The eight most common issues we see in content marketing audits
Content marketing audits show clients how they can increase ROI from existing traffic and improve their content marketing.
Over the last two years, we’ve completed dozens of audits as part of our Level-up content programme. Getting in the weeds with Google Analytics, doing SEO research and carrying out countless customer interviews.
We wanted to share the gems we’ve discovered on this journey. The practical, easy-to-implement initiatives that can power up your content marketing.
1. Look after the posts that generate the most traffic
Most websites have five to 20 articles that dominate site traffic because they perform well on Google – it’s often called “evergreen” or “perennial” content.
That’s a small enough number that you can really work on the content. Make sure it reads well, is kept up to date and has a clear and relevant call to action. This might mean adding more value through additional copy, videos or a downloadable asset.
This is normally the biggest untapped opportunity to generate leads or data.
2. Add a clear call to action to each page
Each page on your website should have a clear next step for the reader. It might be to view more content or a call to action to engage with your business.
It helps to know the main CTAs you’re going to use on the site, so you can easily slot in the most relevant one when you publish something.
There are three tiers of CTA:
Capture data to continue marketing to someone (webinar sign-up, guide download, newsletter subscription etc.)
Make an enquiry (book a demo, request a call back, phone a business etc.)
Buy something
Define your key on-site CTAs in your marketing and content plans.
3. Make sure content marketing has a specific goal
Content marketing should create brand awareness, build relationships with your audience and have a visible impact on your sales process. Yet too often it’s viewed as an always-on activity.
Don’t just keep publishing blogs because that’s what you’ve always done. Make sure you have clear goals in mind – and are tracking the results.
Does your content demonstrate your expertise? Is anyone engaging with your posts? Are you getting a good ROI for your efforts?
4. Set up redirects when you migrate websites
It’s alarming how many people change the URL structure of a website and don’t set up proper redirects. We’ve seen businesses that have lost 40% of their website traffic when they launch a new website.
It’s important to think about this when you launch new product and information pages too. If you’re removing an old page, reuse the old URL or set up a redirect.
Just don’t lose that traffic!
5. Get your on-page SEO in order
On-page SEO makes content more accessible and makes it easier to rank on Google. There’s no tech fix needed; you should already have access to everything you need.
Here are the four main points to consider:
Write for your audience – it has to be clear and easy to understand
Break articles up into useful headings
Include keywords in natural language
Add relevant external and internal links
Plugins like Yoast can help you check whether an article has been optimised.
6. Make sure contributors know the best practice
It’s common to have people from across the business contribute articles. They need to adhere to your tone of voice guidelines, write valuable content and make sure it’s search engine friendly.
That’s a lot to ask of team members who don’t have a content or marketing background. There are two main ways you can help them (and make your life easier):
Training: Make sure they have the resources they need to learn
Content templates: Give contributors templates to ensure consistency
Content templates are a great way to make sure you have everything you need to publish an article. Including snippets of text or advice prompts them to consider best practice, such as heading lengths and defining keywords.
7. Add SEO titles and descriptions for every page
SEO titles and descriptions appear on search results. It’s your opportunity to sell the value of the page and potentially increase the share of people that click through from Google.
Fail to complete these fields and Google will truncate the headline and pick text based on the search. This can result in a jumble of words that don’t effectively communicate what the page is about.
SEO tools like SEM rush and Ubersuggest can tell you how many pages you need to fix.
8. Tell audience members why they should care
You have about five seconds to convince a visitor that they should read your content. Make sure the value it provides is immediately clear.
That means clear headings and subheadings, good page design and a powerful first paragraph. Google’s trying to encourage you to do this through its algorithm.
Just like in sales, you generally need to explain the value of what you do rather than what you do – why should people care?
Are you getting all the value you can from your existing content? Is it providing data and leads for your sales team or merely existing? Find out how a content audit can supercharge your content and book a chat with the Inkwell team here.
