Top 10 content ops platforms for agencies to scale hundreds of articles with quality control (Notion, Frase, SurferSEO, Airtable, with editorial checklist)

Running an agency that produces hundreds of articles every month? We feel you. It’s hard to keep up with quality, deadlines, SEO, and team coordination. Thankfully, content operations (content ops) platforms are here to save the day.

TL;DR

Want to publish hundreds of high-quality articles without losing your sanity? Use a mix of content ops platforms. These tools help with planning, writing, editing, and publishing at scale. We picked the top 10 options that are favorite among content teams and agencies.

Why Content Ops Platforms Matter

Content ops tools are like the glue holding your content machine together. They make sure everyone knows what to do, when to do it, and how to do it well. With the right setup, you can go from chaos to smooth workflows—without blowing your budget or time.

Here Are the Top 10 Content Ops Platforms for Agencies

1. Notion – All-in-One Workspace

Why it’s great: Notion is super flexible. You can build custom workflows, content calendars, editorial boards, and checklists all in one place. Just drag, drop, and go!

  • Create shared project dashboards
  • Add comments, assignments, and due dates
  • Use templates for writing briefs and outlines

Best for: Teams that want one tool to rule them all.

2. Airtable – Like a Spreadsheet, But Better

Why it’s great: Airtable is like your Excel sheets got superpowers. It’s fast, beautiful, and ultra-organized. You can sort articles by status, assign tasks, and even embed links to drafts and assets.

  • Custom views (calendar, Kanban, grid)
  • Collaborate with writers, editors, and designers
  • Create automated workflows with integrations

Best for: Teams obsessed with order and details.

3. Frase – AI-Powered Brief Creation

Why it’s great: Writing briefs used to take hours. With Frase, it’s done in minutes. Get an instant outline based on top search results. Add key terms and questions readers care about.

  • Create SEO-rich content briefs in one click
  • Find topic gaps and related questions
  • Collaborate inside the Frase editor

Best for: Agencies pumping out SEO content fast.

4. SurferSEO – Optimize Like a Pro

Why it’s great: SurferSEO helps your content rank. Period. It scans the top-performing pages and tells you what you need to fix—like word count, headings, and keywords.

  • Real-time content score as you write
  • Detailed keyword suggestions
  • Integrates with Google Docs and WordPress

Best for: Teams focused on SEO performance and results.

5. ClickUp – Project Management Meets Content

Why it’s great: ClickUp is like Trello, Asana, and Notion in one. Manage your content workflow with tasks, sprints, and timelines. It’s highly customizable and pretty snappy too.

  • Create dashboards to view project progress
  • Automate repetitive steps
  • Assign comments and set due dates on tasks

Best for: Agencies with complex content workflows.

6. ContentCal (now part of Adobe Express) – Social + Content Calendar

Why it’s great: Plan blog posts and social media together. Especially good for agencies doing content and marketing hand in hand.

  • Drag-and-drop publishing calendar
  • Add approval workflows for clients
  • Analytics built-in

Best for: Delivering blog + social bundles to clients.

7. Trello – Visual Content Planning

Why it’s great: Content on cards. Move them through columns like “Idea → Drafting → Editing → Published.” Simplicity is its power.

  • Add custom labels like author, deadline, SEO ready
  • Use checklists for editorial steps
  • Sync with Google Drive or Dropbox

Best for: Small teams or beginners in content ops.

8. CoSchedule – Editorial Calendar & Automation

Why it’s great: Plan, write, even push content live. Plus, it lets you reuse and recycle content with ease.

  • Powerful calendar & dashboard features
  • Integrates with WordPress and email tools
  • Create workflows and assign tasks

Best for: Teams publishing content weekly or daily.

9. Wordable – Export to WordPress in One Click

Why it’s great: Tired of copying from Google Docs to WordPress and reformatting everything? Wordable turns it into one-click magic. It keeps headlines, images, links, and formats intact.

  • Save 30+ minutes per article
  • No code needed
  • Schedule posts from within Wordable

Best for: Agencies publishing directly to WordPress blogs.

10. Grammarly Business – Final Quality Check

Why it’s great: Human editors are amazing. But they miss a few things. Grammarly Business helps catch grammar slips, awkward sentences, and even tone issues. Install it in your writing tools and boom—cleaner content.

  • Works in Google Docs, Word, email, and more
  • Custom style guide options
  • Real-time suggestions while you write

Best for: Keeping quality high across many writers.

Bonus: Editorial Checklist Template (Don’t Skip This!)

None of these tools mean anything without good processes. Every agency should have a simple but mighty editorial checklist. Here’s a sample template you can use in Notion, Trello, ClickUp, or Airtable:

  • Is the article written in brand tone?
  • Have keywords been added naturally?
  • Are intro and conclusion engaging?
  • Is every link working (internal + external)?
  • Has Grammarly or editing software been used?
  • Are images optimized and properly credited?
  • Has the article been approved by editor/client?

How to Pick the Right Platform for Your Agency

Don’t think you need to use all 10 platforms. Mix and match based on what you need. Here’s a quick tip:

  • Big team with many tasks? Use ClickUp or Airtable.
  • SEO-heavy strategy? Go for SurferSEO + Frase.
  • Need writing and planning together? Use Notion or Trello.
  • Want speed with quality? Combine Wordable + Grammarly.

Final Words

Scaling content doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. These tools keep your team aligned, your articles SEO-ready, and your clients smiling. Choose the few that fit your workflow best and get ready to scale like a pro.

Happy publishing!