How do you audit content on a large website?

1 Define your scope and criteria

Before you dive into the content, you need to clarify the scope and criteria of your audit. What are the objectives and outcomes of your audit? What are the key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics that you will use to measure your content? What are the content types, formats, and categories that you will include or exclude in your audit? How will you segment and prioritize your content? Having a clear scope and criteria will help you focus your efforts and avoid getting overwhelmed by the amount of content.

2 Collect and organize your data

The next step is to collect and organize the data that you need for your audit. You can use various tools and methods to gather and analyze your data, such as web analytics, content inventory, content mapping, content quality evaluation, and user feedback. Depending on your scope and criteria, you may want to collect data on different aspects of your content, such as metadata, keywords, readability, accuracy, consistency, usability, accessibility, engagement, conversions, and more. You can use spreadsheets, databases, or software to organize and store your data in a structured and accessible way.

3 Review and interpret your data

Once you have collected and organized your data, you need to review and interpret it to find patterns, trends, insights, and issues. You can use various techniques and tools to visualize and filter your data, such as charts, graphs, tables, heatmaps, and dashboards. You can also compare and contrast your data with your benchmarks, goals, and best practices to identify gaps and opportunities. You should look for both quantitative and qualitative data to get a comprehensive and balanced view of your content.

4 Make recommendations and action plans

Based on your data review and interpretation, you need to make recommendations and action plans to improve your content. You can use different frameworks and methods to prioritize and categorize your recommendations, such as the RACI matrix, the MoSCoW method, or the 4Ds model. Your recommendations and action plans should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. You should also communicate and align your recommendations and action plans with your stakeholders and team members to ensure buy-in and collaboration.

5 Implement and monitor your changes

The final step is to implement and monitor your changes to your content. You can use various tools and platforms to execute and manage your changes, such as content management systems, project management software, or workflow automation tools. You should also track and measure the impact of your changes on your KPIs and metrics, and report on the results and outcomes of your audit. You should also review and update your audit process and criteria regularly to ensure that your content remains relevant, effective, and aligned with your goals.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?