{"id":6404,"date":"2022-10-17T10:25:42","date_gmt":"2022-10-17T10:25:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/"},"modified":"2022-10-17T10:25:42","modified_gmt":"2022-10-17T10:25:42","slug":"what-is-a-content-audit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a content audit?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>How is the content on your website performing? What about that blog content you published two months ago? Two years ago?<\/p>\n<p>Is it all helping you meet your goals? Do you know \u2013 or do you have no idea?<\/p>\n<p>Then it\u2019s time for a content audit.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_81 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#What_is_a_content_audit_Why_should_you_do_one\" >What is a content audit? Why should you do one?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#4_benefits_of_doing_a_content_audit\" >4 benefits of doing a content audit<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#1_It_shows_you_which_content_needs_improvement_backed_by_data\" >1. It shows you which content needs improvement (backed by data)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#2_It_gives_you_a_birds_eye_view_of_your_content_as_a_whole\" >2. It gives you a bird\u2019s eye view of your content as a whole<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#3_A_content_audit_helps_you_optimize_your_content_so_it_performs\" >3. A content audit helps you optimize your content so it performs<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#4_It_will_improve_your_future_content_creation\" >4. It will improve your future content creation<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#When_to_do_a_content_audit\" >When to do a content audit<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#Basic_steps_of_a_content_audit\" >Basic steps of a content audit<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#Step_1_Set_goals\" >Step 1: Set goals<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#Step_2_Gather_categorize_and_organize_your_content\" >Step 2: Gather, categorize, and organize your content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#Step_3_Analyze_your_content\" >Step 3: Analyze your content<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#Step_4_Make_a_plan_based_on_your_findings\" >Step 4: Make a plan based on your findings<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#Step_6_Adjust_your_content_strategy\" >Step 6: Adjust your content strategy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#Tools_to_use_for_a_content_audit\" >Tools to use for a content audit<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#1_A_plain_old_spreadsheet\" >1. A plain old spreadsheet<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#2_Analytics_software\" >2. Analytics software<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#3_Content_quality_tools\" >3. Content quality tools<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#4_A_content_inventory_tool\" >4. A content inventory tool<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#Types_of_content_audits_and_their_associated_goals\" >Types of content audits and their associated goals<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#1_Goal_SEO\" >1. Goal: SEO<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#2_Goal_Better_engagement_and_usability\" >2. Goal: Better engagement and usability<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#3_Goal_Conversion_optimization\" >3. Goal: Conversion optimization<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/2022\/10\/17\/what-is-a-content-audit\/#What_is_a_content_audit_Answer_A_necessary_piece_of_your_content_strategy\" >What is a content audit? Answer: A necessary piece of your content strategy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_content_audit_Why_should_you_do_one\"><\/span>What is a content audit? Why should you do one?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A content audit is a systematic review of the content across your site, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Blogs.<\/li>\n<li>Landing pages.<\/li>\n<li>Product or service pages.<\/li>\n<li>Core content pages.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This review helps you understand whether your content is working to meet your goals, including reaching your desired audience.<\/p>\n<p>But that isn\u2019t all it does.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_benefits_of_doing_a_content_audit\"><\/span>4 benefits of doing a content audit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_It_shows_you_which_content_needs_improvement_backed_by_data\"><\/span>1. It shows you which content needs improvement (backed by data)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Besides showing you whether your content is working in general, a content audit also gives you concrete direction on areas you need to improve.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For example, you might find broken links you weren\u2019t previously aware of, keyword opportunities you\u2019re missing, absent <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/google-adds-new-valid-page-metadata-help-document-385049\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">metadata<\/a>, and other issues you can easily address to improve your content\u2019s usability and search visibility.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_It_gives_you_a_birds_eye_view_of_your_content_as_a_whole\"><\/span>2. It gives you a bird\u2019s eye view of your content as a whole<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you have a lot of content on your website, an audit can be a mammoth undertaking. However, completing a content audit is the only way to dig through your entire trove of content and get a true understanding of whether it\u2019s serving your business\u2026 or falling flat.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_A_content_audit_helps_you_optimize_your_content_so_it_performs\"><\/span>3. A content audit helps you optimize your content so it performs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Even if you have a very small business and not a lot of content, a content audit is still useful. It will help you optimize the content you do have so it performs at its peak.<\/p>\n<p>And content that performs is powerful.\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>It can convince prospects that your brand is trustworthy: 64% of consumers said they feel a brand is trustworthy after reading a piece of educational content from that brand. (<a href=\"http:\/\/ww2.conductor.com\/rs\/149-ZMU-763\/images\/Power_of_Content_Conductor_Research.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Conductor<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"711\" height=\"307\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/10\/conductor-consumers-trust-brand-content.png\" alt=\"Consumers trust brand content\" class=\"wp-image-388690\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li>Good content can influence purchase decisions: Consumers were 131% more likely to purchase from a brand with effective content. (Conductor)<\/li>\n<li>Optimized content is a lead machine: It brings in 3x the leads of traditional marketing but costs 62% less to maintain. (<a href=\"https:\/\/www.demandmetric.com\/content\/content-marketing-infographic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Demand Metric<\/a>)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_It_will_improve_your_future_content_creation\"><\/span>4. It will improve your future content creation<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Since a content audit helps you understand what works and what doesn\u2019t (because you\u2019ll see evidence of both across your site!), you can apply this to your future content creation for better results.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"When_to_do_a_content_audit\"><\/span>When to do a content audit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Now that you know what a content audit is and why you should do one, the next question is when.<\/p>\n<p>When is the best time to do a content audit?<\/p>\n<p>Consider these scenarios:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Your website is a few years old, and you\u2019ve never done a content audit before. (You\u2019re probably past due!)<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019re building a content strategy, and you want a clear picture of what you\u2019re working with.<\/li>\n<li>You\u2019re overhauling your content strategy or redesigning your website.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Basic_steps_of_a_content_audit\"><\/span>Basic steps of a content audit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>How does a content audit work? The basic steps include setting goals, gathering your content and data points, and critically analyzing what you discover.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Set_goals\"><\/span>Step 1: Set goals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t go into a content audit without a <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/content-goals-links-keywords-and-conversions-317497\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">clear objective<\/a>, otherwise, you won\u2019t know which types of content or data points to focus on. Figure out what you hope to get out of your content audit.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Gather_categorize_and_organize_your_content\"><\/span>Step 2: Gather, categorize, and organize your content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You need a way to compare and contrast your content pieces, have a bird\u2019s eye view of the data and categorize each piece based on the action you\u2019ll take.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Analyze_your_content\"><\/span>Step 3: Analyze your content<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Look at the data and determine which pieces you\u2019ll update, rewrite, keep, or delete.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Make_a_plan_based_on_your_findings\"><\/span>Step 4: Make a plan based on your findings<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Make a priority list for which content pieces need immediate attention, and make a plan for how you\u2019ll carry out updates and rewrites.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_6_Adjust_your_content_strategy\"><\/span>Step 6: Adjust your content strategy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>What did you learn from your content audit? Carry that forward into your future content strategy.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color\">\n<p><!-- START INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<div class=\"nl-inline-form border py-2 px-1 my-2\">\n<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-3 col-xl-4 pe-md-0 pb-2 pb-lg-0\">\n<p class=\"inline-form-text text-center mb-0\">Get the daily newsletter search marketers rely on.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-7 col-xl-6  pe-lg-0\">\n<div class=\"form-nl-inline\">\n<div class=\"row g-0\">\n<div class=\"form-group col-12 col-lg-8 mb-0\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-4 col-xl-4 mb-0\">\n<div class=\"d-none\">\n<p>Processing\u2026Please wait.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<button class=\"btn btn-dark inlineButton w-100 rounded-0 font-weight-bold\" type=\"submit\" name=\"submit_button\">SUBSCRIBE<\/button>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"col-12 col-lg-2 col-xl-2 ps-1\">\n<p class=\"text-center mb-0\"><a class=\"nl-terms\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/termsofuse\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">See terms.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- END INLINE FORM --><\/p>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-text-color has-background has-cyan-bluish-gray-background-color has-cyan-bluish-gray-color\">\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tools_to_use_for_a_content_audit\"><\/span>Tools to use for a content audit<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>When you&#8217;re ready to do your content audit, there are a few options for how you can collect URLs, data, and metrics and put it all together for optimal analysis. <\/p>\n<p>Here are a few of the tools you might need.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_A_plain_old_spreadsheet\"><\/span>1. A plain old spreadsheet<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>For a no-frills content audit \u2013 or one for a relatively small site \u2013 a plain spreadsheet is a good option.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>A spreadsheet will help you lay out your content information and data in an organized way that will make it easier to analyze.\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"138\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/10\/blog-content-audit-example-spreadsheet-800x138.png\" alt=\"Blog content audit spreadsheet\" class=\"wp-image-388691\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>This is the lowest-cost way to do a content audit since you don&#8217;t need any special tools besides Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets.<\/p>\n<p>Cons: It may be time-consuming to collect all your data manually, especially if you have more than a few dozen content pieces to audit.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Analytics_software\"><\/span>2. Analytics software<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Analytic data is important to your content audit. This includes metrics like page views, number of internal links and backlinks, bounce rate, time on page, conversion rate, average position on Google, and many more.<\/p>\n<p>You need concrete data about each piece of content so you can decide what action to take moving forward (update, rewrite, delete, or keep as-is).<\/p>\n<p>If you aren&#8217;t already tracking your content performance in a tool like Google Analytics, you can pull your various metrics from SEO tools like Semrush, Ahrefs, or SEO Site Checkup.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Content_quality_tools\"><\/span>3. Content quality tools<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>To help you quantify content quality, you may want to use some of these tools to check your content for readability, grammar and word usage, and reading level.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Yoast SEO<\/strong>: This tool analyzes your text and provides scores and suggestions to improve readability.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" width=\"535\" height=\"306\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/10\/yoast-seo-reading-scores.png\" alt=\"Yoast SEO\" class=\"wp-image-388692\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Grammarly<\/strong>: Besides checking grammar and spelling, the paid version of Grammarly offers <a href=\"https:\/\/support.grammarly.com\/hc\/en-us\/articles\/360007144751-What-is-Performance-and-how-is-it-calculated-\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">performance<\/a> scoring that can be useful to include in a content audit.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"466\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/wp-content\/seloads\/2022\/10\/grammarly-performance-scores-466x600.png\" alt=\"Grammarly performance scores\" class=\"wp-image-388693\" title=\"| Craig Hordlow\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"4_A_content_inventory_tool\"><\/span>4. A content inventory tool<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you have a large site, you may need to invest in a content inventory tool to help make your life easier. These tools use your sitemap to grab your content URLs and associated metrics automatically.<\/p>\n<p>A few good options are Screaming Frog SEO Spider and Semrush&#8217;s Content Audit Tool.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Types_of_content_audits_and_their_associated_goals\"><\/span>Types of content audits and their associated goals<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While you certainly can audit every single piece of content on your site, it&#8217;s a better idea to narrow your focus and complete an audit based on content type and goals.<\/p>\n<p>For example, audit all of your blog content, all of your landing pages, all of your product\/service pages, or all of your core content pages.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>After you choose a content type, decide which goal you&#8217;re aiming for with your content audit. Here are a few common ones:<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"1_Goal_SEO\"><\/span>1. Goal: SEO<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>When you approach a content audit with the goal of improving your <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/guide\/what-is-seo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">SEO<\/a>, you\u2019ll be concerned with how your content pieces are performing in Google. You&#8217;ll need to ask yourself if your content pieces are properly optimized for searchers <strong>and<\/strong> search engines. Look at:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Content quality.<\/li>\n<li>Word count.<\/li>\n<li>Keyword difficulty and search volume.<\/li>\n<li>Average Google position.<\/li>\n<li>Organic page views.<\/li>\n<li>Content structure and keyword optimization. (Are headers with keywords present? How is the piece organized? Is the focus keyword placed optimally?)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"2_Goal_Better_engagement_and_usability\"><\/span>2. Goal: Better engagement and usability<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>With a goal of improving engagement and usability, your content audit should focus on how your readers interact with your content \u2013 and how to increase that engagement. Look at:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Social shares.<\/li>\n<li>Time on page.<\/li>\n<li>Bounce rate.<\/li>\n<li>Conversions.<\/li>\n<li>Internal links and\/or broken links.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Specifically, look at which pieces are earning the most\/least engagement, and analyze what&#8217;s contributing to that success\/failure.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"3_Goal_Conversion_optimization\"><\/span>3. Goal: Conversion optimization<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Another goal you might shoot for with a content audit is looking at how well your content is converting, and figuring out what needs improvement. You might look at:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How well your content addresses each stage of the buyer&#8217;s journey, and whether any gaps exist<\/li>\n<li>Which pages are converting well vs. which aren&#8217;t converting, comparing metrics like:\n<ul>\n<li>Time on page.<\/li>\n<li>Bounce rate.<\/li>\n<li>Conversion rate.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_a_content_audit_Answer_A_necessary_piece_of_your_content_strategy\"><\/span>What is a content audit? Answer: A necessary piece of your content strategy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A content audit is, quite simply, the only way to understand your content at a few different levels: down in the weeds, and up from a bird&#8217;s eye view.<\/p>\n<p>Whether your site is massive or tiny, a content audit can help you understand what you have, what you need, what you don&#8217;t need, and what actions you can take in the future to make sure your ecosystem of content is contributing to your goals.<\/p>\n<p>Remember: There isn&#8217;t one perfect or set way to do a content audit. Your audit can shift depending on the type of content you&#8217;re analyzing and the goals you hope to reach by the audit&#8217;s completion. With that in mind, tweak your content audit to suit what your site and <a href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/seo-content-strategy-grow-visits-300-one-year-282934\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">content strategy<\/a> demand.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, don&#8217;t shrug aside doing regular content audits. One-and-done will only help your site\/business for a limited time. As your content keeps growing, you need to keep taking snapshots of how it&#8217;s working, continually tweaking and course correcting.<\/p>\n<p>Content audits are integral to a well-oiled content strategy \u2013 don&#8217;t neglect this task, and you&#8217;ll see results.<\/p>\n<p>The post <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/what-is-a-content-audit-388544\" target=\"_blank\">What is a content audit?<\/a> appeared first on <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" href=\"https:\/\/searchengineland.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Search Engine Land<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>How is the content on your website performing? What about that blog content you published two months ago? Two years ago? Is it all helping you meet your goals? Do you know \u2013 or do you have no idea? Then it\u2019s time for a content audit. What is a content audit? Why should you do one? A content audit is a systematic review of the content across your site, including: Blogs. Landing pages. Product or service pages. Core content pages. This review helps you understand whether [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"h5ap_radio_sources":[],"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-best-seo-blogs"],"featured_image_src":null,"featured_image_src_square":null,"author_info":{"display_name":false,"author_link":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/author\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6404\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/craighordlow.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}