What are the best questions to keep top of mind when conducting a content audit?

The first question is always “What are your business objectives/priorities today?”. Align everything to it. After that you can look at marketing metrics like:

1.     What is the engagement for the content?

2.     When was this last refreshed?

3.     Does it align with our latest messaging?

4.     Is this the best asset in this category?

This is a great question!

I can't tell you the number of times I've created content because someone in the C-suite thought it would be a good idea, or because a sales reply simply couldn't close a deal with a highly customized 1-pager.

The truth is - content should be created with a purpose. Here are the questions I like to ask when conducting a content audit:

• Does this content answer questions our customers are asking? Does it help our customers & prospects accomplish their goals?
• How does the reader feel after consuming this piece of content? Does that feeling align with what our goal was when we created the piece?
• What is the purpose of this piece of content? Is it still serving that purpose?
• How often is this piece of content used, by who, and in what capacity? 
• When was the last time this content was refreshed? Is this something we want to be a staple in our library?
• In what other forms does this content exist (blog, podcast, short video, webinar, etc)? If the answer is none, should it be created in smaller, more digestible snippets? 

This is a very insightful question! I say this because keeping the desired outcomes and goals front and center is incredibly valuable when conducting a content audit.

Here are some important questions to consider:

• What is the goal of this piece of content?
• Does this piece of content align with your target audience and ideal customer profile (ICP)?
• Is this piece of content helpful to your audience?
• Is this piece of content up-to-date or need revisions?
• How has this piece of content been performing?
• Is this piece of content currently ranking? If so, for what keywords?
• What SEO optimization opportunities exist in the current SEO landscape?
• What pieces of content are underperforming?
• Does this piece of content align with your brand voice?
• Is the piece of content discoverable?
• Is the piece of content optimized for accessibility?
• Is the structure and format of the content optimized? Can it be improved?
• Are there any overlaps and/or gaps in content?
• Is this content still relevant to your audience?