Google has launched its helpful content update and post that the way we audit content has changed dramatically, and rightly so. The Internet is now all about helpful content rather than just SEO-friendly (or keyword-stuffed) content.
Whether you are an enterprise, a mid-sized organization, a small business, or an individual looking to audit content for SEO purposes, the process remains mostly the same. Whether you hire an SEO experts agency or plan to perform the audit in-house, this article will help you with quick steps that you can follow. Before we dive into the steps, let’s first understand what exactly is Google’s “helpful content update”.
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What is Google’s helpful content update?
Google’s helpful content update is a fundamental shift in the way search engine algorithms rank websites. With this algorithm update, Google has placed an emphasis on content that offers value to the searcher. Therefore, website audits should focus on providing helpful information rather than just keyword stuffing.
In this update, Google has started to rank websites and pages according to their relevance and quality of content. The more helpful the content is, the higher its chances of ranking better on Google. Moreover, they have also stated that the content should not be solely for search engines as that would make it useless to the user. So, it’s important to create a content marketing strategy that is tailored to the user.
How to audit content in the helpful content era?
A content audit is a crucial part of any content marketing strategy. It is a process where you evaluate the performance and value of your existing content assets. A successful audit can help you identify gaps in your content strategy, as well as areas of potential growth.
Here are some steps to help you audit content effectively in the helpful content era.
1. Have higher quality benchmarks for the audit:
It’s important that you have higher quality benchmarks for your content audit. This means that you should be looking at the quality of your content rather than just the quantity. Make sure to assess the content based on its readability, accuracy, relevancy, originality, and other important factors. Along with these, also focus on benchmarking factors like topical relevance, structure, the format of content, etc.
2. Check for SEO optimization:
As part of the content audit process, you should also ensure that your content is optimized for search engine queries. This means that you should check if the keywords used in the content are relevant, and if they are appropriately placed (in title tags, headings, etc.) You should also check if the content contains any outdated information or broken links. Further, you can also use an SEO tool to analyze the content, and identify any areas of improvement.
3. Extract data from Google Search Console:
Google Search Console is a great tool for content audit purposes. It helps you analyze the performance of your website and its individual pages, based on search engine queries. This data can help you understand which content is performing well and which ones are not. You can then make changes to the content that is not performing up to the mark.
Moreover, also focus on content that is not performing and figure out what can be done to improve it. This will help you create effective content marketing strategies that are tailored toward the user and not just for search engines.
4. Audit every single internal link and backlink:
It’s also important to audit all the internal links and backlinks associated with your content. The quality of these links should be checked for relevance and accuracy. Also, make sure to remove any old or broken links, as these can lead to bad user experiences. By using tools like Screaming Frog, you can easily identify any broken or irrelevant links.
There will be several URLs that are not SEO-friendly, meaning they might contain too many words or special characters. Try to make them SEO-friendly by using tools like Yoast SEO and try to keep the links shorter and relevant.
5. Make a separate list of indexed and non-indexed content:
It happens often that Google doesn’t index all the content present on your website. Making a separate list of indexed and non-indexed content will help you identify any gaps in your content marketing strategy. This way, you will be able to focus more on content that is not indexed by Google and make the necessary changes.
The best content marketing strategy is to keep updating the content regularly. This helps in maintaining fresh and relevant content for the users. So, with an effective audit process, you can ensure that your content is up-to-date and relevant.
Wrapping up!
By following these steps, you can audit content effectively in the helpful content era. This ensures that your content is of high quality and is optimized for search engine queries. Moreover, make sure to keep updating your content regularly in order to maintain its relevance and accuracy. Doing so will help you create content that is targeted toward the user, rather than just for search engine queries.
Also read: 10 Essential Magento SEO Tips to Optimize Your Store
