{"id":6759,"date":"2022-03-04T01:56:42","date_gmt":"2022-03-04T08:56:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/?p=6759"},"modified":"2024-01-18T16:25:06","modified_gmt":"2024-01-18T23:25:06","slug":"content-clean-up-time-content-audits-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vdigitalservices.com\/content-clean-up-time-content-audits-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Step-by-Step Guide to Conducting a Content Audit"},"content":{"rendered":"

(Updated: Match 4, 2022)<\/em><\/p>\n

When crafting an effective content strategy, there\u2019s no such thing as a \u201cset it and forget it\u201d option. It might <\/span>seem <\/span><\/i>like it would be easier to create, post, and be done with content, but that approach isn\u2019t going to get you anywhere near your short- or long-term goals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Instead, a truly successful content marketing plan includes regular \u201ccheck-ups\u201d to ensure your strategy and body of content are both on track. A content audit (sometimes called a \u201ccontent inventory\u201d is the key to assessing content performance, measuring progress, and taking smart steps towards a better SEO content strategy.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is a Content Audit?<\/h2>\n

A website content audit is a process used to analyze all of your website’s content systematically.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are a few key objectives to conducting a content audit, including:<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  • Pinpoint strengths and challenges in your current content strategy<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Find ways to optimize your current content development workflow\/approach<\/span><\/li>\n
  • Make targeted adjustments to better align your content plan with your marketing goals<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

     <\/p>\n

    This guide will break down how to conduct a website content audit to support your progress towards 2022 business goals. With this step-by-step explanation of the content audit process, you\u2019ll be ready to examine all of your content with a critical and well-informed eye.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"H2-How<\/p>\n

    How Does a Content Audit Work?<\/h2>\n

    There are several ways to tackle a content audit, and we\u2019re going to walk you through a detailed explanation in the next section. But in general, as you sort through content, you\u2019re going to keep four primary categories in mind. Much like a closet cleanout, you\u2019re aiming to put every single item into one of a few \u201cpiles\u201d:<\/span><\/p>\n

      \n
    • Remove<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Keep<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Improve<\/span><\/li>\n
    • Consolidate\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

       <\/p>\n

      As you examine each piece, you can ask yourself direct questions to guide the sorting process:<\/span><\/p>\n

        \n
      • Does the content piece serve a clear purpose, both in terms of SEO and content strategy?<\/span>\n
          \n
        • If <\/span>NO, <\/b>then it may be time to <\/span>Remove <\/b>it.<\/span><\/li>\n
        • If <\/span>YES, <\/b>then it could be a good piece to <\/span>Keep.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
        • Does the content piece have a solid foundation but could benefit from some improvement? For example, could the piece use some restructuring, edits for voice or style, a good grammar and spelling clean-up, or even some updated keywords?<\/span>\n
            \n
          • If <\/span>YES, <\/b>then the piece could be one to <\/span>Improve.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
          • Are there multiple content pieces that share similar goals and subjects?\u00a0<\/span>\n
              \n
            • If <\/span>YES, <\/b>you might want to <\/span>Consolidate <\/b>the pieces to maximize their SEO impact and streamline your overall body of content.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

               <\/p>\n

              Keeping these basic guidelines in mind can help you evaluate and sort content with confidence. Remember, even though disposing of content can feel like you\u2019re \u201cwasting\u201d prior efforts, it\u2019s an important step in creating a stronger, more effective content collection overall.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

              Quality, not quantity, is the target you aim for in the content auditing process.<\/span><\/p>\n

              How to Do a Content Audit: A Step-by-Step Guide<\/h2>\n

              Learning how to audit website content is much simpler if you have a clear plan of action. If you\u2019re organized in your approach, you\u2019ll use your time and energy far more effectively \u2013 and the overall experience is likely to go much smoother.<\/span><\/p>\n

              There are five essential steps in a content audit:<\/span><\/p>\n

                \n
              1. Identify goals and metrics<\/span><\/li>\n
              2. Inventory website content<\/span><\/li>\n
              3. Gather and analyze relevant data<\/span><\/li>\n
              4. Use what you\u2019ve learned to create a plan of action<\/span><\/li>\n
              5. Adapt your content marketing strategy as needed<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                Step 1: Identify goals and metrics<\/h3>\n

                Anytime you\u2019re preparing to tackle a major task, it\u2019s wise to begin by outlining defined objectives \u2013 as they say, keep your eye on the prize.<\/span><\/p>\n

                First, ask yourself what your business goals are and what results you hope to achieve with a content audit. What benefits are you looking to gain? Your answers to these questions can help you <\/span>determine clear goals<\/b> for a website content audit.<\/span><\/p>\n

                For example, here are some examples of content audit goals and how you would go about achieving each one:<\/span><\/p>\n

                Goal: Improve search engine optimization (SEO)<\/h4>\n

                An SEO content audit can boost your overall SEO results.<\/span><\/p>\n

                  \n
                • First, you would identify the web pages with the strongest SEO potential for ranking in the top 10 of search results.<\/span><\/li>\n
                • Then, figure out which content pieces you need to improve, consolidate, or remove.<\/span><\/li>\n
                • Check your internal linking, and optimize wherever possible.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                  Goal: Support increased audience engagement.<\/h4>\n

                  When your content effectively engages your target audience, it can create a domino effect of positive results.<\/span><\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • First, find out which types of content are most engaging for your specific audience.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  • Identify the topics your target users are most interested in.<\/span><\/li>\n
                  • Figure out which content types generate the highest levels of social engagement.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    Goal: Boost conversion rate<\/h4>\n

                    Your conversion rate is a major marker of a successful strategy, and a content audit can help you see measurable growth.<\/span><\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • Find the web pages that deliver the ideal user experience for your website visitors.<\/span><\/li>\n
                    • Then, pinpoint the content that is generating the highest number of leads.<\/span><\/li>\n
                    • Match up each stage of the buyer\u2019s journey with the most efficient type of content.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                       <\/p>\n

                      After choosing a goal for your content audit, you can then select the most suitable metrics to measure your progress. Typically, content marketing metrics fall into one of four primary categories:<\/span><\/p>\n

                        \n
                      1. SEO: <\/b>Organic traffic, keyword rankings, backlinks, dwell time, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n
                      2. User behavior:<\/b> Bounce rate, average session duration, page views, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n
                      3. Engagement:<\/b> Social media platform likes, shares, mentions, comments, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n
                      4. Sales:<\/b> Conversion rate, number of leads, ROI, etc.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                         <\/p>\n

                        Each of these categories is made up of metrics helpful in analyzing and reaching specific types of goals. For instance, if your goal is to find the content topics that are most popular with your target users (so you can create more content focusing on these topics), you\u2019ll look at engagement and user behavior metrics.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

                        Step 2: Inventory website content<\/h3>\n

                        When you inventory your content, you usually aren\u2019t going to assess every piece that exists on your website \u2013 that would be a massive amount of content to wade through. Rather, it\u2019s more productive to choose certain content for review.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        You might opt to audit internal website content, like product descriptions, landing pages, and blog posts. Or, you could conduct an inventory of externally-published content. Depending on your end goal, you might be taking a closer look at other content types, such as PDFs, videos, or even interactive pieces.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        In this guide, we\u2019re focusing on how to perform an audit for all of your website\u2019s textual content.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        First, collect URLs for all of your content pieces. <\/b>Using the online content tool of your choice (such as SEMrush Content Audit), collect all of the URLs for the web pages you are going to analyze. Several online content tools will dramatically speed up the process by using your sitemap data to generate a URL list that includes related metrics. <\/span>
                        \n<\/span>
                        \n<\/span>If you don\u2019t have a sitemap, creating one is a top priority. Not only is it helpful for content auditing, but it\u2019s also essential for your search visibility. You can find sitemap generators online, as well as different free WordPress plugins for sitemaps. After you\u2019ve generated your sitemap, don\u2019t forget to submit it to Google Search Console as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

                        After you have a list of URLs, catalog the content.<\/b> Once you have all of your URLs, you\u2019ll be sorting them according to different criteria. You can use either a spreadsheet, a content audit template, or an online tool to complete this step, and you\u2019re free to choose which category\/categories you want to sort into:<\/span><\/p>\n

                          \n
                        1. Content types (product description, landing page, blog post)<\/span><\/li>\n
                        2. Stage of buyer\u2019s journey (awareness, consideration, decision)<\/span><\/li>\n
                        3. Format (text only, with or without a call-to-action, videos\/images included)<\/span><\/li>\n
                        4. Number of words<\/span><\/li>\n
                        5. Date published<\/span><\/li>\n
                        6. Author\/creator<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                           <\/p>\n

                          We also recommend collecting metadata for your content pieces to confirm the accuracy and make any updates with ease.<\/span><\/p>\n

                          Set up columns to <\/span>collect and organize the data for each URL<\/b> (content pieces). There\u2019s not necessarily just one \u201cright\u201d way to do this; simply choose an organizational method that makes the most sense for you. You will be adding more columns as we move forward, so take that into account.<\/span><\/p>\n

                          \"H3-Step<\/p>\n

                          Step 3: Collect and analyze content data<\/h3>\n

                          Data collection<\/b> is the part of content auditing that takes the most time, largely because it requires you to hunt down data from several different sources. Some content audit tools will automate data collection, using your metrics and goals as a guide, so that\u2019s one way to save time if needed.<\/span>
                          \n<\/span>
                          \n<\/span>Depending on what you\u2019re hoping to achieve with the audit, some tools you can use include:<\/span><\/p>\n