As your site grows, it’s easy to neglect some of the older content.  So it definitely pays to do an audit every now and then.

I must admit, it’s been a long time since I’ve completed one, and this is the next task on my never-ending To-Do list.

So what exactly is an audit?  To put it simply, it’s a thorough review of your site or blog that checks for the following…

1) Relevance & Accuracy

Are your articles/blog posts still accurate and relevant?  This is especially important if your site is in a niche that is constantly evolving.  Just recently, I found an article on this blog for Blog Rush, and this program was terminated months ago.

2) Monetization Opportunities

Check your older articles to see if there are places to add affiliate links for any programs you may have joined recently. It’s amazing how many opportunities will arise.

3)  Dated Info

As a rule, you should avoid phrasing that can become outdated.  For example, instead of saying “I joined 24 Hour Fitness 3 years ago”, you should say “I joined 24 Hour Fitness in 2006.”

Sometimes such phrasing cannot be helped depending on the article and the point you’re making, but it’s still good to check for outdated information.

4) Broken Links

It’s easy to delete pages and forget you have links to them on other pages.  Also, links to external sites may become broken due to site closures or typos. I use Dreamweaver’s broken link checker, but there are a ton of free broken link tools you can use online.

If you have a Google Sitemap (and you should for all your sites), there is a broken link report within your sitemap summary.

5) Promote Your Online Profiles

As the social media world grows, you’re probably developing quite a few profiles around the Web.  It’s good to remind people how they can stay in touch with you and keep up with your latest content.

I just created this page on 2 Create a Website that displays the many ways you can connect with me online.  I added it to my site’s navigation and linked to it from my Contact page so it’s easy to find. Eventually I will create a page like this for the rest of my sites and blog.

Also, don’t forget to clarify or explain functions that may be confusing. Yes, there are still a lot of people who don’t understand RSS.  Don’t assume they will click and subscribe just because you’ve provided a link.  A quick explanation never hurts.

Speaking of RSS, did you know you can promote your YouTube channel’s RSS feed by using the following format?

http://www.youtube.com/rss/user/YouTubeID/videos.rss

So if you have a channel you want to promote and/or want to subscribe to someone else’s channel via RSS, just use the above link and replace “YouTubeID” with the appropriate YouTube username/ID.

6) Content Re-organization

As you continue to add content, the organization of your pages may need adjusting.  It may have been logical three years ago, but perhaps there’s a better way to structure the content today. Look for ways to simplify and cut down on redundancies.

7)  Cross Promote Your Content

If you have a blog and use WordPress, you probably know that it’s super easy to cross promote your posts.  There are several related post plugins available that will get the job done easily.

However, if you have a static/HTML site, you’ll need to do this manually. Cross promoting your pages can improve your bounce rate (the number of page views per visitor before exit) and prevent older articles from getting buried.

8)  Unwanted Contextual Ads

One disadvantage to using contextual ad programs like Google AdSense is that you may lose track of the ads that show up on your site.  You might find some that are inappropriate, or you may discover ads from direct competitors that you don’t want to show.

Remember you can block domains from displaying ads on your site by logging into your AdSense account, selecting the AdSense Setup tab and clicking on “Competitive Ad Filter.”

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Regular site audits will keep your content fresh, accurate and effectively monetized.  There’s always so much focus on writing new content, but don’t let your older articles get stale.

Remember, not everyone enters your site via your homepage.  So if someone happens to land on an outdated page, it can reflect poorly on your entire site.  First impressions are powerful and lasting.