content auditingZach Beauvais

definitions

• Content is a bit… meh. But it’s all we’ve got, for now.

• Content carries meaning.• You have an intent, a goal, a thing to get

done – content is the meaning-stuff that makes that happen.

photo by Zach Beauvais, CC BY-SA: flic.kr/p/y6E8es

τέλος

photo by Zach Beauvais, CC BY-SA: flic.kr/p/ykXEBA

Thus, to give an explanation of something is to determine what about it is good. Its goodness is its actual cause - its purpose, telos or "reason for which" (Timaeus 27d8-29a). [Wikipedia:

Teleology]

purpose

photo by Zach Beauvais, CC BY-SA: flic.kr/p/y6F9S3

• Every piece of content exists for a purpose.• Sometimes, those purposes aren’t very

good.• To best understand our content, we work

backward.• Start at the end – the purpose – and ask

questions

kinds of purpose

photo by Zach Beauvais, CC BY-SA: flic.kr/p/xrfJpY

• Messages• Audiences• Tasks• Tone

messages• Messages – discrete, meaningful concepts

which your website conveys.• We want you to know what we do. • We have something for you.• We exist in the real world – here is where

you can find us.

photo by Zach Beauvais, CC BY-SA: flic.kr/p/xrfJpY

audiences• Audiences – the people you're looking to

engage with.• We are part of your community.• We support people like you in specific

ways.• We want to engage you in conversation.

photo by Zach Beauvais, CC BY-SA: flic.kr/p/xrfJpY

tasks• Tasks – things your audiences want to get

done.• I want to find an answer to my specific

question.• I want to buy something – or complete a

task like registering to vote.• I want to tell you something.

photo by Zach Beauvais, CC BY-SA: flic.kr/p/xrfJpY

tone• Tone – the impressions beyond meaning that

your message imparts.• We want you to feel like we know what

we're doing.• We want you to feel like we are not

remote, snobbish, or boring.• We want you to feel like we care about

your own purposes.photo by Zach Beauvais, CC BY-SA: flic.kr/p/xrfJpY

research questions• How much content have we got?• Where does the content live? (IA)• Who is the content for?• Who put it there?• Is this content up-to-date?• Is this content well-written (clear,

meaningful, useful)?photo by Zach Beauvais, CC BY-SA: flic.kr/p/dVgSLx

audit mechanics• Identify the scope

• Do you need a full audit?• Are you after a section?

• Get you some export• Reports• Search (with great filters)

• Add columns to the spreadsheetphoto by Zach Beauvais, CC BY-SA: flic.kr/p/8Z7UKu