content-audit

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• Identify outdated content that needs updating or removal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Update	Good topic but outdated data, weak structure, or SEO decay	Refresh with current info and improved formatting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| 1 | [Title] | [URL] | Update | High | Outdated stats, weak intro, add internal links |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.