I’ve all the time been a knowledge nerd at coronary heart. Phrases like “audit” and “A/B testing” don’t scare me. Nonetheless, after I set about refreshing greater than 10 years’ value of branded content material to deliver The Content material Strategist updated with our present internet optimization and model requirements, I knew I had my work lower out for me.
We began writing weblog content material in 2011—again when Fb fan pages and Klout scores have been the advertising and marketing tendencies of the second. Evidently, loads has modified since then. We wished a data-backed motion plan for making our content material as related as attainable in 2024 and past.
Whereas the method was extra difficult than I anticipated, the journey was extremely academic and, dare I say, even a little bit enjoyable. It revealed invaluable insights about content material longevity, search engine optimisation, and the way our readership has developed.
Right here’s what the train taught me—and what I believe different content material entrepreneurs can be taught from my expertise.
Easy methods to refresh content material: Our course of
After we set about auditing The Content material S trategist, we rapidly realized we had a bigger, extra complicated drawback on our arms—one which wouldn’t be fastened with a fast search engine optimisation scan of our weblog content material. The extra we dug in, the extra we discovered we had a elementary problem with our top-of-funnel advertising and marketing technique. As I put it to my staff, we have been attempting to catch a fish with a gap in our web.
There was no simple method to repair this. Although it might be an enormous enterprise, we would have liked to conduct a simultaneous content material and search efficiency audit to determine what was damaged and the place.
This was a three-part course of, involving:
1. search engine optimisation and key phrase evaluation
We knew we weren’t rating as excessive as we wished to for our essential areas of experience and that we would have liked to retool our search engine optimisation method. So, we began out by conducting a complete key phrase and competitor evaluation.
First, we used Contently StoryBook—our proprietary content material technique device—and Contently Analytics, together with third-party instruments like SEMrush, Google Analytics, and Google Search Console to find out the energy of our natural key phrase distribution and rankings. We audited the key phrases we have been presently rating for to find out in the event that they nonetheless made sense for our model and viewers.
We additionally performed an search engine optimisation competitor evaluation in opposition to corporations who provide comparable options to Contently. This audit revealed that our opponents have been outranking us in a number of key areas. Whereas we had been busy being probably the most well-known CMP in market, our opponents had gotten scrappy, creating mass quantities of content material to assist them rank for a wide selection of key phrase variations, usually with decrease search volumes. We would have liked to take again a few of that house that they had acquired.
2. A complete content material audit
Along side the search engine optimisation audit, we completely assessed all our present content material. This revealed a disconnect between the kind of content material we’d been publishing for the previous three years and the subjects which can be probably the most attention-grabbing, invaluable, and looked for amongst our target market.
We categorized our present content material into 4 essential buckets:
- Related subject, high quality content material, wants search engine optimisation
- Related subject, not high-quality content material (e.g., out-of-date or misaligned)
- High quality content material, misaligned subject, misaligned search engine optimisation
- Content material that now not served any goal
This categorization helped us perceive the scope of the issue and prioritize our efforts.
3. Hole evaluation and technique growth
Based mostly on how a lot of our content material match into every class, the way it was rating, and the key phrases we have been focusing on, we have been in a position to start pinpointing particular areas by which our top-of-funnel advertising and marketing actions had come out of alignment with our model and target market.
If I may put out a PSA to different entrepreneurs recapping what I realized from this course of, it might be that having an built-in advertising and marketing technique is extremely necessary—each exercise, whether or not paid, owned, or earned, must be coordinated and aligned. In our case, misalignment led to a compounding impact: As a result of our technique was off base, our key phrases have been out of sync, our content material was lacking the mark, our rankings have been falling, and our viewers was discovering what they wanted elsewhere.
Submit-audit actions to replace content material
To handle these points, I set to work creating a multi-pronged technique to revitalize our content material, enhance its efficiency, and strengthen our key phrase rankings.
Right here’s what we did—and the way different content material entrepreneurs can apply these learnings to their very own methods.
1. Establish which tales to avoid wasting vs. toss
Step one concerned figuring out if a narrative was worthy of updating or if it wanted to be faraway from the weblog fully. We discovered that the majority of our content material was salvageable in some capability.
“Saving” content material was essential for just a few causes. Along with the prior funding—we’d already put effort and {dollars} into publishing the fabric—protecting content material dwell helps preserve our area authority. If we have been to take away an article from our website and redirect site visitors to a different web page, it may take Google’s algorithm months to acknowledge the web page now not exists and deindex us for that key phrase hit. So, we opted to replace reasonably than take away wherever attainable.
Takeaway for different content material entrepreneurs: Don’t throw the newborn out with the bathwater! Most content material—excluding area of interest posts like bulletins for long-past occasions—could be rejuvenated. Evaluating each bit fastidiously to find out probably the most environment friendly method can prevent time, effort, and price range in a while.
2. Decide which “saved” tales must be rewritten vs. refreshed
Some tales wanted a full rewrite, whereas others simply wanted a minimal refresh—up to date cultural references, hyperlinks, stats, search engine optimisation, and so forth. So, we separated our “salvageable” pile into two classes. On Contently, we created two completely different story transient templates and workflows for these tasks. The “refresh” transient was barely shorter and didn’t want as a lot assessment inbuilt, so these workflows have been extra streamlined. Tackling these lighter refreshes first gave us just a few simple wins and a way of accomplishment.
Takeaway for different content material entrepreneurs: Make choices about whether or not or not you’ll replace a URL slug or the way you’ll change your search engine optimisation method earlier than re-publishing.
3. Create new, evergreen weblog content material to fill gaps
Early in our auditing course of, we recognized that we have been lacking some key themes in our content material repository. So, for every subject hole, we deliberate a sequence of 4-6 net-new tales that will slot neatly into these gaps, complementing our present content material and offering extra complete steerage for our readers. We made these tales as evergreen as attainable, specializing in adaptable methods reasonably than fleeting tendencies.
Takeaway for different content material entrepreneurs: Use your audit as a possibility to determine and fill content material gaps. Create new, evergreen items that tackle present tendencies and person wants. This method helps guarantee your weblog content material stays a helpful useful resource to your viewers lengthy after publication.
Different learnings and takeaways from our weblog content material audit
Conducting this audit for our content material advertising and marketing weblog was a staff effort—there’s no method I may have dealt with the raise alone. As quickly as I acknowledged the depth and breadth of labor concerned, I took a take a look at our price range to allocate funds for assist workers, together with a managing editor to supervise the content material refresh course of and an search engine optimisation strategist to deal with key phrase analysis, search engine optimisation optimization, and ongoing evaluation of our efficiency.
Working with our Artistic Market staff, I staffed each of those roles with skilled professionals. To work effectively with these staff members, I arrange some key processes from the get-go, together with:
- A strong editorial calendar for monitoring progress and noting insights
- Biweekly, recurring conferences
- Common suggestions loops to repeatedly enhance our course of
Working with the managing editor, I additionally developed a scalable pricing mannequin so I may simply plan and price range for the variety of content material refreshes vs. rewrites vs. web new tales wanted every month and quarter.
This versatile pricing plan will show helpful for future content material, too. It permits me to regulate as wanted if we determine a giant alternative to cowl a brand new cluster of key phrases. I can rapidly and simply pivot my technique and prioritize the price range towards the extra quick want.
Takeaway for different content material entrepreneurs: For those who’re already working with Contently, your managing editor or search engine optimisation strategist can assist the majority of the tactical day-in, day-out work behind the scenes, liberating up your time to concentrate on the larger image. For those who’re not working with us, it’s an important concept to accomplice with consultants who will help you get probably the most out of the content material you’ve got.
So, what’s subsequent? To be sincere, we’re nonetheless engaged on it! Content material auditing and refreshing is rarely actually “completed”—however now, we’ve a greater system in place and contemporary content material to work with. We’re dedicated to sustaining this course of, recurrently revisiting our content material to make sure it stays related, invaluable, and optimized, and that our funnel stays wholesome.
It could be a Sisyphean effort, however my interior knowledge nerd is up for the problem.
Ask the Content material Strategist: FAQs about weblog content material audits
How lengthy does the content material audit course of take?
The length of a content material audit can differ tremendously relying on the amount of content material and sources accessible. For Contently’s 10-year content material audit, it took a number of months to finish all levels, from preliminary evaluation to implementation of recent methods.
How usually ought to an organization conduct a content material audit?
The frequency of content material audits depends upon the corporate’s measurement, content material quantity, and trade adjustments. As a common rule, conducting a complete audit yearly, with smaller quarterly evaluations, will help preserve content material contemporary and aligned with search engine optimisation finest practices.
What particular search engine optimisation metrics are probably to enhance after a content material refresh?
Seemingly enhancements embrace greater key phrase rankings, elevated natural site visitors, and higher engagement charges. They could additionally embrace elements like time on web page, bounce price, and conversion charges. That stated, the precise metrics will rely in your firm’s objectives and bigger weblog content material technique.
Are you able to refresh your weblog content material technique? Get began by scheduling a time to converse with a member of our staff.
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