even mean?! It means we’re helping Fools (always with a capital “F”) demystify the world of finance, beat the stock market, and achieve personal wealth and happiness. 

This team works specifically on our evergreen SEO content on Fool.com, aiming primarily at an audience.

Who we're looking for

We're looking for a Freelance Copy Editor to help ensure the accuracy and clarity of our SEO content. 

The ability to spot and fix typos as well as issues of grammar, style, tone, and clarity are table stakes, and editing online should be second nature. You'll be working alongside full-time SEO content strategists, as well as with contract writers, editors, and other copy editors, so communicating and collaborating well with other people, remotely, is also a must. You’ll also be responsible for working within our CMS (Wagtail) to ensure correct formatting and article workflow. 

Overall, This is a roll-up-your-sleeves-and-get-dirty editing job. You'll be on the lookout for problems of clarity, grammar, style, and accuracy, helping to ensure error-free and Foolish content. We’re looking for a dedicated partner who's willing to pitch in as needed to fulfill our content needs on the path to making our members smarter, happier, and richer.

Okay, but what would you actually do in this role? 

• Edit SEO article submissions for factual accuracy, analytical quality, and conformity with TMF style guidelines and editorial standards. Typos make us cringe more than emails pumping penny stocks. You have to be able to stop them dead in their tracks. (Typos that is; though if you can find a way to stop those emails, we’re all ears.)

• Render opinions on submission quality to the SEO team

• Provide feedback to authors and editors where appropriate

• Other tasks as-needed, which may include uploading submissions to Wagtail, editing, and optimizing existing submissions and content 

About You

• You're a quick learner -- and know enough to know what it is you don't know.

• You have experience with and are comfortable working in a variety of tech systems: e.g., CMSes, Wagtail, Trello. You are proficient at editing in Google Docs and using tools like Slack and Zoom to communicate.

• You're able to be patient during the occasional slow period.

• You’re easy to work with, flexible and adaptable, and open to feedback along the way. 

• You have a sense of humor and find joy in your work. 

• You're able to dedicate at least 20 hours a week to this role, with at least some of those hours falling between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET. 

Core Competencies/Requirements

• A combination of stellar editing skills and a flexible mindset; high but not rigid standards.

• Attention to detail. 

• Familiarity with SEO, and comfort with content written for the web. 

• Devotion to grammar – getting it right makes you happy. 

• Reliable, dependable, trustworthy.

• Knack for delivering feedback tactfully and receiving it gracefully. 

• Ability to prioritize and organize multiple workflows. 

• Ability to thrive in a team-oriented, remote environment. 

• Able to hit the ground running and thrive under minimal supervision.

• Experience editing financial services or (long-term) investing content is a huge plus.

• Experience fact-checking is also a huge plus.