Ready For Your First Content Audit? I Sure Wasn’t!

The day had finally come. With a few months of junior content writer experience under my belt, I had to do my very first content audit. I wanted this, I asked for it as I tried to level up my content writing services.

And now a client had finally let me.

With my amateurish determination, a freshly brewed cup of coffee, and a blank spreadsheet, I was ready for this overwhelming task.

Setting the Stage

My goals were clear: improve content quality, enhance the user experience, and identify content gaps.

First, I offered a record of all the content on the website: blog posts, landing pages, product descriptions, videos — you name it. The spreadsheet began to fill up, and a mix of excitement and anxiety kicked in.

There was so much content to get through here, but I was ready.

Gathering Data

Google Analytics at least provided some insights into page views, bouncers, and time on-page.

SEMrush and Ahrefs did a deep dive into SEO metrics and backlinks.

Screaming Frog crawled the site to reveal technical issues and presented me with a complete view of my content landscape.

As data began pouring in, a pattern was clear. Some of the content pieces became clear winners — thousands of views — and good engagement.

Others with high bounce rates and next to no interaction languished. It was time to dig deeper.

Analyzing and Assessing

I carefully analyzed every single piece of content.

For high-performing blog posts, there was applause: Engaging headlines, relevant keywords, and rich media elements perform well. A

nd now, low performers would get the critical eye: Was this outdated? Poorly written? Lacking keywords?

Each piece told its story.

I also found content gaps. The audience was thirsting for information on subjects that the client hadn’t written about. Keyword research exposed opportunities that they never knew existed and helped trigger ideas for new content.

Taking Action

Armed with the insights, I constructed an action plan. High-performing content would be left as it is, and those with further potential are pegged for an update.

Some needed merging to create comprehensive guides, and some were actually very outdated, entirely needing deletion.

One of the most satisfying parts of the job that I have done is updating content. It is breathing life into old posts adding fresh information and optimizing for new keywords. Although time-consuming, it’s very rewarding to see all the efforts pay off with improved performance.

Monitoring and Adjusting

The audit was complete. I set up a plan to monitor performance regularly. Google Analytics became my best friend, providing real-time feedback on my changes.

As I watched my site’s metrics improve over the following weeks, this feeling of accomplishment started to build. All that hard work was finally starting to show for it.

Reflection

This first content audit has been a trial of learning and growth. What I have learned is that there is power behind data and optimization and in the merit of improving my content constantly.

It wasn’t easy — all payoffs are big time: now I have a more engaging website optimized for search and much closer to meeting my audience’s needs.

As I closed the laptop, the last sip of cold coffee flowed down my throat as if, from within, a surge of confidence had finally come to life.

I did it — that is, my very first content audit — and now I was ready for the next challenge in my journey toward becoming a content writer.