CPP Web Content & SEO Proofreading 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A proofreader notices an article's internal links all use the anchor text 'read more.' What is the best correction strategy?
- Replace each anchor with the target page's primary keyword phrase (Correct answer)
- Delete all internal links to avoid over-optimization
- Change each link to 'click here for details'
- Add nofollow attributes to every internal link
Correct answer: Replace each anchor with the target page's primary keyword phrase
Descriptive, keyword-rich anchor text helps both users and search engines understand the linked page's topic.
Question 2: Which of the following title tags contains an SEO error a proofreader should correct?
- '10 Tips for Gluten-Free Baking | Healthy Kitchen'
- 'Best Running Shoes 2024 – Expert Reviews & Buying Guide'
- 'Home | Home | Home | Our Home Page' (Correct answer)
- 'How to File Your Taxes Online: A Step-by-Step Guide'
Correct answer: 'Home | Home | Home | Our Home Page'
Repeating 'Home' is keyword stuffing in the title tag and wastes the 60-character limit on redundant text.
Question 3: A copywriter has written 'their,' 'there,' and 'they're' all used correctly, but the page also has 'it's' where 'its' is needed. What type of error is this?
- Typographical error
- Homophone confusion
- Possessive apostrophe misuse (Correct answer)
- Contraction expansion error
Correct answer: Possessive apostrophe misuse
'It's' is a contraction of 'it is,' while 'its' is the possessive pronoun; using 'it's' incorrectly is a possessive apostrophe error.
Question 4: When reviewing web copy, a proofreader finds the sentence: 'Our software is used by Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, and freelancer's.' What is wrong?
- The Oxford comma is incorrectly placed
- An apostrophe is incorrectly added to a plural noun (Correct answer)
- The list should use semicolons, not commas
- Capitalization of 'Fortune 500' is incorrect
Correct answer: An apostrophe is incorrectly added to a plural noun
'Freelancers' is a simple plural and needs no apostrophe; only possessives and contractions take apostrophes.
Question 5: A FAQ page uses sentence fragments like 'Easy to use.' and 'Saves time.' as answers to full questions. In what context is this acceptable?
- Never; all web copy must use complete sentences
- Only when the fragment directly answers the question and matches the site's casual tone (Correct answer)
- Only if the fragments are placed in H2 tags
- Only when the page has fewer than 500 words
Correct answer: Only when the fragment directly answers the question and matches the site's casual tone
Short, punchy answers are common in FAQ and marketing contexts when they directly and clearly respond to the question.
Question 6: A proofreader sees that all body text on a landing page is written in ALL CAPS. What issue does this raise?
- It improves readability for mobile users
- It creates accessibility and readability problems and may read as shouting (Correct answer)
- It is acceptable for CTAs but not body text
- It has no impact on proofreading standards
Correct answer: It creates accessibility and readability problems and may read as shouting
ALL CAPS text is harder to read, violates standard style guides, and can be interpreted as aggressive tone.
Question 7: Which canonical tag scenario should a proofreader flag as incorrect?
- A page points its canonical to itself
- A paginated page (page 2) uses a canonical pointing to the root URL of the series (Correct answer)
- A translated page uses a hreflang tag alongside a canonical to the original
- A printer-friendly version canonicals to the main article page
Correct answer: A paginated page (page 2) uses a canonical pointing to the root URL of the series
Paginated pages should not canonical to the root URL; doing so signals that pages 2+ are duplicates, causing them to be deindexed.
CPP Web Content & SEO Proofreading 3
A proofreader notices an article's internal links all use the anchor text 'read more.' What is the best correction strategy?