How to Conduct a Content Audit — Without the Overwhelm

How to Conduct a Content Audit — Without the Overwhelm

Content tends to pile up: reports, pages, campaigns, policies, and posts — all layered across platforms, timelines, and teams. Before long, it’s hard to know what’s still useful, what’s out of date, or what’s quietly working against your goals.

A content audit can bring the clarity you need, but only if it doesn’t feel like another project nobody has time for. Here's how to make it manageable.

1. Start With a Purpose

Don’t begin by listing every page on your website. Start by asking:

• What do we need our content to do this year?
• Who are we trying to reach (and are we still reaching them)?
• What messages do we want to reinforce or retire?

A purpose-driven audit gives you focus and filters out unnecessary busywork.

2. Pick a Layer to Tackle

You don’t have to audit everything at once. Choose a single layer to focus on:

• Just the homepage and top navigation
• One program area or priority file
• A single campaign’s worth of content
• Your internal documents (SOPs, onboarding, or comms templates)

By narrowing your scope, you’ll actually finish and build momentum for the next layer.

3. Ask the Right Questions

For each piece of content, ask:

• Is it accurate?
• Is it still needed?
• Is it aligned with our tone and goals?
• Is it accessible and plain language (especially important in Canadian public-facing communications)?
• Is it easy to find and understand?

Keep a spreadsheet or simple tracker to capture notes and action items.

4. Make it Actionable

Use three buckets:

• Keep (no action needed)
• Update (small fixes or rewrites)
• Remove (retire or redirect)

And if a piece doesn’t fit anywhere? Flag it as a gap (that’s just as valuable to know).

Content Audits Build Trust

Canadian audiences expect clarity. If your content feels dated, inconsistent, or overloaded, trust can slip, even if your work is solid.

A light-touch, intentional content audit is one of the fastest ways to build clarity, internally and externally.

Need a Hand?

Whether you’re a one-person communications team or juggling strategy across multiple departments, I can help you design and complete a comprehensive content audit that leads to clarity, not burnout.