What Is The Purpose Of A Content Audit?

Ella Pybus | 21 August, 2025 | 3 minute read | Blog, Content Creation, Digital Marketing, SEO

Your website might be full of content, but that doesn’t mean it’s working. You may have been publishing blog posts, uploading case studies, and altering product/service pages, but something still feels wrong. Traffic may be slowing down. Leads aren’t converting, or maybe it’s just been a while since you’ve looked at your content. 

That’s where a content audit comes in. 

A content audit is the process of reviewing, organising, and evaluating the content on your website to see what’s performing, what’s not and what needs fixing. 

It doesn’t mean you have to rewrite your whole content; it’s about working smarter with what you’ve got.

In this blog, we’ll break down what a content audit is, why it matters, and how it can set the foundations for better SEO, user experience, and conversions.

Why Do a Content Audit in the First Place?

Most websites have pages that are continually being added, and blog posts pile up. Some content ranks well, some disappear, and some conflict with your brand or message. 

A content audit helps you see the entire picture of your content.

It answers questions like:

• What content is driving traffic?
• What’s out of date or irrelevant?
• Are there SEO gaps or duplicate issues?
• Where are users dropping off?

With this information, you can make informed decisions about what to keep, what to update, and what to remove, giving your existing content a refresh. 

When Is the Right Time to Audit Your Content?

There’s no perfect time, but here are some signs it’s overdue:

• You’ve recently rebranded or updated your messaging
• Organic traffic has dropped.
• You’re unsure what pages are actually generating leads, if any.
• Your team is creating new content without checking what already exists.

Even if none of these apply, it is still useful to do a content audit at least once a year.

Want to learn more? Read our blog on how to perform a content audit.

What Does a Content Audit Actually Include?

It’s more than just skimming through your blogs. A solid audit looks at both quantitative (data) and qualitative (content quality) elements. 

• List all URLs and content types
• Check traffic, bounce rates, backlinks, and keyword rankings 
• Is the content accurate, engaging and on brand?
• Are headings, metadata, internal links, and CTA in place?
• Is it easy to read, navigate, and take the next step for the user?

Each piece gets a status: keep, update, merge, or remove. That decision is based on what the data tells you and what your audience needs now.

What Tools Can Help You Do a Content Audit?

You don’t have to do it all manually.

There are plenty of tools out there

• Google Analytics & Google Search Console: Traffic, engagement, and search data.
• Screaming Frog: Crawls your site
• Ahrefs or SEMrush: Tracks rankings, backlinks, and keyword gaps.

Even a simple spreadsheet can do the job when you’re starting out.

Our final thoughts 

A content audit helps you make sense of what you’ve already created.

 It’s not just for big websites or advanced marketers. Anyone trying to grow a business online can benefit from addressing weaknesses. 

By understanding the purpose of a content audit, you can stop guessing and start making confident, data-backed content decisions.

Are you ready to take the next step? Why not have a look at how we can help you with a content audit through our content management services.