Content Audits: Why Inventory Isn't Enough

Whether you're diving into content marketing for the first time or you've been at it for years, you can't be effective if you don't know what content you have. And I don't mean categories ("We have some white papers. And some case studies."). I mean an itemized accounting of every single piece of content—in any form—that you possess.

Not knowing what you have costs you:

• You may spend time and money recreating content that already exists
• You may miss opportunities to help prospects because you forgot you had the perfect piece
• You may be caught off guard when prospects ask for something you don't have—and didn't know you didn't have

If you aren't completely up to speed on the assets at your disposal, you should be. And the sooner the better.

More Than Just a List

Step one is gathering every piece of content you can find and documenting it in a spreadsheet. But a list isn't an audit. A list tells you what exists. An audit tells you what's working.

Your audit spreadsheet should include:

• Unique identifier for each piece
• Title
• Target persona — who is this for?
• Content type — video, document, web page, etc.
• Buyer journey stage — awareness, consideration, or decision?
• Last reviewed date
• Performance data — views, downloads, conversions
• Quality assessment — is this actually good?
• Location — where does this live?
• Notes — anything else relevant

The Hard Part: Honest Assessment

The most valuable part of a content audit is also the most uncomfortable: honestly evaluating whether your content is any good.

For each piece, ask:

Is it accurate? Information goes stale. Statistics become outdated. Best practices evolve. Content that was accurate when written may now be misleading.

Is it relevant? Does this still address what your target personas actually care about? Markets change. Pain points shift. Content that resonated three years ago may miss the mark today.

Is it well-crafted? Not just "is the grammar correct" but "is this actually good?" Does it hold attention? Does it deliver value? Would you be proud to send it to a prospect?

Is it complete? Does it answer the questions it raises? Does it give readers what they need to take the next step?

Does it perform? What do the numbers say? Great content that nobody finds is a different problem than mediocre content that gets traffic but doesn't convert.

What to Do With What You Learn

An audit typically reveals content in four categories:

Keep as-is: Content that's accurate, relevant, well-crafted, and performing. Leave it alone.

Update: Content with a solid foundation that needs refreshing—new statistics, updated examples, improved formatting. Worth the investment to fix.

Consolidate: Multiple pieces covering similar ground, none of them comprehensive. Combine the best elements into one stronger piece.

Retire: Content that's outdated, irrelevant, or simply not good enough to represent your brand. Archive it or delete it.

The Audit Mindset

A content audit isn't a one-time project. It's a discipline. The companies that maintain consistently strong content treat auditing as an ongoing practice—reviewing performance regularly, updating proactively, retiring ruthlessly.

Start with a comprehensive audit to understand your current state. Then build the habit of continuous assessment. Your content library should get stronger over time, not weaker.