Content Audit Framework

Content audits reveal what to keep, update, consolidate, or retire. A systematic audit prevents content rot while identifying opportunities to strengthen your library.

Audit Scope

Define audit boundaries before starting. Common scopes: all blog content, resource library only, entire website, or specific pillar coverage. Larger scopes need more time but reveal patterns smaller audits miss. Start with your highest-traffic section if time is limited.

Scoring Dimensions

Evaluate each piece on four dimensions using High/Medium/Low ratings:

Traffic: Relative performance within your content library. High = top 25% by pageviews over 90 days. Medium = middle 50%. Low = bottom 25%. Use Google Analytics or your analytics platform. If no analytics, estimate based on engagement signals (comments, shares, backlinks).

Relevance: Content accuracy and currentness. High = factually accurate, examples still valid, no outdated screenshots or references. Medium = mostly accurate with minor dated elements. Low = materially outdated, contains deprecated information, or references discontinued features.

Quality: Writing and presentation standards. High = well-structured, comprehensive, includes visuals/examples, matches current brand voice. Medium = adequate but could be stronger. Low = thin content, poor structure, missing key information, or off-brand.

Freshness: Time since meaningful update. High = updated within 6 months. Medium = 6-18 months since update. Low = over 18 months or never updated since publication. Freshness matters more for fast-moving topics (technology, trends) than evergreen subjects (fundamental concepts).

Action Assignment

Based on scores, assign one of four actions:

Keep: All dimensions score Medium or High. Content performs well and remains relevant. No immediate action needed. Review again in 6 months.

Update: High traffic but Medium/Low on relevance, quality, or freshness. Content has proven audience demand but needs refresh. Prioritize these—updating winners beats creating new unknowns.

Consolidate: Multiple pieces on similar topics with Low/Medium traffic. Combine into one comprehensive piece. Consolidation often outperforms scattered thin content.

Retire: Low across multiple dimensions with no recovery path. Remove from site or noindex. Always consider 301 redirects to related content.

SEO Preservation

Before retiring any content, check its search ranking. If a page ranks in top 10 for valuable keywords despite low quality, choose Update over Retire. Ranking authority is hard to rebuild. For Retire decisions on ranking content, 301 redirect to the best alternative page to preserve link equity. Document keywords the retiring page ranked for—ensure the redirect target or a new piece captures that search intent.

Gap Analysis

After scoring existing content, identify gaps by pillar (which pillars are underserved?), by funnel stage (TOFU heavy but BOFU sparse?), by format (all blog, no video?), and by audience (which personas lack content?). Gap analysis informs your editorial calendar priorities.

Internal Link Audit

While auditing, note internal linking issues. Orphaned pages have no internal links pointing to them—they're effectively invisible to navigation. Broken outbound links hurt user experience and SEO. Cross-link opportunities exist when related pieces don't reference each other. Strong internal linking supports pillar architecture by connecting subtopics to pillar hub pages.

URL Structure Review

Check if URLs reflect your pillar architecture. Ideal structure: /pillar-name/subtopic-name/. Inconsistent URL patterns suggest historical drift. Major restructuring requires careful redirect planning but improves long-term organization.