fundamentals of content auditing
TRANSCRIPT
UX Workshop Series | Fundamentals of Content AuditingInstructor: Mary S. Butler
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Agenda
1. What we will be covering today2. What do we mean when we say content?3. When should a content audit be performed?4. Before you get started5. How to analyze your content6. Presenting your findings7. Exercise & Discussion
What we will be covering today
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Workshop format and content
• Today’s session is part one of two devoted to Content Auditing• This is an interactive workshop; there will be several discussions and exercises throughout the two-hour workshop• Before you leave today, you will be given an assignment, which will be reviewed/discussed during the second workshop
What do we mean when we say content?
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Text
• TBD
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Images
• TBD
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Audio
• TBD
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Video
• TBD
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Data visualization
• TBD
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Comments
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Error messages
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Exercise
•We’re going to look at the Razorfish site• Review all of the content elements (headline, timestamp, thumbnail image, etc.) on the homepage; document all of the visible content elements• You have three minutes
When should a content audit be performed?
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content Strategy in the Project Lifecycle
Discover Design Develop Deploy
ResearchAssessConcept Voice
SourceOrganizeTaxonomy
PlanStyle GuideCopy DeckSocial
MaintainMonitorRespond
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content Strategy in the Project Lifecycle
Discover Design Develop Deploy
ResearchAssessConcept Voice
SourceOrganizeTaxonomy
PlanStyle GuideCopy DeckSocial
MaintainMonitorRespond
Before you get started
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Discussion
What types of questions do you think you should ask before starting a Content Audit?
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Understand the context
•What are the business goals for the property?
•Who is your audience and what do they need?
•What do stakeholders feel isn’t working, when it comes to content?
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Understand the scope of the engagement
•Who will be consuming your deliverable?•What types of content are in scope and where is the content located?•When is your content audit due?•Why is it needed?• How will business decisions/project deliverables be impacted by the outcome of the Content Audit?
How to analyze your content
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content analysis frameworks
• Range of frameworks available– Content Inventory– Content Audit– Content Matrix
• Don’t let semantics cause a misunderstanding– Make sure you understand what is being asked for (the what)– Make sure the deliverable being requested is what is really needed (the why)
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content analysis frameworks: content inventory
What is itA quantitative measure of content; typically includes a content ID, page title, URL, and formatWhy to do itIt will help you determine how much content you have, how it is organized, and where it lives (useful for content mapping)When should you do oneWhenever you need to know how much content exists; can be maintained as a rolling inventory to help manage content on a large site
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content analysis frameworks: content inventory
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content analysis frameworks: content audit
What is itCombines a quantitative measure (inventory) with a qualitative assessment of contentWhy to do itIt will help you understand what the content says, how useful and accurate it is, and if it is serving users and business needsWhen should you do oneWhenever you need to measure content quality and effectiveness; should precede Gap Analysis
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content analysis frameworks: content audit
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content analysis frameworks: content matrix
What is itA comprehensive document that contains all of a site’s content elements, attributes and metadata; captures both current and future state copyWhy to do itWhen a single document is needed for business review, content entry and developmentWhen should you do oneWhen new content is being created and/or existing content migrated to a new siteNote: This is not a content analysis document.
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content analysis frameworks: content matrix
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Determine scope
• Comprehensive assessment vs. sampling– When will assessing a few examples of each content type suffice?
• Agreement on which content sources are in scope– U.S. brand site only or all major global market sites? Sites for registered users? Mobile apps?
• How deep to go in when capturing data– For example, product pages have related assets; is the number of related assets sufficient or does each asset need to be captured?
Breaking it down
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Setting up the document
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Each section/site gets its own tab
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Each tab tracks the same data
• For each site/section you audit, you should be evaluating the following:
–Is the content reusable, does it need to be revised or updated, should it be deleted?
–Does it serve the communication goals?
–Does it speak to the target audience?
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Each tab tracks the same data
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Set up filters to make data sortable
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Each piece of content gets a row
Presenting your findings
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
The takeaway
• Creating the audit report •What were the goals of the audit•What was measured and how– A description of each audit factor– Data summaries for relevant audit factors
• Summary of overall conclusions– Incorporating graphic depictions of the results– Support visuals
• Recommendations and next steps
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content audit: reiterate the goals
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content audit: what was captured and how
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content audit: what was captured and how
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content audit: summary of overall conclusions
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content audit: supporting details
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content audit: supporting details
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Content audit: recommendations
Exercise & Discussion
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Discussion
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Discussion
• How do business goals impact what you capture in a content audit?•What questions would you ask?
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Where do you start?
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
What do you record?
Content IDTitle/topicURL Content typeContent formatLast updatedLanguageChannelAction to be taken
Content owner/maintainerContent sourceOverall assessmentAnything else?
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Your assignment
• Go to razorfish.com and catalog all primary and secondary site content (75-page max) in a spreadsheet • Keep in mind the following– Don’t spend more than two hours on initial
assessment– You will not have access to the client– Your assessment will help determine project next
steps for UX team
• Bring your content audit to part two of this workshop• Be prepared to discuss your findings and challenges encountered
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Walking us through your content audit
• Each of you will review your content with the rest of the team and cover the following:
– Your goal
– Methodology followed
– Challenges encountered
– Recommendations (for the client)
– Next steps (for the team)
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Your feedback on this workshop
• Did you find this workshop useful? What do you think worked and didn’t work?
UX Workshop: Fundamentals of Content Auditing
Thank you!