CMS Intranets: How To Create Findable Content

One of the many benefits of a CMS intranet is that it is much easier for staff to locate and share important company information and data. When you are designing your intranet you will want to be mindful of creating content that is easily findable. In this post we look at how staff members usually find information on the CMS intranet. And we also identify some tips on how you can improve the findability of content on your CMS intranet.

How Users Find Information

There are typically three main ways in which users find data on the intranet and indeed the internet generally. These are by:

• Browsing
• Searching
• Discovering

Browsing For Information

A staff member who has an idea of what they are looking for will usually start by browsing for the information by using the site navigation. The employee will look at the groupings that are offered and will begin to explore the section that they assess to be the best fit. And so a staff member that is looking for a holiday application form may start by exploring the HR section of your intranet and within a couple of clicks will hopefully locate the appropriate form.

Searching For Information

If browsing doesn’t achieve the results they were hoping for, then the user is likely to search for the content instead. The relevancy of the results will largely be down to the quality of the CMS search engine as well as the way in which the content has been classified and tagged. So our user who is looking for a holiday application form and who searches using the term ‘annual leave form’, may not necessarily find what they are looking for because of the way in which the form has been classified and tagged.

Discovering Information

Amazon are probably the masters at utilizing the discovery method of uncovering information for the user. Whenever we login to Amazon we are usually presented with suggested items that are closely linked to our previous purchases. And when we make a purchase we are always told ‘customers that bought this item also bought…’. And so the user is presented with, and invited to discover content that they may not have been looking for. Linking and grouping pages on the CMS intranet is, therefore, an important tool for enhancing the findability of content.

Now that we have an understanding of how users find content on the intranet, we can look at ways to improve the findability of information. Here are some tips for you to consider either when you are building your CMS intranet or when you are reviewing the content.

1. Optimize page titles for searching

Using detailed and specific page titles will make it much easier for the search to function properly. So using our holiday application example again, a page title for this could be ‘holidays and annual leave application form’ rather than the vaguer ‘holidays form’. Comprehensive, meaningful page titles will enhance the relevancy of the search engine’s results.

2. Consider synonyms with keywords and tags

Sometimes you have to be imaginative when creating tags with keywords. One person may search for a piece of information using entirely different search terms to the next person. And so for the ‘holidays’ example you may also want to tag ‘holiday’, ‘leave’, ‘annual leave’, ‘paid holidays’ as being possible variations on the same theme.

Tagging every piece of information on the intranet using common sense search terms will make it more likely that staff find what they’re looking for the first time.

3. Develop better links between related content

Follow the example of Amazon and make it easier for users to discover related content by building a network of links between related pages. For instance, a user that has looked up the marketing strategy may also be interested in the guidelines relating to the use of the company logo. This process of grouping content will be ongoing and you are likely to be constantly refining it. It is, however, an important way to enhance the overall experience for the user and so it is worth investing the time and effort involved.

4. Utilize the news feed

It’s essential that all staff members are kept up to date with key company information and events. Quick and meaningful updates on the intranet’s news feed is a useful way to highlight business critical information. Make sure though that the update is useful, meaningful and relevant. Try and keep the message succinct and instead use ‘see more’ or ‘click here’ for additional information.

5. Incorporate iframes and widgets

Iframes and widgets are a great way to showcase websites or tools that are directly relevant to your staff. If employees are frequently on the road then having Google Maps as a widget on the intranet’s home page would be very helpful. Or a landscape design business with staff members frequently working outside would make great use of an iframe to the weather channel.

6. Make use of tutorials or step-by-step guides

Hand holding staff through a particular process or procedure is another way that you can demonstrate the CMS intranet’s capabilities while helping staff to find resources. New members of staff will find these how to tutorials and guides especially helpful. Including a space for in-depth tutorials that address all the tasks and features your staff will be using the intranet for will ensure that all employees know how to properly use it. And perhaps more importantly, all staff will fully understand the CMS intranet’s functionality and how it can enhance their working lives.

Summary

Having content that is easily findable is essential to the success of your CMS intranet. It requires a user-centered focus and will involve an investment of time and resources. These tips will be a good starting point for making sure your intranet achieves its primary objective of improving communication and the sharing of information across the organization.

If you would like some advice on how to improve the findability of data on your intranet or you are interested in learning more about CMS intranets generally, contact the friendly team at MyHub today.