---
name: content-audit
description: "Audits existing content inventory for gaps, update opportunities, consolidation candidates, and SEO decay. Use when reviewing your content library to find what to update, merge, or remove."
allowed-tools: Read Write Glob
metadata:
  author: matthewhitcham
  version: "1.0"
---

# Content Audit

## When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when you need to:
- Audit an existing blog or content library for performance and quality
- Identify outdated content that needs updating or removal
- Find content gaps and opportunities for new pieces
- Consolidate thin or overlapping articles into stronger pieces

**DO NOT** use this skill for creating new content or for SEO keyword research. This is for evaluating and prioritizing existing content.

---

## Core Principle

A CONTENT AUDIT IS NOT A SPREADSHEET EXERCISE — IT IS A STRATEGIC DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO UPDATE, WHAT TO MERGE, WHAT TO DELETE, AND WHAT TO CREATE NEXT.

---

## Phase 1: Brief

### Required Inputs

| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|-------|------------|---------|
| **Content inventory** | "Share a list of your published content (URLs, titles, or a sitemap)." | No default — must be provided |
| **Performance data** | "Do you have traffic, ranking, or engagement data for these pieces?" | None — audit based on content quality |
| **Business goals** | "What is the primary goal of your content? Traffic, leads, sales, authority?" | Organic traffic |
| **Audit scope** | "All content or a specific section/category?" | All content |
| **Audience** | "Who is your target reader?" | Solopreneurs and business owners |

**GATE: Confirm scope and inputs before starting the audit.**

---

## Phase 2: Audit Framework

### Categorize Every Piece

Assign each content piece to one of five actions:

| Category | Criteria | Action |
|----------|----------|--------|
| **Keep** | High-performing, current, and relevant | No changes needed |
| **Update** | Good topic but outdated data, weak structure, or SEO decay | Refresh with current info and improved formatting |
| **Merge** | Two or more pieces covering the same topic | Consolidate into one stronger article |
| **Delete** | Thin, irrelevant, or redundant content with no traffic | Remove (301 redirect if it has backlinks) |
| **Create** | Gap identified — no content exists for an important topic | Add to content roadmap |

### Audit Spreadsheet Format

```
| # | Title | URL | Category | Priority | Notes |
|---|-------|-----|----------|----------|-------|
| 1 | [Title] | [URL] | Update | High | Outdated stats, weak intro, add internal links |
| 2 | [Title] | [URL] | Merge | Medium | Combine with article #7 — same topic |
| 3 | [Title] | [URL] | Delete | Low | 200 words, no traffic, no backlinks |
```

**GATE: Present audit framework and confirm approach before full analysis.**

---

## Phase 3: Write

### Full Audit Report

#### Section 1: Executive Summary

```
## Content Audit Summary

**Total pieces audited:** [N]
**Keep:** [N] ([%])
**Update:** [N] ([%])
**Merge:** [N] ([%])
**Delete:** [N] ([%])
**Content gaps identified:** [N]

**Top priority actions:**
1. [Most impactful update or merge]
2. [Second priority]
3. [Third priority]
```

#### Section 2: Update Recommendations

For each "Update" piece:

```
### [Article Title]

**Current issue:** [What is wrong — outdated data, poor SEO, weak structure]
**Recommended changes:**
- [Specific change 1]
- [Specific change 2]
- [Specific change 3]
**Priority:** High / Medium / Low
**Estimated impact:** [Why this update matters]
**Target keyword update:** [Current keyword → recommended keyword]
```

#### Section 3: Merge Recommendations

```
### Merge Group: [Topic]

**Articles to combine:**
1. [Title A] — [URL]
2. [Title B] — [URL]

**Recommended approach:** Keep [Article A] as the base. Merge unique content from [Article B]. 301 redirect [Article B URL] to [Article A URL].
**New title suggestion:** "[Updated title]"
**Target keyword:** "[keyword]"
```

#### Section 4: Delete Recommendations

```
### Articles to Remove

| Title | URL | Reason | Redirect To |
|-------|-----|--------|-------------|
| [Title] | [URL] | [Thin/irrelevant/no traffic] | [Redirect URL or "none"] |
```

#### Section 5: Content Gap Analysis

```
### Content Gaps

| Gap Topic | Target Keyword | Priority | Rationale |
|-----------|---------------|----------|-----------|
| [Topic] | [Keyword] | High | [Why this content is needed] |
| [Topic] | [Keyword] | Medium | [Rationale] |
```

---

## Phase 4: Polish

### 1. Audit Checklist

```
## Audit Quality Checklist

- [ ] Every content piece is categorized (keep, update, merge, delete, create)
- [ ] Update recommendations include specific changes (not just "improve")
- [ ] Merge candidates identify which article to keep as the base
- [ ] Delete candidates have 301 redirect recommendations
- [ ] Content gaps are prioritized by impact
- [ ] Executive summary highlights the top 3 priorities
- [ ] Recommendations are actionable and time-estimated
```

### 2. Action Plan Timeline

```
## 90-Day Action Plan

**Month 1:** Update the top 3 highest-priority articles
**Month 2:** Execute merge recommendations and create 301 redirects
**Month 3:** Begin filling content gaps with new pieces; delete and redirect thin content
```

### 3. Ongoing Audit Schedule

Recommend quarterly mini-audits and annual full audits.

---

## Example: Audit of a 30-Article Freelance Business Blog

```
Summary:
- Keep: 8 articles (27%)
- Update: 12 articles (40%)
- Merge: 4 articles into 2 (13%)
- Delete: 6 articles (20%)
- Gaps: 5 new topics identified

Top priorities:
1. Update "Freelance Pricing Guide" — #1 traffic driver, data from 2022
2. Merge "Email Tips for Freelancers" and "How to Write Client Emails" — 70% overlap
3. Create "Freelance Contract Template" — high-volume keyword, no existing content
```

---

## Anti-Patterns

- **Auditing without a goal** — "let's audit everything" leads to a spreadsheet nobody acts on. Define the business goal first.
- **Only looking at traffic** — a piece with low traffic might have high conversion value. Consider multiple metrics.
- **Keeping everything** — emotional attachment to old content prevents improvement. Be willing to delete.
- **No action plan** — an audit without a prioritized action plan is just an inventory. Always end with next steps.
- **Auditing too frequently** — quarterly mini-audits are fine. Full audits more than once a year create audit fatigue.

---

## Recovery

- **No performance data:** Audit based on content quality, recency, and alignment with current business goals. Recommend setting up analytics before the next audit.
- **Massive content library (100+ pieces):** Start with the top 20 by traffic or the most recent 30. Expand in phases.
- **User wants to keep everything:** Explain the cost of thin content (SEO dilution, brand perception). Suggest archiving instead of deleting if they are uncomfortable.
- **No clear content gaps:** Research competitor content or audience questions to identify missing topics.
- **Too many updates needed:** Prioritize by estimated impact. Update the top 5 first, then reassess.
