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Content Audit Checklist

🎯 Overview​

A content audit is a systematic analysis of all content on your website to evaluate performance, identify opportunities, and prioritize improvements. Use this checklist quarterly or whenever planning major content strategy changes.

Audit Types
  • Full Audit: Complete inventory and analysis of all content (annually)
  • Partial Audit: Focus on specific sections or content types (quarterly)
  • Competitive Audit: Compare your content against competitors (bi-annually)

📊 Phase 1: Content Inventory​

1.1 Data Collection​

  • 🔴 Export list of all URLs from XML sitemap
  • 🔴 Crawl website using Screaming Frog or similar tool
  • 🔴 Connect Google Analytics for traffic data
  • 🔴 Connect Google Search Console for search performance
  • 🟡 Export backlink data (Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Moz)
  • 🟡 Gather social sharing data (if available)
  • 🟢 Export conversion data for key pages

Tool: Screaming Frog SEO Spider for comprehensive crawling

1.2 Create Content Spreadsheet​

Include these columns in your content inventory:

Basic Information:

  • 🔴 URL
  • 🔴 Page title
  • 🔴 Meta description
  • 🔴 Content type (blog, landing page, product, etc.)
  • 🔴 Word count
  • 🔴 Publication date
  • 🔴 Last modified date

Performance Metrics:

  • 🔴 Organic sessions (past 12 months)
  • 🔴 Organic traffic trend (+/-%)
  • 🔴 Average position in search results
  • 🔴 Impressions in search results
  • 🔴 Click-through rate (CTR)
  • 🟡 Bounce rate
  • 🟡 Average time on page
  • 🟡 Conversion rate
  • 🟡 Number of backlinks

Technical SEO:

  • 🟡 HTTP status code (200, 301, 404, etc.)
  • 🟡 Indexability (indexable, noindex, blocked)
  • 🟡 Canonical tag status
  • 🟢 Mobile-friendliness score
  • 🟢 Page speed score
  • 🟢 Core Web Vitals status

Content Quality:

  • 🟡 Has H1 tag
  • 🟡 Number of images
  • 🟡 Has alt text on images
  • 🟡 Number of internal links
  • 🟡 Number of external links
  • 🟢 Has structured data
  • 🟢 Reading level/readability score

📈 Phase 2: Performance Analysis​

2.1 Traffic Analysis​

  • 🔴 Identify top 20 pages by organic traffic
  • 🔴 Identify pages with declining traffic (>20% drop year-over-year)
  • 🔴 Identify pages with growing traffic (>20% increase)
  • 🟡 Find "hidden gems" (high impressions, low clicks = CTR opportunity)
  • 🟡 Identify pages with high bounce rate (>70%)
  • 🟡 Find pages with short dwell time (<30 seconds)

Action Items:

  • Pages losing traffic → Priority for refresh
  • Hidden gems → Optimize title/meta description for CTR
  • High performers → Use as templates for new content

2.2 Keyword Analysis​

  • 🔴 Identify primary keyword for each page
  • 🔴 Check current ranking positions
  • 🟡 Identify keyword cannibalization (multiple pages ranking for same term)
  • 🟡 Find ranking opportunities (pages ranking #11-20)
  • 🟡 Identify keyword gaps (competitors rank, you don't)
  • 🟢 Discover new keyword opportunities

Tool: Google Search Console, Ahrefs, SEMrush

2.3 Engagement Metrics​

  • 🔴 Calculate average time on page for each content type
  • 🟡 Analyze scroll depth (how far users scroll)
  • 🟡 Review heat maps for engagement patterns
  • 🟡 Identify pages with high exit rates
  • 🟢 Analyze on-page element engagement (CTAs, videos, downloads)

🎨 Phase 3: Content Quality Assessment​

3.1 Content Relevance​

For each significant piece of content, evaluate:

  • 🔴 Accuracy: Is information current and factually correct?
  • 🔴 Completeness: Does it thoroughly answer the user's question?
  • 🔴 Relevance: Does it align with current business goals and user needs?
  • 🟡 Uniqueness: Is it differentiated from competitor content?
  • 🟡 Value: Does it provide actionable insights or information?
  • 🟢 Voice & Tone: Does it match brand guidelines?

Rating Scale:

  • ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Excellent - Keep and promote
  • ⭐⭐⭐ Good - Minor improvements needed
  • ⭐⭐ Fair - Significant refresh required
  • ⭐ Poor - Consider removal or major rewrite

3.2 Technical Content Audit​

  • 🔴 Verify all pages return 200 status code (or proper redirects)
  • 🔴 Identify and fix broken links (internal and external)
  • 🔴 Check for missing or duplicate title tags
  • 🔴 Check for missing or duplicate meta descriptions
  • 🟡 Verify H1 tags on all pages (one per page)
  • 🟡 Check for proper heading hierarchy (H1 → H2 → H3)
  • 🟡 Verify image alt text coverage
  • 🟡 Check for thin content (pages with <300 words)
  • 🟢 Verify structured data implementation
  • 🟢 Check mobile optimization for all pages

3.3 Content Depth Analysis​

  • 🔴 Identify thin content (<300 words) that needs expansion
  • 🟡 Compare content depth to top-ranking competitors
  • 🟡 Identify topics that need more comprehensive coverage
  • 🟡 Find opportunities to create pillar pages
  • 🟢 Identify content that could be consolidated or merged

Benchmark: For competitive topics, aim for 1,500+ words with comprehensive coverage

3.4 E-E-A-T Evaluation​

For each important page, assess:

  • 🔴 Experience: Does it demonstrate first-hand experience?
  • 🔴 Expertise: Is the author/brand qualified to write on this topic?
  • 🔴 Authoritativeness: Are claims backed by credible sources?
  • 🔴 Trustworthiness: Does it inspire confidence and trust?
  • 🟡 Are statistics properly cited?
  • 🟡 Is there an author byline with credentials?
  • 🟡 Are there clear privacy and contact policies?

Critical for: YMYL (Your Money Your Life) topics - health, finance, legal, safety

🔍 Phase 4: Competitive Analysis​

4.1 Competitor Content Comparison​

  • 🔴 Identify top 3-5 competitors in your niche
  • 🔴 List their top-performing content pieces
  • 🟡 Analyze their content depth and quality
  • 🟡 Identify topics they cover that you don't (content gaps)
  • 🟡 Compare content formats (guides, videos, tools, etc.)
  • 🟢 Analyze their content update frequency
  • 🟢 Review their internal linking structure

4.2 Content Gap Analysis​

  • 🔴 Identify keywords competitors rank for that you don't
  • 🟡 Find questions competitors answer that you don't
  • 🟡 Discover content formats you're missing (infographics, videos, etc.)
  • 🟡 Identify topic clusters competitors have built
  • 🟢 Assess content depth differences

Tool: Ahrefs Content Gap Tool, SEMrush Gap Analysis

📋 Phase 5: Content Categorization​

5.1 Content Action Classification​

Categorize each piece of content into one of these buckets:

KEEP (Content performing well)​

  • High traffic and engagement
  • Strong rankings for target keywords
  • Up-to-date and accurate information
  • Aligned with business goals

Action: Maintain and promote

IMPROVE (Content with potential)​

  • Moderate traffic but declining
  • Ranking on page 2-3 of search results (#11-30)
  • Outdated information that can be updated
  • Decent traffic but poor engagement

Action: Refresh, expand, or optimize

MERGE/CONSOLIDATE (Redundant or overlapping)​

  • Multiple pages targeting same keyword (cannibalization)
  • Short, related articles that could be combined
  • Thin content that's part of a larger topic

Action: Combine into comprehensive resource

REDIRECT (No longer relevant but has value)​

  • Outdated content but has backlinks or traffic
  • Replaced by newer, better content
  • Off-brand but has authority

Action: 301 redirect to relevant current page

DELETE (No value, cannot be saved)​

  • Zero traffic for 12+ months
  • No backlinks or authority
  • Completely outdated or irrelevant
  • Duplicate or low-quality content

Action: Remove and return 404/410 (or noindex)

5.2 Priority Scoring​

Create a priority score for each piece of content based on:

Impact Potential (1-10):

  • Current traffic volume
  • Keyword ranking position
  • Conversion value
  • Backlink profile

Effort Required (1-10):

  • Amount of updating needed
  • Technical complexity
  • Resource requirements

Priority Score = Impact / Effort

  • 🔴 High Priority: Score >3 (Quick wins, high-impact updates)
  • 🟡 Medium Priority: Score 1-3 (Valuable but more effort)
  • 🟢 Low Priority: Score <1 (Nice to have, low ROI)

🚀 Phase 6: Action Plan Development​

6.1 Create Content Improvement Roadmap​

  • 🔴 List top 10 high-priority content improvements
  • 🔴 Set specific goals for each piece (traffic increase, ranking target, etc.)
  • 🔴 Assign owners and deadlines
  • 🟡 Create new content to fill identified gaps
  • 🟡 Plan content consolidation projects
  • 🟡 Schedule content deletions or redirects
  • 🟢 Develop content templates for consistency

6.2 Content Refresh Checklist​

When refreshing existing content:

  • 🔴 Update statistics and data to current year
  • 🔴 Add new information and developments
  • 🔴 Improve title tag and meta description
  • 🔴 Expand thin sections for better depth
  • 🟡 Add or update images (with proper alt text)
  • 🟡 Improve internal linking (add 2-5 relevant links)
  • 🟡 Update or add structured data
  • 🟡 Optimize for featured snippets
  • 🟡 Add FAQ section if relevant
  • 🟢 Update author byline and credentials
  • 🟢 Add "Last Updated: [Date]" notice
  • 🟢 Improve readability (shorter paragraphs, subheadings)

6.3 New Content Creation Priorities​

Based on gap analysis, prioritize:

  • 🔴 High-volume keyword opportunities with low competition
  • 🔴 Topics competitors rank for but you don't
  • 🟡 Related questions and "People Also Ask" topics
  • 🟡 New developments in your industry
  • 🟡 Seasonal or trending topics
  • 🟢 Supporting content for pillar pages
  • 🟢 Different content formats (videos, infographics, tools)

📊 Phase 7: Implementation & Tracking​

7.1 Execute Content Updates​

  • 🔴 Update top 10 priority pieces first
  • 🟡 Submit updated URLs to Google Search Console
  • 🟡 Update internal links pointing to refreshed content
  • 🟡 Promote refreshed content (social, email, etc.)
  • 🟢 Update sitemap with new lastmod dates
  • 🟢 Monitor for indexing and ranking changes

7.2 Consolidation & Redirects​

  • 🔴 Merge related content into comprehensive resources
  • 🔴 Implement 301 redirects from old URLs to new
  • 🔴 Update internal links to point to new URLs
  • 🟡 Preserve important information from all merged pages
  • 🟡 Update anchor text to reflect new combined topic
  • 🟢 Monitor traffic to ensure redirects work properly

7.3 Content Removal​

  • 🔴 Back up content before deletion
  • 🔴 Implement 404 or 410 status codes (or redirect if appropriate)
  • 🟡 Remove from sitemap
  • 🟡 Update internal links pointing to removed content
  • 🟢 Monitor for unexpected traffic loss
  • 🟢 Document reasons for removal

📈 Phase 8: Measurement & Reporting​

8.1 Track Key Metrics​

Monitor these metrics before and after content updates:

Traffic Metrics:

  • Organic sessions
  • Pageviews
  • Users
  • Traffic sources

Engagement Metrics:

  • Bounce rate
  • Average time on page
  • Pages per session
  • Scroll depth

SEO Metrics:

  • Keyword rankings
  • Impressions in search results
  • Click-through rate (CTR)
  • Featured snippet ownership

Business Metrics:

  • Conversion rate
  • Lead generation
  • Email signups
  • Goal completions

8.2 Create Audit Report​

Document findings and results:

  • 🔴 Executive Summary: Key findings and recommendations
  • 🔴 Content Inventory: Total pages, content types, distribution
  • 🔴 Performance Highlights: Top performers and underperformers
  • 🔴 Action Plan: Prioritized recommendations with timeline
  • 🟡 Gap Analysis: Missing content opportunities
  • 🟡 Technical Issues: SEO problems identified
  • 🟡 Competitive Insights: How you compare to competitors
  • 🟢 ROI Projection: Expected outcomes from implementations

8.3 Ongoing Monitoring​

  • 🔴 Set up Google Analytics alerts for significant traffic changes
  • 🟡 Schedule monthly review of top 20 pages
  • 🟡 Track ranking changes for target keywords weekly
  • 🟢 Review Core Web Vitals monthly
  • 🟢 Monitor backlink growth and losses

🔄 Content Audit Schedule​

Quarterly (Every 3 Months)​

  • Partial audit of specific sections
  • Review top 50 pages performance
  • Quick technical check for errors
  • Competitive content review

Bi-Annually (Every 6 Months)​

  • Deeper analysis of content performance
  • Comprehensive gap analysis
  • Major content updates and consolidations
  • Detailed competitive benchmarking

Annually (Once Per Year)​

  • Complete full content inventory
  • Comprehensive performance review
  • Major strategic planning
  • Complete technical SEO audit

🧮 Content Audit Formulas & Calculations​

Traffic Value Calculation​

Traffic Value = (Organic Sessions × Conversion Rate × Average Order Value)

Content ROI​

Content ROI = [(Traffic Value After - Traffic Value Before) / Cost of Updates] × 100

Priority Score​

Priority Score = (Current Traffic + Potential Traffic + Backlinks + Business Value) / Effort Required

Content Decay Rate​

Decay Rate = [(Current Traffic - Traffic 12 Months Ago) / Traffic 12 Months Ago] × 100

🎯 Quick Start Audit (1-Hour Version)​

If you need quick insights, start with this abbreviated audit:

  1. Export Top 100 Pages (5 min)

    • From Google Analytics: Top pages by organic traffic

  2. Add Search Data (10 min)

    • Import Search Console data (impressions, clicks, position, CTR)

  3. Quick Quality Check (30 min)

    • Review top 20 pages for outdated information
    • Check for thin content (<300 words)
    • Identify obvious technical issues

  4. Identify Quick Wins (10 min)

    • Pages ranking #11-20 (page 2)
    • Pages with high impressions, low CTR
    • Outdated content with good traffic

  5. Create Action List (5 min)

    • Top 5 pages to refresh immediately
    • Top 3 new content opportunities

📋 Content Audit Checklist Summary​

Before Starting:

  • Define audit scope and objectives
  • Set up analytics and tool access
  • Create content inventory spreadsheet template
  • Establish timeline and resources

During Audit:

  • Complete full content inventory
  • Analyze performance metrics
  • Assess content quality
  • Conduct competitive analysis
  • Categorize content (Keep, Improve, Merge, Redirect, Delete)
  • Calculate priority scores

After Audit:

  • Create detailed action plan
  • Assign responsibilities and deadlines
  • Execute content updates
  • Implement redirects and consolidations
  • Monitor results and ROI
  • Document lessons learned

🔗 Additional Resources​

💡 Pro Tips​

  1. Start Small: If auditing a large site, begin with high-traffic sections
  2. Use Automation: Leverage tools to collect data, don't do everything manually
  3. Focus on ROI: Prioritize updates that will have the biggest business impact
  4. Set Realistic Goals: Don't try to fix everything at once
  5. Document Everything: Keep detailed records of changes and results
  6. Involve Stakeholders: Share findings with marketing, sales, and product teams
  7. Think User-First: Always prioritize user value over search engines

Last Updated: November 2024
Audit Frequency: Full audit annually, partial audits quarterly
Maintained By: Omar Corral