When is the last time your team reviewed its website content? Marketers often overlook their brand sites after they have launched, which is a missed opportunity to communicate your most updated services, showcase your successes, and optimize the experience so that your audience can more easily find you and the resources they need.
In this #ContentChat, we’re joined by Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel), content marketing manager at WriterGirl & Associates, to discuss the best practices for updating a website and how to keep content front and center during that process. Check out the full recap below, where we discuss how often a marketing team should review a brand’s website content, how to effectively audit and update your website content, and the tools to help you along the way.
Q1: How often do you recommend a content marketing team review its website content?
Every buyer persona has changed during the events of 2020, so we recommend reviewing your website content ASAP if you have not already.
A1b: Honestly EVERYONE should be looking at their web copy if they haven’t already. The pandemic has fundamentally changed ever single persona and that means your site needs to be updated. That’s a fact. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020
For ongoing purposes, review your website content at least once a year, ideally with a quarterly or mid-year condensed audit. Naturally, this cadence will depend on your team’s resources.
A1a: This depends on your specific industry, team size and resources. Aim for a comprehensive audit once a year and quarterly condensed audits. For many of our clients (healthcare), we recommend a clinical review of service line content at least once a year. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A1. Yearly review is important, as your yearly goals change it is important your website reflects what it is expected to achieve. #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) December 14, 2020
A1: I love the idea of a quarterly web copy review, but I think in practice and in practicality, you’re probably going to end up in pretty good shape with once a year, tbh. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020
A1: #ContentChat Start quarterly. But just like everything in marketing, test out that pace. You may find you need to review more or less often. It’s just going to depend on the type of content you’re producing & if you have the resources.
— Diana Richardson🍷 (@DianaRich013) December 14, 2020
A1: Annually at minimum. Quarterly would be better. You’ll find much of it is untouched unless there’s major change, unfortunately. #contentchat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) December 14, 2020
A1: Quarterly is a great starting point, especially if you write on your website a lot. You might think once a year will be fine, but if you update materials even twice a week, you’re looking at 104 pieces to be looked at by year’s end. That’s a lot! #ContentChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) December 14, 2020
A1 Depends on the business, but I’d say quarterly. More often is unsustainable. Less often and content gets stale. #contentchat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) December 14, 2020
A1. It depends on how much content you create, but as a general guideline, once a year should be enough. At @Impressa_LV, we review content once a year for small updates. Every two years, we redo most of the old pieces and go for significant updates. #contentchat
— Teodora Ema Pirciu (@emapirciu) December 14, 2020
Your website content should also be reviewed any time your team adjusts its messaging or brand voice.
A1c: You should also make sure to review your content anytime you’re considering a refresh from a messaging/voice standpoint or if you’re shifting your marketing strategy. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
SEO elements should be reviewed quarterly if possible, and there are tools you can use to keep ongoing maintenance needs light.
A1b: From an SEO standpoint, it’s a good idea to have a tool that can help provide an ongoing review (like @SEMrush) so you can catch any red flags and fix them before they become a problem. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
Q2: Who in a company should be involved in a website redesign, and how do they assist in the process?
Every department in your company will have some role in the website redesign/refresh, but start with your web, marketing, and content team leaders to align on the goals of the redesign with your general company leadership.
A2a: At the start, make sure your key stakeholders are at the table with your web, marketing + content team leaders. This will help you better align organizational goals with marketing goals. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A2c: After those larger kickoff meetings, the day-to-day redesign work should be a core team of experts from marketing, content, design, UX/UI and SEO/digital marketing. This ensures content, strategy and design are coming together to create a cohesive site. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A2: Understanding what the organizational role your website needs to play is a #1 step. So ensure that you’re checking in with your leadership team so you know what success looks like. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020
A2: Everyone should be, but not all at once. Your pregame should be the teams who will need to use/access the system daily, like marketing, business development, and customer service. Once those teams are good, you can get to nuts & bolts that only impact some. #ContentChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) December 14, 2020
Once goals are set and success is defined, expand your core team to include representatives from your sales, design, UX/UI, SEO, and developer teams to assist on the next steps (which we discuss in our next questions).
A2c: After those larger kickoff meetings, the day-to-day redesign work should be a core team of experts from marketing, content, design, UX/UI and SEO/digital marketing. This ensures content, strategy and design are coming together to create a cohesive site. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A2: #ContentChat Almost every division. You’ll want to hear from customer service in regards to customer feedback to help with design. You’ll want your SEO team involved to keep the code & content optimized. You’ll want your designers for UX, marketing for copy & devs to build.
— Diana Richardson🍷 (@DianaRich013) December 14, 2020
A2b: Make sure that you’ve got your sales team involved so the site can help them serve their prospects. Plus, maybe it will encourage them to actually DO USE IT! #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020
A2d: It’s critical that content is involved early & often (not just after the design is done). If not, you can end up shoehorning copy into a site, which can hurt your user journey, messaging & SEO. @collmassa talks about it here: https://t.co/qwSMKrh9qY #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A2. Product teams, field marketing/sales teams, of course marketing and the web/IT team. Extremely important to get the customer facing guys to input IMO. #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) December 14, 2020
A2 Almost every department is a stakeholder, but the funnel narrows closer to execution #contentchat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) December 14, 2020
A2: Mar-com and Director of Sales. And the site should be build with SEO and the sales path in mind. #contentchat
— Chris Craft (@CraftWrites) December 14, 2020
A2: A bit random, but check with new hires on your team to see if they have feedback on your site. Ideally, they have done a deep(ish) dive of your site content to prep for the interview process, and they may have ideas for improvement. #ContentChat
— Alek Irvin (@AlekIrvin) December 14, 2020
#contentchat A2: simple, everyone! Before a redesign, ask your team for feedback and how they would direct others to visit the site and benefit from learning about the company.
— Corrie Fisher (@Cafisher25) December 14, 2020
Q3: What is the best way to audit your existing website content?
We recommend you use a dashboard, spreadsheet, or some other document that details your progress in reviewing the existing site content.
A3a: It depends on the type of audit you’re doing and the audit’s goals. I like to start with big-picture data and then drill down into individual sections. Above all, make sure you create detailed dashboards and spreadsheets to track your work (more on that later!) #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A3b: Some of our team members do audits by hand, reviewing every page and documenting them in an Excel spreadsheet with existing URLs, page titles, H1s, etc. They also include an overview of the content’s purpose, relevancy to other pages and notes/questions. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A3: Call me old fashioned, but I think that I would start a content audit for a website with an old fashioned spreadsheet…. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020
A3: I like to do a mix of presentation and spreadsheet. I do a slide deck of the major themes based on the current website, then itemize content within those buckets and discuss changes. A sitemap is awesome if you’re not sure where to start with categories. #ContentChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) December 14, 2020
Compare your goals and results to see where new pages need to be created or where pages can be condensed. Shruti recommends you start with a website map that you can build from.
A3: #ContentChat
✅Match your seed keywords to the corresponding pages
✅Match your highest ranking or most viewed content to any similar/related content that could be eliminated
✅Match goals with converting content to see where conversion opportunities are— Diana Richardson🍷 (@DianaRich013) December 14, 2020
A3. Start with a website map. Draw out alternatives that will need minimum disruption but will result in optimum outcomes like easy check outs, easy access to key areas before etc. coming to gated content. #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) December 14, 2020
Solicit feedback from each of your website redesign team members, as well as thoughts from customers, partners, and employees.
A3: Get someone you respect & trust to give their opinion on where changes can be made.
Also ask your audience what they like & don’t like about your site.
It can be hard to take, but nothing works better than the truth.#ContentChat— Buzzin’ James (@BuzzinDigital) December 14, 2020
Some tools can assist in this process, and we explore options in Q6.
A3c: I also like to use @screamingfrog to pull data during an audit. But the manual approach can help give you context for content on each page or how it works together with other pages. That approach can also give you a better idea of the user journey. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
Q4: How do you document and detail your proposed content changes?
Melanie shares an Excel spreadsheet you can use, and the community reinforces the importance of some tracking tool and checklists to stay organized.
A4a: At @writergirlassoc, we create a “content playbook” in Excel or Google Sheets. This includes a proposed visual sitemap, page list & tabs for each recommended page or section. You can download a version of the playbook here: https://t.co/b2sTPyNoQ7 #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A4b: Our playbook always has a section where the team can track communications and decisions, including content changes. We can add info here about additional source links or note whether we need an SME interview to complete the content. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A4c: Depending on the size/scale of the project, we may provide a high-level Word document that outlines examples of different types of pages, rather than including every single one in the Excel playbook. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A4: #ContentChat Now here’s where a spread sheet might come in handy or something like Monday or Trello. I need check lists, so I have to have a box I can check off or strike through when it’s done so I can keep up with progress.
— Diana Richardson🍷 (@DianaRich013) December 14, 2020
Have a section that details your proposed changes with a clear area to note whether the proposed copy is approved.
A4: I have a section for each piece of content on my spreadsheet that says “proposed changes” and I check yes or check no. I present a list of the content that I think needs edits, then put recommendations in a separate doc in the same order as the list. #ContentChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) December 14, 2020
Trello, Asana, Google Docs, and Excel/Google Sheets are some tools that can help.
Yes! If it’s not a spreadsheet, I’m a big fan of @trello for this! #contentchat https://t.co/uFN07XaE7L
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
You know, we’ve been using Asana and it has the trello board feature OR the list feature… it appeals to the many organization styles at @NeoLuxeMktg #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020
#contentchat A4: Google docs! Great way to track changes
— Corrie Fisher (@Cafisher25) December 14, 2020
A4. Good ‘ol Excel sheets with a strict version control have worked for us and then logging in tasks with @trello or @teamwork has helped get tasks done at a granular level. #ContentChat pic.twitter.com/DKomSpDxiB
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) December 14, 2020
Q5: How can a team keep the website redesign/overhaul moving so that it launches on time?
A website redesign launching on time? Let’s have a quick laugh…
A5: Websites launch on time? WHERE?! I wanna see. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020
My least fave conversation:
THEM: The website is lateME: Yup, there was no way we were going to make that schedule. I mentioned that in planning.
THEM: The website is late.
ME: Yup.
Fin! #contentchat— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020
A5. Website launch on time is a joke!!! 🤣 But on a more serious note agree.. regular check in helps identify challenges and any forthcoming roadblocks well in time #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) December 14, 2020
Jokes aside, there are several ways to optimize your process and stay on deadline. First, designate one member of your team to be the project manager to ensure the timeline is followed.
A5: #ContentChat Clear timeline communication. This is where a project manager comes in handy. For any teams that are making decisions, make sure there are two points on contact in case one is unavailable. Then decisions won’t be slowed down.
— Diana Richardson🍷 (@DianaRich013) December 14, 2020
Next, create a work back plan that details what needs to be done, by who, and by when. Again, you can use free solutions like a simple document or spreadsheet to track this, or paid tools can provide more detailed project management features.
A5: Create goals for each part of the redesign. That way, the goal isn’t “website redesign.” Instead, it’s:
– Content Audit
– Links Review
– Image Library
– Graphics Brainstormetc. If each goal has a date of its own, it’s more likely to move forward as scheduled. #ContentChat
— Rachel Wendte (@rkwendte) December 14, 2020
A5 Everyone has said it but it bears repeating. Communication and clear timelines is critical. Regular touchpoints can be useful and having a central resource where everyone can track progress or weigh in can also be helpful. #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) December 14, 2020
A5a: First, make sure you have a project management tool to help you keep track of all of the new content, assignments, timelines and deadlines. We use @basecamp, but @asana, @wrike, @gathercontent + @workfront are some others we’ve used with clients. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A5. I can’t believe I say this, but Asana can help. Having all processes broken down into small activities and tracking progress is crucial for meeting deadlines. #contentchat
— Teodora Ema Pirciu (@emapirciu) December 14, 2020
Get executive approval on your proposed timeline, and use your work back plan to reinforce what is/is not a realistic timeframe for the website to launch.
A5b: The first step is getting leadership to buy into a real schedule instead of a schedule they would like to see. Then the likelihood of launching on time exponentially increases. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020
A5 Get executives to back you up so people can’t ignore your deadlines #contentchat
— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) December 14, 2020
Host regular check-in meetings where the team can review the redesign status and discuss any hurdles. Share a recap via email for anyone who was not able to attend the meeting.
A5b: Make sure you’re providing regular updates to the team and key stakeholders. Ideally, these should be weekly, but adjust based on your need. You can use these check-ins to discuss roadblocks that may be slowing things down. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A5. I think the key to getting this right is to have regular check-in times. This keeps momentum going and keeps everyone on the same page. #contentchat
— Gene Petrov – LDRBRND (@LDRBRND) December 14, 2020
Agree. And a solid plan with deadlines. Don’t have weekly “what if we… brainstorm meetings” – just one big one then get to work. #contentchat https://t.co/c1rQsXtc7Q
— Shane Shaps (@520eastbrands) December 14, 2020
And leverage expert knowledge on your team to increase your efficiency. Instead of reinventing the wheel or trying to create something from an outsider’s perspective, speak with subject matter experts who can help you overcome hurdles and more quickly create accurate and helpful content.
A5c: We’ve also found that SME interviews can be a huge help in moving projects along. They can sometimes take more time up-front, but ultimately, you get the info straight from the source which saves time in the long run. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
Q6: What tools and resources do you use to assist with your website redesign?
Check out these tools that Melanie and the community recommend to help with your website content refresh. Is your favorite tool missing, or do you want to share some praise for one of the tools we mention? Let us know in the comments.
A6a: Mentioned before, but @screamingfrog is a great tool to pull URLs, title tags, meta descriptions, headers, etc. for every page on your site. @GoogleAnalytics can help you drill down into how existing pages perform from a search and engagement standpoint. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A6b: Tools like @SEMRush can also help you audit your site for SEO red flags, so you know in your update where you’ll need to make adjustments to optimize for search. They can also help with competitor research. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A6c: And don’t forget about UX and heat mapping! I like @hotjar for this. It can help you gauge UX problems with your current site and influence how you redesign or reconfigure content on the new site. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
Can’t sing the praises of @screamingfrog loudly enough – especially if you’re working with multiple clients who don’t really have a clear picture of what is on their existing websites. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) December 14, 2020
Q7: What are your tips for keeping website content accessible?
A handful of recommendations from Melanie: Keep website language simple and clear, with short sentences and minimal acronyms…
A7a: #Accessibility is often overlooked in a website revamp, but it’s super important — especially in healthcare! First, make sure you’re using plain language. Use simple + clear words, short sentences and minimal acronyms. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
Use headings and subheads to break up the page…
A7b: Make sure you use formatting and headings to break up the page (avoid long chunks of text) and use the right hierarchy with H1, H2, H3 etc. This can help sighted readers digest content and make it easier to understand if you’re using a screen reader. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
Make links descriptive and don’t over-rely on color, font, or bold text to draw attention…
A7c: Make sure your links are descriptive (avoid “read more” or “click here”) and avoid relying on formatting (colors, fonts, bold text) to get your message across. Not every website visitor will be able to see your formatting choice. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
And include a descriptive alt text for any images you include.
A7d: And don’t forget about descriptive alt text for your images. This can help create a better experience for visitors using screen readers and it’s helpful for SEO. Two-for-one! #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
Shruti recommends you do not gate your content too soon so you can see what type of content your audience values most.
A7. Keep your navigation simple, test it out to see how a customer would end up experiencing on your website. Important tip, DO NOT GATE CONTENT TOO SOON. Learnt this the hard way. #ContentChat
— Shruti Deshpande (@shruti12d) December 14, 2020
Remember, some of the tools we recommended above can help with many of these considerations.
A7 ALL of what @WriterGirlMel is saying, but bear in mind this is something that @ScreamingFrog can also help you sort out. Missing ALT tags are probably my single greatest frustration, but so vital for sight-impaired users. #contentchat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) December 14, 2020
Q8: What are the often overlooked areas of a website redesign that the content marketing team needs to be involved in?
A few areas that are often overlooked in a website redesign include: location pages, contact pages, click paths, tone of voice, and more! Read through all of the areas to consider below.
A8a: Location pages and contact pages sometimes get pushed to the end or just ported over “as is” and that’s too bad. Especially with location pages, it’s important to think about local SEO and structuring that data so it’s optimized for Google. #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A8b: From a healthcare perspective, we also like to make sure the content team is involved with research and education/academics pages. Don’t forget that doctors are referral sources, too! #contentchat
— Melanie Graham (@WriterGirlMel) December 14, 2020
A8: Click paths. Plan them. Align them with your personas. Ensure you’re curating your customer’s journey no matter where they enter the funnel. #contentchat
— Maureen Jann (@NeoLuxeMo) December 14, 2020
A8 I’ve found sometimes they’re left out of initial strategy development for the redesign, which is really bad. Sometimes you can have some knock-down, drag-out fights about site architecture but usually get a better solution as a result. #ContentChat
— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) December 14, 2020
A8: #ContentChat Tone of voice & non generic CTAs.
— Diana Richardson🍷 (@DianaRich013) December 14, 2020
A8
1. The top of the home page, where meaningless content can take up all the real estate above the fold
2. The footer, key for SEO
3. Optimizing content for mobile first#contentchat— Dan Goldberg (@Jonas419) December 14, 2020
A8: Output format. Some of my clients in the past have asked how best to use video content, but have then realised or been told that they may not have the ability to embed it or utilise it to its full potential. 🤯🤭#ContentChat pic.twitter.com/MyRYLhaU3i
— Buzzin’ James (@BuzzinDigital) December 14, 2020
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