Your blog archive is either working for you or against you. A content audit tells you which posts to update, merge, or delete, so every piece of content earns its spot in search results.
Key Takeaways
- Content audits identify underperforming posts dragging down your site’s overall SEO
- Use the Keep/Update/Merge/Delete framework to make decisions for each post
- Focus on posts older than 6 months with declining traffic
- Tools like Google Search Console and Ahrefs make data collection fast
What Is a Content Audit?
A content audit is a systematic review of every blog post on your site. You’re checking what’s working, what’s failing, and what’s actively hurting your rankings.
Think of it as an inventory check. You wouldn’t run a store without knowing which products sell and which collect dust. Your blog works the same way.
Sites have reported 50%+ traffic increases after auditing and pruning their content. Siege Media saw this exact result after removing just 15% of their posts.
The goal isn’t just finding problems. It’s making strategic decisions about each piece of content so your entire archive works toward your SEO goals.
Why Bother? The SEO Case for Auditing
Google evaluates your entire domain, not just individual posts. Weak content pulls down strong content.
Keyword cannibalization happens when multiple posts target the same topic. They compete against each other rather than rank together. A content audit reveals these conflicts so you can merge or differentiate.
Outdated content signals neglect to search engines. Posts with 2019 statistics or broken links hurt user experience and trust signals.
Crawl budget waste is real for larger blogs. Google spends limited time crawling your site. Thin or duplicate pages consume that budget without providing value.
A clean, focused blog performs better than a bloated one. Quality beats quantity every time.
The 5-Step Content Strategy
Step 1: Pull Your Data
Start with Google Search Console. Go to Performance > Pages and export the last 12 months of data. You’ll get clicks, impressions, and average position for every indexed page.
Add this to a spreadsheet with these columns:
| Column | Source |
|---|---|
| URL | GSC export |
| Clicks (12 months) | GSC export |
| Impressions | GSC export |
| Average position | GSC export |
| Publish date | Your CMS |
| Word count | Manual or plugin |
| Target keyword | Manual review |
Pro tip: Filter for posts older than 6 months. New content needs time to rank before you judge it.
If you use Ahrefs or Semrush, add referring domains and keyword count per page. This helps identify hidden opportunities.
Step 2: Sort and Prioritize
Sort your spreadsheet by clicks (lowest first). These are your underperformers: posts that get impressions but no clicks, or posts that are entirely invisible to search.
Flag posts that fall into these buckets:
- Zero clicks, any impressions — Your title or meta isn’t compelling enough
- Zero clicks, zero impressions — Google isn’t ranking it for anything
- High impressions, low clicks — Bad click-through rate, needs better title tags and meta descriptions
- Declining traffic year-over-year — Content going stale
Don’t audit everything at once. Start with your worst 20-30 posts. That’s where the biggest gains hide.
Step 3: Apply the Keep/Update/Merge/Delete Framework
For each flagged post, choose one action:
Keep — Post performs well. Maybe add internal links or refresh a few stats, but don’t overhaul it.
Update — Good topic, outdated execution. Rewrite sections, add current data, and improve structure. Keep the same URL to preserve any existing rankings and backlinks.
Merge — Multiple posts cover the same topic (keyword cannibalization). Combine the best parts into one comprehensive post. Redirect the others with 301s.
Delete — No traffic, no backlinks, no strategic value. Some content just needs to go. Redirect to a relevant page or return a 410 (gone) status.
Decision rule: If a post has backlinks from other sites, lean toward updating or merging rather than deleting. Those links have value.
Step 4: Check On-Page SEO for “Update” Posts
For posts you’re updating, run through this quick checklist:
Title and URL:
- Does the title include your target keyword?
- Is the URL clean and keyword-optimized?
Content quality:
- Is the information current? Update statistics and examples.
- Is the structure scannable? Use short paragraphs, headers, and lists where appropriate.
- Does it better address the search intent than competitors?
Technical elements:
- Are images compressed with descriptive alt text?
- Do all links work? Use Screaming Frog or a broken link checker.
- Does the page load fast on mobile?
Internal linking:
- Link to this post from related high-traffic pages
- Add outbound links to other relevant posts on your blog
You’re not rewriting from scratch. Focus on the gaps that most affect rankings.
Step 5: Execute and Track
Create a simple action plan:
| URL | Action | Priority | Due Date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| /old-post-1 | Update | High | Feb 15 | In progress |
| /duplicate-post | Merge into /main-post | Medium | Feb 20 | Pending |
| /thin-content | Delete | Low | Feb 28 | Pending |
Execution tips:
- Handle merges and deletes first—they’re fast wins
- Update 2-3 posts per week rather than all at once
- Set up redirects immediately after deleting or merging
After 4-6 weeks, check Search Console again. Compare clicks and impressions for updated pages against their pre-audit baseline. Document wins to prove the audit’s value.
Tools That Make Audits Easier
You don’t need expensive software; the right SEO tools can save you hours.
Free:
- Google Search Console — Traffic data, impressions, ranking positions
- Google Analytics 4 — Engagement metrics, bounce rate, time on page
- Screaming Frog (free up to 500 URLs) — Crawl your site for technical issues
- Google PageSpeed Insights — Check load times and Core Web Vitals
Paid:
- Ahrefs/Semrush — Backlink data, keyword rankings, competitive analysis
- Surfer SEO/NeuronWriter — Content optimization scores and gap analysis
Start free. Add paid tools only when your blog grows beyond what free tools can handle.
Common Audit Mistakes to Avoid
Deleting posts with backlinks. Always check referring domains before removing content. Redirect valuable link equity to relevant pages.
Ignoring search intent. A post might rank poorly because it answers the wrong question- not because the content is bad. Check what Google actually shows for your target keyword before rewriting.
Auditing too often. Once or twice per year is enough for most blogs. Constant tinkering prevents content from building momentum.
Skipping the redirect. Never leave a deleted URL returning a 404. Use 301 redirects to pass authority to relevant pages.
How Often Should You Audit?
Quarterly light check: Review Search Console for pages with declining traffic. Quick fixes only.
Annual deep audit: Full inventory review using the 5-step process above. Reserve a week for this.
After major Google updates: If rankings shift dramatically, audit affected content categories to identify patterns.
The goal is maintenance, not constant overhaul. A well-structured blog shouldn’t need dramatic intervention more than once a year.
Conclusion
The right content marketing turns your blog archive from dead weight into a growth engine. Start with your worst-performing posts, apply the Keep/Update/Merge/Delete framework, and track results over 4-6 weeks.
Your next step: Export your Search Console data today and flag your bottom 20 posts. That’s where your biggest SEO wins are hiding.