So, you’ve got this fantastic WordPress site with awesome content, amazing design, and all the bells and whistles.
But have you ever wondered what’s going on with all that content you’ve been creating?
As the volume of content grows, ensuring its relevance, accuracy, and effectiveness becomes very important. This is where the concept of a content audit within WordPress comes into play.
In this post, we’ll discuss the ways to improve your content’s performance with regular content audits. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.
Table Of Contents
1 What is Content Audit?
A content audit is a strategic and systematic assessment of all the content assets within a website.
During a content audit, various types of content, such as articles, blog posts, images, and videos, are reviewed. The primary objective is to gain insights into the effectiveness of the existing content strategy.
2 Importance of Content Audit
According to the Semrush 2023 State of Content Marketing Report, 61% of marketers perform content audits at least twice a year.
Content audits allow the identification of high-performing content that resonates with the audience. Recognizing what works well provides valuable insights for future content creation and helps capitalize on successful strategies.
On the flip side, content audits help flag underperforming content. Whether it’s due to low engagement or outdated information, knowing what needs improvement enables organizations to enhance or repurpose content for better results.
Content audits contribute to SEO efforts by identifying keywords, optimizing metadata, and uncovering opportunities for building authoritative backlinks, thereby improving the website’s rankings.
3 How to Do Content Audit
Let us now discuss the steps by which you can perform your audit.
3.1 Define Goals and Objectives
Identify the purpose of your content audit. For instance, if your website has recently undergone a rebranding, the purpose of the content audit might be to ensure that all content aligns with the new brand messaging and visual identity.
Once the purpose is defined, setting specific goals provides a roadmap for the audit process. These goals should be measurable, achievable, and aligned with the purpose.
Examples of specific content audit goals include:
- Increase average time spent on the website by 20% within the next quarter by optimizing content layout and enhancing user experience.
- Improve organic search rankings by updating meta titles and descriptions on key landing pages based on keyword research.
- Identify and update outdated content, aiming to improve the engagement rate on important pages by 15% over the next six months.
- Enhance content diversity by creating and publishing at least two pieces of multimedia content (videos and infographics) per month.
3.2 Create an Inventory
One of the fundamental steps in a content audit is creating an inventory.
The first task is to take stock of the diverse range of content on your website. This includes blog posts, videos, images, and other content that populate your online space. By creating a comprehensive list, you get a complete view of your content, ensuring no valuable piece is left unaccounted for.
Also include the specific URLs where each piece of content resides, as well as the titles and publication dates. This additional information brings context to your inventory, making it a dynamic resource for analysis.
You can either create an inventory manually via an Excel or Google Sheets spreadsheet, or you can use an online tool like Semrush or Screaming Frog.
To export the spreadsheet, use Rank Math’s CSV Import/Export feature.
3.3 Collect and Analyze Data
Begin by pinpointing key performance indicators (KPIs) essential to understanding your content’s impact.
Metrics such as page views, time on page, bounce rate, and conversion rates serve as foundational elements. These KPIs offer insights into the effectiveness of your content and user engagement.
Utilize diverse data sources to compile a comprehensive dataset. This includes leveraging analytics tools such as Google Analytics, social media analytics, and email campaign metrics.
Navigate to your Google Analytics account and open Reports → Engagement → Pages and Screens, as shown below. Here, you can track all the key metrics for your pages.
You can also use Google Search Console to track CTR and impressions to understand how your content is performing in the search. Look for content that is not performing well and update it.
Also, assess both the quality and quantity of the backlinks. Identify backlinks that contribute positively to your website’s credibility and search engine ranking.
It is also important to examine the content to ensure it aligns with the search intent. By closely aligning content with search intent, you not only enhance the relevance of your content but also contribute to a more positive user experience. Rank Math PRO helps you optimize content by revealing the intent behind your primary keyword.
Additionally, evaluate your competitors’ content to identify areas and strategies for enhancing your performance.
You can create a content audit spreadsheet to keep track of all the details in one place, as shown below.
3.4 Create an Action Plan
Once you’ve evaluated your content, create a strategy to enhance its performance.
Begin by pinpointing the specific areas of your content that require improvement. This can be based on engagement metrics, user feedback, or alignment with your objectives. The goal is to identify the low-hanging fruit and important aspects that will contribute significantly to overall improvement.
For instance, if user feedback indicates a common issue with website navigation, addressing this usability concern becomes an important aspect of overall improvement to enhance the user experience.
Another example to consider is if your website has pages with high traffic but a high bounce rate, improving the call-to-action (CTA) or enhancing the visual appeal can be the low-hanging fruit to boost engagement.
Your action plan should align with your business goals. Consider how the proposed changes in your content strategy will contribute to achieving these objectives.
Whether it’s increased brand visibility, higher conversion rates, or improved user satisfaction, every action should be a step toward fulfilling your goals.
3.5 Adjust Your Content Marketing Strategy
Monitor your content’s performance, celebrating wins and learning from setbacks. By keeping track of your content’s performance, you can adjust your strategy to meet the needs of your audience and generate good results in search engines.
Here are a few tips you can consider for your content marketing strategy:
- Learn from your top-performing content when assessing your less successful pieces.
- Examine your competitors’ content to find areas for improvement in your performance.
- Regularly review and audit your content strategy at least once a year.
4 Deleting and Redirecting Content
Deleting and redirecting outdated content is an essential step in a content audit to maintain a website’s relevance and SEO performance.
Removing a piece of content beyond repair—whether due to outdated information, discontinued products, or obsolete guides—can help search engines recognize that your website is actively maintaining high-quality content.
However, before deleting any page, it’s important to consider its SEO value, particularly in terms of backlinks and internal links.
If a page has accumulated many backlinks or serves as a key internal link hub, deleting it outright can lead to a 404 error, negatively impacting SEO. Instead of abruptly removing such a page, a better approach is to implement a 301 redirect.
To set up a 301 redirect using Rank Math, ensure the Redirection module is enabled in the plugin’s settings.
Once activated, access the Redirections section, add the old URL as the source, and specify the destination URL where users should be redirected. Select the 301 permanent redirect option to retain the SEO benefits.
Refer to our dedicated tutorial on setting up Redirections in Rank Math.
Keeping the redirection active for at least six months to a year before completely removing the content helps search engines process the change effectively.
5 Combining Content for an Effective Content Strategy
When conducting a content audit, you may find that some articles on your website cover similar topics or compete for the same keywords.
Instead of maintaining multiple overlapping pieces, combining them into a single, more comprehensive post can improve SEO and enhance user experience.
This process involves merging content from older or redundant pages into a stronger, well-structured article and then implementing a 301 redirect from the outdated pages to the new one.
A useful way to identify content that should be merged is by analyzing Google Search Console. If multiple pages rank for the same keyword, but one page has significantly lower impressions and clicks, it may be a candidate for consolidation.
Additionally, if your content includes yearly updates—such as event results or industry trends—it’s useful to maintain a single evergreen page that is updated annually.
With Rank Math, you can automate the process of updating the SEO title to reflect the current year dynamically, eliminating the need for manual edits each time a new year begins. Navigate to your post or page, and in the General tab of Rank Math meta box, select the variable %currentyear% to update the current year.
6 Updating Content for an Effective Content Audit
Search algorithms favor fresh content, so regularly revising old posts can help maintain and improve rankings. Updating content involves adding new insights, improving readability, optimizing for current search intent, and refreshing outdated statistics or references.
Instead of removing an underperforming post, revising it with better information, enhanced formatting, and additional media like images or videos can breathe new life into it.
Rank Math’s RankBot simplifies content optimization by providing AI-driven suggestions for improving SEO.
RankBot can analyze existing content and recommend actionable improvements based on real-time search trends and competitor insights when performing a content audit.
7 Content Repurposing
Content repurposing is an effective strategy to extend the reach and lifespan of existing content by adapting it for different formats and platforms.
If a blog post or article that once generated significant search traffic is now declining—possibly due to changes in user behavior or platform preferences—repurposing can help revive its visibility.
Rank Math’s Content AI simplifies the repurposing process by offering AI-driven tools designed to generate content for multiple platforms.
Within the Marketing & Sales category of Content AI, you can create social media posts, video scripts, and promotional content tailored to different audiences.
For instance, if you want to convert a blog post into a tweet, you can input the article’s title, select an appropriate tone (e.g., friendly or conversational), and let Content AI generate engaging tweet variations, complete with relevant hashtags.
Similarly, if you want to create captions for Instagram or video scripts for YouTube, Content AI provides structured suggestions, ensuring your content maintains consistency while adapting to each platform’s unique style.
Using these tools, you can maximize the potential of existing content without starting from scratch, ultimately driving more traffic and engagement across multiple channels.
8 Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I conduct a content audit?
Conduct a content audit at least once a year to keep your content strategy aligned with changing business goals and evolving audience preferences.
What metrics should I consider during a content audit?
Key metrics include page views, bounce rate, time on page, conversion rates, and social shares. These metrics provide insights into content performance.
How do I identify outdated content during an audit?
Look for content with outdated information, expired promotions, or broken links. Check for relevance and update or remove accordingly.
How can I improve content that performs poorly?
Identify the weaknesses in underperforming content, update information, improve visuals, and enhance user experience to boost performance.
Can a content audit help with content repurposing?
Absolutely, a content audit identifies evergreen content that can be repurposed, saving time and maximizing the value of existing content.
How do I handle content that no longer aligns with business goals?
Consider archiving or removing content that no longer supports your current objectives to maintain strategic alignment.
9 Conclusion
A content audit is not just a one-time task but a dynamic process that forms the backbone of a successful and evolving content strategy.
By celebrating successes, learning from shortcomings, and adapting to evolving industry trends, you set the stage for content that not only performs well today but will continue to shine in the future.
Remember, a well-executed content audit is not just a maintenance check; it’s a strategic investment in the ongoing success and relevance of your content in the search engines.
So, embrace the insights gained, implement improvements, and watch your content strategy flourish. Here’s to a future of compelling, relevant, and high-performing content!
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