How do you manage outdated, fragmented, or duplicated content?

1 Audit your content

The first step to managing your content is to know what you have, where it is, and how it performs. A content audit is a systematic process of evaluating and documenting your existing content based on various criteria, such as type, format, topic, quality, accuracy, relevance, tone, voice, and metrics. A content audit can help you identify the strengths and weaknesses of your content, as well as the gaps and opportunities for improvement. You can use tools like Google Analytics, Screaming Frog, or Content Analysis Tool to help you with your content audit.

2 Update or delete outdated content

Outdated content is content that is no longer accurate, relevant, or useful to your audience or your goals. It can harm your credibility, trust, and authority, as well as lower your SEO ranking and conversion rates. To avoid these negative impacts, you should regularly review and update your content to reflect the latest information, trends, and best practices. You can also delete or redirect content that is obsolete, redundant, or low-performing. You can use tools like Google Search Console, Ahrefs, or SEMrush to help you find and analyze your outdated content.

3 Consolidate or link fragmented content

Fragmented content is content that is scattered across different pages, sections, or platforms, making it hard for your audience to find and consume. It can also create confusion, inconsistency, and duplication, as well as dilute your SEO ranking and authority. To avoid these problems, you should consolidate or link your fragmented content to create a coherent and comprehensive user journey. You can use tools like Google PageSpeed Insights, Lighthouse, or WebPageTest to help you measure and improve your site's speed and performance.

4 Avoid or resolve duplicated content

Duplicated content is content that is identical or substantially similar to other content on your site or on other sites. It can cause issues with your SEO ranking, as search engines may not be able to determine which version of the content to index and rank. It can also affect your user experience, as your audience may encounter the same content multiple times or get confused by conflicting information. To avoid or resolve duplicated content, you should use canonical tags, 301 redirects, or noindex tags to tell search engines which version of the content to prioritize. You can use tools like Copyscape, Siteliner, or Moz to help you detect and fix your duplicated content.

5 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?