Mastheads™
Studio
All ten editorial desks
Desk VI of X

QA Desk

The QA Desk checks that the article fulfils its promise to the reader.

  • Every article
  • One desk, one job
  • Live
Where it sits
  1. IEditorial Director
  2. IISource Desk
  3. IIIPlanning Desk
  4. IVWriters Desk
  5. VFact Desk
  6. VIQA Desk
  7. VIIEditor-in-Chief
  8. VIIIStandards Desk
  9. IXArt Desk
  10. XProduction Desk

The QA Desk receives the checked article from the Fact Desk and hands its work to the Editor-in-Chief.

What it does

The QA Desk checks whether the whole article delivers the answer its headline or search result promised. A reader arrives with that promise, and the desk reads the article as someone searching for the subject would.

The QA Desk removes filler and prepares the title, description, keywords and web address that appear in search, so the result sets an honest expectation and the article meets it. Without that check, a result could promise one subject while the article leads with another, or filler could stand between the reader and the answer.

One desk, one job. Nothing inside it is split into roles.

What it takes in

The QA Desk receives the article checked by the Fact Desk, the subject the reader searched for and whether your headline is locked. It reads the whole article to decide whether it fulfils the promise made to someone searching for that subject.

What it hands on

The QA Desk hands the Editor-in-Chief a tighter article and a verdict on whether it serves the search. Filler is cut, but nothing is added or reworded, and every source link stays in place. A locked headline stays exactly as you wrote it. When the headline is open, the desk offers a clearer one only if it is materially better. It also supplies the search title, description, keywords and a clean, readable web address. The title and description are checked together against the headline and kept within the space a results page provides. If they have moved to another subject, the headline is used in search and the description is marked for review.

What it guarantees

4 things it holds to, on every article it touches.

  • Locked headlines stay unchanged.

    A locked headline stays exactly as you wrote it.

  • Every paragraph change is a cut.

    Filler comes out, but nothing is added or reworded. Every source link stays in place.

  • Search results match the article.

    The title and description are checked together against the headline. If they move to another subject, the headline replaces the search title and the description is marked for review.

  • Search details fit their space.

    Each detail stays within the space a results page provides, and the web address stays clean and readable.

One example

An article covers a new rule for home insurance, but its proposed search title and description lead with a side issue. The QA Desk restores the article headline as the search title and marks the description for review. Searchers then see a promise the article fulfils.

On your article

The article carries the prepared search title, description, keywords and clean web address. If the title and description move away from the headline's subject, the headline is used in search and the description is marked for review.

Live. It works on every article.

Questions

What people ask about the QA Desk.

What is the Mastheads QA Desk?
The Mastheads QA Desk is the sixth of the ten editorial desks, and it checks that an article fulfils the promise that brought the reader to it. It reads the whole article, removes filler and prepares the title, description, keywords and web address that appear in search. It prepares every Mastheads article for search and readers.
How does the QA Desk check search intent?
The Mastheads QA Desk checks search intent by reading the whole article against the subject the reader searched for. Its verdict says whether the article delivers the answer promised by the headline or search result.
Can the QA Desk change my headline?
A locked headline stays exactly as you wrote it in Mastheads. If the headline is open to change, the QA Desk offers a clearer option only when that option is materially better.
What happens when the search title leads with the wrong subject?
When the search title and description lead with a different subject than the article, the Mastheads QA Desk restores the article headline as the title shown in search. It checks the title and description together against the headline and marks the description for review.
When does Mastheads mark a meta description for review?
The Mastheads QA Desk marks the meta description for review when it and the search title have moved away from the article headline's subject. The headline is then used as the title in search.
Does the QA Desk rewrite paragraphs?
No. The Mastheads QA Desk removes filler, but it adds nothing and rewords nothing, so every paragraph change is a cut. Every source link stays in place.
What search details does Mastheads prepare for each article?
The Mastheads QA Desk prepares a search title, description, keywords and a clean, readable web address for each article. The title and description are checked together against the headline and kept within the space a results page provides.
Is the Mastheads QA Desk an SEO tool?
The Mastheads QA Desk prepares an article's search title, description, keywords and web address and checks the article against its search promise. Mastheads is not an SEO tool suite, so it offers no keyword research, topical maps or rank tracking.
Where does the QA Desk sit among the Mastheads desks?
The Mastheads QA Desk receives the checked article from the Fact Desk and hands its work to the Editor-in-Chief. It passes on a tighter article, a verdict on whether the article serves the search, and the search title, description, keywords and web address.
What does the QA Desk's work look like on a Mastheads article?
A Mastheads article carries the search title, description, keywords and clean web address that the QA Desk prepared. If the title and description move away from the headline's subject, the headline is used in search and the description is marked for review.
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