Content Audit
Content Audit like the name suggests is an audit process performed on a website, app, or software. This is an information architecture strategy used as website checks and balances. The process analyzes and accounts for the existing content of a site. It tries to understand the structure and state of the site as well as establish a content strategy. To understand the process of a content audit you have to understand information architecture first.
So what is Information Architecture? Information Architecture (IA) is the process of establishing a hierarchy by labeling and organizing. This process aims at making content on a site understandable and findable. Think of your car, for example, you have to conduct some form of maintenance on it every once in a while. It can be an oil change, tires, or alignment. Websites also need maintenance to check on its current state and fix redundancies. Thus, the purpose of a content audit is to examine how understandable and findable content on a website is in a lame term.
Now that you know what a content audit is and why it is important, how do you conduct one? The are various ways one could go about conducting one. Considering that it is a data-intensive process I would recommend a spreadsheet. Airtable is another option for more interactivity, better visual hierarchy, and weight load. While using a spreadsheet, you want to create different columns that document and assess how each individual page. A simple content audit spreadsheet will have a navigation title, page URL link, and analysis on the state of the said page. You can also include useful metrics that show how users interact with each page. The most important element in a content audit spreadsheet is the hierarchy. Therefore, make sure your hierarchical structure of each page is the first column on the spreadsheet. You also want to show the sub-level hierarchy with pages that have many tier levels. A useful tip is to use color-coding to signify what type of link a URL is whether internal, external, or pdf.
Finally, after creating your spreadsheet, conduct your then assessment. Then document and include every important information for future reference. It’s advisable to conduct one with a team or have someone review your audit if you don’t have a team. Have fun auditing those page contents.
