How do you choose the right metrics for a content audit?

1 Define your goals

Before you dive into the data, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your content audit. What are your content goals and how do they support your business goals? For example, do you want to increase traffic, conversions, engagement, retention, or loyalty? Do you want to improve your SEO, usability, accessibility, or brand awareness? Do you want to optimize your content for different stages of the buyer's journey, personas, or channels? Your goals will determine what metrics you need to track and how you will interpret them.

2 Choose your metrics

Once you have your goals in mind, you can select the metrics that will help you measure your content's performance against them. There are many types of metrics you can use, but they can be broadly categorized into four groups: quantitative, qualitative, behavioral, and outcome. Quantitative metrics are numerical and objective, such as page views, bounce rate, time on page, or word count. Qualitative metrics are descriptive and subjective, such as readability, tone, clarity, or accuracy. Behavioral metrics are related to how users interact with your content, such as clicks, scrolls, shares, or comments. Outcome metrics are linked to your business results, such as leads, sales, revenue, or retention.

3 Gather your data

To collect your metrics, you'll need to use various tools and sources, depending on the type and level of data you need. Some of the most common tools for content audits are Google Analytics, Google Search Console, SEMrush, Moz, Screaming Frog, and Content Analysis Tool. These tools can help you extract and analyze quantitative and behavioral data from your website, such as traffic, rankings, keywords, links, or conversions. For qualitative data, you'll need to review your content manually or use tools like Hemingway, Yoast, or Grammarly to check your content's quality and SEO factors. For outcome data, you'll need to access your CRM, email marketing, or e-commerce platforms to see how your content affects your business goals.

4 Segment your data

To make sense of your data, you'll need to segment it according to different criteria that are relevant to your goals and audience. For example, you can segment your data by content type, such as blog posts, landing pages, or videos. You can also segment your data by topic, category, or theme, such as product features, customer stories, or industry trends. Another way to segment your data is by user behavior, such as new vs returning visitors, referral sources, or devices. Finally, you can segment your data by user profile, such as personas, demographics, or psychographics.

5 Analyze your data

The next step is to analyze your data and compare it to your goals and benchmarks. You'll need to look for patterns, trends, outliers, and correlations in your data and see how they relate to your content's performance. For example, you can compare your data across different segments and see which ones perform better or worse. You can also compare your data over time and see how your content's performance changes or evolves. You can also compare your data to your competitors or industry standards and see how your content stands out or falls behind.

6 Act on your data

The final step is to use your data to inform your content decisions and actions. Based on your analysis, you'll be able to identify what content works well and what content needs improvement or removal. You'll also be able to prioritize your content tasks and allocate your resources accordingly. For example, you can decide to update, optimize, consolidate, or delete your low-performing content. You can also decide to create, promote, or repurpose your high-performing content. You can also decide to test, experiment, or innovate with your content to find new opportunities or solutions.