A Content Audit: Clear Diagnosis and a Measurable Action Plan

Introduction: Carrying Out a Content Audit to Improve SEO Performance Without Creating Cannibalisation

As a complement to a semantic audit, a thorough content audit helps you turn a library of pages into clear editorial decisions—without creating new URLs that compete with one another. The goal isn't to "publish more", but to make better use of what you already have, fix what is holding performance back, and protect site-wide consistency as updates roll out.

Definition, Scope and Deliverables of an SEO Editorial Audit

An SEO-focused editorial audit is a structured review of existing content to decide—page by page—the most valuable next action (update, consolidate, delete, and so on), combining a search-engine lens (visibility) with a user lens (usefulness, engagement, conversion). Deliverables typically include a documented inventory (often a spreadsheet) and a prioritised action plan.

Semantic Audit vs Reviewing Existing Content: What's the Difference?

A semantic audit connects queries, intent, SERPs and rankings to explain why a page is progressing or stalling, and helps you arbitrate opportunities that are close to the top 10. A review of existing content, by contrast, looks at what's on the page itself: structure, freshness, evidence, clarity, and whether it plays the right role in the user journey (acquisition, consideration, conversion). The two approaches are complementary: data tells you which page to focus on, editorial analysis tells you what to change.

Page Inventory: Which URLs to Include (Site Pages, Blog, Resources, Categories)

A useful inventory shouldn't stop at the blog. It needs to include pages that carry business value (offer pages, landing pages, categories, resources, comparisons, guides) as well as pages that can create SEO side effects (tags, filters, pagination, print versions, archives). Depending on your goals, you can audit the whole site or a defined subset—for example, all organic landing pages, or only pages supporting a specific offer.

In your spreadsheet, keep fields that drive action: URL, template, content type, funnel stage, objective, target primary query, last updated date, and a decision status. On smaller sites, manual collection can work; at scale, a sitemap helps prevent omissions and makes the structure easier to understand.

Decision Criteria: Keep, Update, Merge or Delete Content

To avoid a purely theoretical audit, set consistent decision rules from the outset:

• Keep: the page matches the intent, is useful, up to date, and achieves its goals (qualified traffic, leads, sales, etc.).
• Update: information is dated, evidence is missing, the angle is incomplete, the promise is unclear, or signals are gradually declining.
• Merge: several pages address the same intent (duplicates or near-duplicates), spreading impressions and clicks across multiple URLs.
• Delete: content is obsolete with no value, technical pages are indexed by mistake, or pages have no purpose (and no demand) and make navigation harder.

Reference frameworks on the topic commonly use the same outcomes (keep, update, consolidate, delete) as a practical content marketing and SEO performance approach.

Collecting Data: Building a Reliable, Actionable Diagnosis

A robust audit combines measurable data with a qualitative scoring grid. The challenge isn't to measure everything; it's to connect numbers to a clear action and record the reasoning so you don't repeat work or make contradictory changes later.

Visibility and Acquisition Metrics via Google Search Console and Google Analytics

For visibility, Google Search Console provides the essentials: impressions, clicks, CTR, average position, and queries by URL. To understand what happens after the click, Google Analytics helps you analyse engagement and conversions by landing page (and by segment). Together, they are widely recommended as a solid baseline because they connect acquisition to business performance without multiplying tools.

A useful reality check: click concentration on page one remains strong. In the SEO statistics compiled by Incremys, click distribution highlights a clear gap between the top three results (which capture most clicks) and the rest. That is why prioritising pages that are close to the top 10 tends to outperform blanket rewrites.

Editorial Signals: Intent, Topic Coverage and Fit with the User Journey

Data alone doesn't tell you whether content is good. A page can be visible but rarely chosen (a positioning issue), or drive limited traffic but convert strongly (a discoverability issue). To complete the picture, document at least:

• Dominant intent (informational, comparison, action) and the format users clearly expect.
• Target journey stage (attract, engage, retain) and the logical next step.
• Perceived value: does the content solve a problem, answer questions, and provide evidence?

Many editorial audit frameworks recommend checking audience relevance, value, narrative, format, engagement and conversion. These make strong pillars for turning qualitative judgement into an operational checklist.

Content-Related Technical Signals: Indexation, Templates and Duplicate-Content Risk

From a technical perspective, the aim isn't to redo a full audit, but to flag issues that directly affect content understanding and indexation: pages indexed when they shouldn't be, duplicate titles or H1s caused by templates, crawlable filter pages, broken links and images, or missing tags. These become especially damaging when they create large-scale similarity—for example, the same blocks appearing across dozens of URLs.

On performance, remember that load experience affects behaviour. According to the SEO statistics, 40–53% of users leave a site if it loads too slowly (Google, 2025) and bounce rate increases by +103% with an additional two seconds of load time (HubSpot, 2026). Even strong content can underperform if the template drags it down.

Assessing SEO Performance: What the Metrics Really Tell You

A good audit doesn't seek "the best pages" in absolute terms—it looks for the strongest levers: where a realistic editorial improvement can produce a measurable gain without putting stable pages at unnecessary risk.

Impressions vs Clicks: Spotting Pages That Are Visible but Rarely Chosen

High impressions with a low CTR often indicate a promise mismatch: a generic title, an angle misaligned with intent, or stronger SERP competition. In the SEO statistics, an optimised meta description can increase CTR by +43% (MyLittleBigWeb, 2026), and question-based titles are associated with +14.1% CTR (Onesty, 2026). These aren't recipes, but they are sensible hypotheses to test when a page already has visibility.

Engagement and Conversion: Linking Each Page to a Business Outcome

Traffic alone isn't enough. Treat each page as a step in the user journey: is it an entry page, a decision-support page, or a conversion page? Useful metrics will differ accordingly. Awareness content may aim for scroll depth and internal navigation; decision content must demonstrate value (use cases, trust elements) and guide users towards a clear CTA.

To frame the importance of organic search in the overall mix, the SEA statistics cite an average split of SEO 54% vs SEA 28% (Odiens, 2025). That further supports prioritising improvements on pages that materially influence acquisition and conversion.

Prioritising Your Workload: Expected Impact vs Rewrite Effort

The most robust prioritisation combines three dimensions:

• Expected impact: business value of the page (leads, sales, role in an offer).
• Effort: light update, structural overhaul, or template correction.
• Risk: already-performing pages (proceed with caution) vs stagnant pages (lower risk).

A pragmatic rule: start with pages that are close to a ranking threshold (mid-range positions, existing visibility) and support a clear intent. This prevents spreading effort across topics where the site has no traction yet.

Writing Quality: How to Assess a Page's Real Value

In SEO, quality isn't about literary flair; it's about usefulness, comprehension and trust. With more zero-click behaviour and generative answers, content also needs to be easy to summarise without losing precision.

Operational Criteria: Clarity, Structure, Evidence and Depth

In a web copywriting audit grid, consistently check:

• Immediate clarity: does the answer or promise appear early in the page?
• Structure: logical H2/H3 hierarchy, lists where helpful, readable paragraphs.
• Evidence: concrete examples, sourced figures, unambiguous definitions.
• Depth: does the page cover what matters without drifting off-topic?

To sense-check depth, the SEO statistics report an average of 1,447 words for a top-10 article (Webnyxt, 2026), with recommended formats varying by intent (Backlinko, 2026). The objective isn't to hit a word count; it's to ensure the level of explanation matches what the content type demands.

Topic Coverage: Finding Missing Angles and Unclear Areas

A page can target the right theme and still be incomplete. Look for:

• Missing angles: definitions, prerequisites, steps, common mistakes, limitations.
• Unclear areas: undefined terms, implied assumptions, promises not substantiated.
• Recurring questions: what prospects typically ask before taking action.

This analysis becomes more effective when you place the page within a semantic cocoon: one "owner" URL holds the primary intent, supporting pieces tackle sub-problems, and internal links prevent near-duplicate pages from emerging.

Editorial Consistency: Tone, Promise, CTAs and Strategic Alignment

Consistency is most obvious when it's absent: an informational page pushing a CTA too early, a conversion page lacking proof, or a tone that shifts from one article to the next. An editorial audit should therefore check the promise (what the reader will get), vocabulary consistency with your personas, and CTAs appropriate to the journey stage. To keep an overarching view, connect these findings back to your broader SEO content strategy.

Duplicate Content, Near-Duplicate Pages and Keyword Cannibalisation: Diagnose Before You Act

Most issues come less from poor writing and more from creating too many URLs that cover the same intent. Before you fix anything, identify the root cause: true duplication, template similarity, or legitimate segmentation.

Distinguishing Duplication, Similarity and Legitimate Variations

Duplication can be literal (copied blocks) or structural (same H1, same sections, same angle). Similarity isn't always a problem: location pages, product variants, or industry-specific pages can be legitimate if they add specific value (local proof, sector constraints, use cases). The rule of thumb: if the page doesn't change the intent or the useful information, it is likely to compete with another URL.

Finding High-Risk Clusters (Tags, Filters, Print Versions, Pagination)

The riskiest areas are often generated rather than written: article tags, e-commerce filter combinations, URL parameters, pagination and print versions. They can produce hundreds of similar pages with identical titles and near-identical snippets. In your inventory, flag these URL families as "templates" so you can decide at the right level—fixing a pattern rather than rewriting 200 individual pages.

Cannibalisation Signals: Instability, URL Swapping and Diluted Clicks

The most common signals show up in Google Search Console:

• URL swapping: the same query triggers one page on some days and a different page on others.
• Instability: rankings shift without durable improvement despite updates being made.
• Dilution: multiple pages split impressions and clicks instead of consolidating into one stronger URL.

In these situations, the goal is to nominate a single "owner" page for the intent, then align everything else accordingly—internal linking, angle, and redirects where necessary.

Query-Led and URL-Led Analysis: Common Cases and Frequent Traps

Two traps come up repeatedly:

• Creating a new page for a lexical variant when the SERP intent is the same (for example, synonyms). The right move is often to enrich the existing URL instead.
• Stacking very similar content because each page "gets a bit of traffic", which ultimately prevents any one URL from becoming the definitive reference.

Reading the data both ways—"query to URLs" and "URL to queries"—helps you decide whether to consolidate or genuinely segment intent (when Google consistently separates user expectations).

Action Plans: Rewrite, Canonicalise, Noindex, Consolidate or Segment Intent

Once the cause is clear, choose the lowest-risk action:

• Rewrite: genuinely differentiate the angle, strengthen evidence, clarify the promise.
• Consolidate: merge two pages that are too similar, keep the best one, and redirect the other.
• Noindex (context-dependent): utility pages, URL parameters, pages with no search value.
• Canonicalisation: where multiple variants must exist for users but should not be indexed separately.
• Segmentation: create two distinct pages only if the intent is genuinely different and stable.

These choices should remain aligned with the fundamentals of an on-page SEO audit, especially around structure, tags and internal linking.

Delete, Merge or Optimise: Practical Decision Rules

The most sensitive decisions in a content audit involve deletion and consolidation. Done poorly, they can cause traffic losses. Done well, they simplify the site, strengthen key pages, and reduce cannibalisation.

When Should You Delete a Page Without Losing SEO Value?

Delete a page when its value is nil or negative: obsolete content with no lasting intent, pages indexed by mistake, very low-quality content that brings neither qualified traffic nor conversions, or an exact duplicate of another URL. Before deleting, check: does it receive impressions or clicks? does it have useful internal links pointing to it? does it support a stage in the user journey? If the answer to any of these is yes, consolidation or an update is usually a safer first step.

Merging Content Without Harming SEO: Redirects, Internal Linking and Consolidation

To merge content, start from the strongest page (or the one best aligned with the intent) and incorporate the best elements of the other: sections, examples, FAQ content and evidence. Then:

• set up a redirect to the kept page when the old URL no longer serves a purpose,
• update internal linking across menus, articles and resource pages,
• harmonise the title, H1 and subheadings to avoid recreating ambiguity.

The aim is to consolidate signals into a single "owner" URL rather than disperse them across multiple pages.

Optimising What You Already Have: Enrichment, Updates, Pruning and On-Page Improvements

Effective optimisation follows a simple sequence: clarify (promise and intent), structure (headings, lists, content blocks), enrich (evidence, examples, missing angles), then prune (redundancy, digressions, outdated passages). On-page, check that the basics are present and strong: title, meta description, heading hierarchy, internal links and image attributes. Finally, document the before-and-after so you can measure the real effect.

Automated Audits: Scaling the Method Without Losing Control

Automation is most useful for speeding up inventory building, pattern detection (duplicate templates, risky URL families) and prioritisation. But the final decision remains editorial: pages with similar titles may be entirely legitimate—or may reveal harmful duplication—and that distinction still requires human judgement.

Standardising an Analysis Grid with Actionable Statuses

A standard grid reduces noise and aligns teams. Use simple statuses (keep, update, merge, delete) and add two columns that make a real difference: priority (impact × effort × risk) and action (exactly what will be done). This prevents audits that merely observe without triggering any production work.

Automating Opportunity and Anomaly Detection at Scale

At high volume, automate what can be measured objectively: pages with high impressions and low CTR, groups of URLs sharing the same title or H1, ageing pages that have not been updated, template families with high bounce rates, or entire segments with no performance. Methodological guidance also tends to recommend starting with quantitative work (inventory plus metrics) before refining with qualitative review.

Putting a Workflow in Place: Diagnosis, Brief, Production, Tracking

An audit only creates value when it feeds into a production process. The minimum viable workflow is:

1. Diagnosis: spreadsheet with statuses.
2. Brief per priority URL: intent, structure, evidence, CTA, what to remove.
3. Production: updates, rewrites, consolidation.
4. Tracking in Search Console and Analytics—before and after—over a comparable period.

From SEO to GEO: Creating GEO-Optimised Content and Improving Visibility in AI Answers

With the rise of generative search engines, performance is no longer only about clicks. The GEO statistics reveal a growing tension: impressions can rise while traffic falls. For example, the share of searches ending without a click has reached 60% (Squid Impact, 2025) and, when an AI Overview is present, the CTR for the first position can drop to just 2.6% (Squid Impact, 2025). A content audit should therefore also assess "citability"—whether content can be accurately summarised by generative systems.

Adapting Structure: Reusable Blocks, Definitions, Steps and Evidence

To improve visibility in answer-led environments, structure pages into clear blocks: a short definition, numbered steps, criteria lists, examples, limitations and a mini-FAQ. GEO data indicates that pages structured with an H1-H2-H3 hierarchy are 2.8 times more likely to be cited by AI systems, and that 80% of cited pages use lists (State of AI Search, 2025, via GEO statistics). An editorial audit should therefore validate structure as much as substance.

Improving Machine Readability: Entities, Disambiguation and Hierarchy

Machine readability doesn't mean writing for robots—it means reducing ambiguity: define terms clearly, name concepts explicitly, avoid vague pronouns, and organise information in a stable, predictable way. Add sourced evidence whenever you cite figures, as trust is becoming a central criterion—particularly since 66% of users say they trust AI outputs without checking their accuracy (Squid Impact, 2025, via GEO statistics).

Measuring Impact: Tracking Visibility in AI Environments and Generated Answers

Beyond clicks, track visibility signals: impressions, CTR trends on queries affected by enriched answers, and the stability of "owner" pages on priority queries. The GEO statistics also note that organic traffic declines can reach between -15% and -35% (SEO.com, 2026; Squid Impact, 2025). Measuring sessions alone can therefore mask an increase in overall presence. The audit should set realistic goals—visibility, citations, leads—and define consistent comparison windows.

Incremys Focus: Analyse, Plan and Update Existing Content with Personalised AI

To execute audit decisions without stacking tools, Incremys centralises Google Search Console and Google Analytics data via API as part of a 360° SEO approach. At the end of the chain, its content production module can support rewriting and updating pages while maintaining brand consistency—brief, tone and editorial guidelines—with human validation acting as the quality control layer, particularly for evidence accuracy and compliance.

FAQ: Common Questions About Content Audits

What Is an SEO Content Audit?

It is a structured analysis of existing pages—typically presented as an inventory—combining quantitative criteria (visibility, traffic, engagement, conversions) and qualitative criteria (intent, clarity, evidence, structure) to decide what to keep, update, merge, rewrite or delete.

What Is the Difference Between an Editorial Audit, an On-Page SEO Audit and a Semantic Audit?

An editorial audit evaluates the value and quality of pages in terms of their copy (usefulness, structure, evidence, promise, CTA). An on-page SEO audit primarily checks page-level elements (tags, heading hierarchy, internal linking, images, performance). A semantic audit connects queries, intent, SERPs and rankings to arbitrate opportunities and avoid optimising pages that already perform well.

How Do You Assess Writing Quality in an Editorial Audit?

Use a short, repeatable grid: a clear promise early in the page, a readable structure (H2/H3, lists), up-to-date information, evidence (concrete examples, sourced figures), and fit with the user journey (what should the reader do next?). Also check tone consistency and whether CTAs are appropriate to the stage.

How Do You Detect Keyword Cannibalisation?

In Google Search Console, look for queries where multiple URLs appear in the results—especially if the landing page alternates from day to day. Then check by intent cluster: two very similar pages targeting the same SERP expectation are likely to cannibalise each other, even if the wording differs.

What Signals Indicate a Duplicate-Content Problem?

Identical titles and H1s across multiple URLs, strictly similar page structures, recurring text blocks at scale (from templates), and pages that do not differ in useful information. Generated areas such as tags, filters, URL parameters and pagination are common sources of this issue.

When Should You Delete Content?

When the page no longer has a lasting intent (a past event, a discontinued offer), delivers neither qualified traffic nor conversions, or exists solely as a result of technical generation (URL parameters, duplicates). Before deleting, check whether it receives impressions or clicks, or whether it supports internal linking; if so, consolidation is often preferable.

How Do You Choose Between an Update and a Full Rewrite?

Update when the intent is correct but the page lacks freshness, evidence or expected sections. Rewrite when the promise is unclear, the structure is unsuitable, or the page needs a different angle to match dominant intent and avoid competing with another URL.

How Do You Merge Content Without Losing Traffic?

Keep the strongest URL (or the one most legitimate for the intent), incorporate the best content from the other page into it, then redirect the old URL to the kept one. Finally, update internal linking and harmonise tags (title, H1, subheadings) to clarify which page is the definitive "owner".

Which KPIs Should You Track After Optimising Priority Pages?

In Search Console: impressions, clicks, CTR, average position and queries triggered per URL. In Analytics: engagement and conversions for organic landing pages. In the context of enriched SERPs and zero-click behaviour, also monitor visibility (impressions) and the stability of key pages, using benchmarks from the SEO statistics and GEO statistics.

How Often Should You Audit Your Content?

Published data suggests that 61% of marketers run audits twice a year or more, and that at least an annual audit is recommended (source: Semrush, "content audit for content marketing strategy", 2024). In practice, adapt to your site size: a quarterly check on business-critical pages and a broader review once or twice a year tends to work well.

How Can a Small Team Run an Automated Audit at Scale?

Standardise statuses (keep, update, merge, delete), automate pattern surfacing (duplicate titles or H1s, low-CTR pages, risky templates), then reserve human time for reviewing priority pages and making consolidation decisions. The key is to link each URL to a specific, dated action.

How Do You Include a GEO-Optimised Approach at the Audit Stage?

Add a "citability" column to your inventory: clear definition, listed steps, sourced evidence and stable structure. The GEO statistics show that well-structured pages (H1-H2-H3 hierarchy, lists) are more frequently picked up by generative systems; auditing these elements from the outset helps you avoid having to rewrite pages twice.

How Do You Improve Visibility in AI Answers After a Content Audit?

Consolidate intent "owner" pages, structure information into reusable blocks (definitions, lists, FAQs), reinforce evidence and disambiguation, then measure changes in impressions and CTR on the affected queries. To keep up with evolving behaviours and the impact of generative SERPs, the Incremys blog covers SEO, GEO and digital marketing on an ongoing basis.