How to audit your cannabis content
A complete content audit reveals which content drives traffic, which underperforms, and where gaps exist. Here's how to run one.
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What Is a Content Audit?
A content audit is complete analysis of all content on a website. Purpose: Identify underperforming content, find ranking opportunities, and optimize content strategy.
The 5-Step Content Audit Process
Step 1: Content Inventory
List all content.
Tools:
Google Search Console (indexed pages) or site crawlers (Screaming Frog)
Data to collect:
- URL - Content type (blog, product page, guide, etc.) - Word count - Publication date - Last update date - Target keyword - Current ranking position - Search volume for target keyword - Monthly organic traffic
Step 2: Performance Analysis
Analyze which content drives traffic and conversions.
Add to spreadsheet:
- Monthly organic sessions (from Google Analytics) - Conversion rate - Revenue attribution (if trackable) - Bounce rate - Time on page - Click-through rate (from GSC)
Analysis:
- Which content drives most traffic? - Which content has highest conversion? - Which content has highest revenue attribution? - Which content has high bounce rate (underperforming)?
Step 3: Ranking Opportunity Analysis
Identify content with ranking opportunity.
Add to spreadsheet:
- Keyword difficulty (Ahrefs, SEMrush) - Search volume - Current ranking position
Analysis:
- Which content targets low-difficulty keywords without top-page competition? - Which content could be optimized for related keywords?
Step 4: Gap Analysis
Identify what you're not covering.
Analysis:
- Competitors rank for keywords you don't cover - Search volume exists for topics you haven't addressed - Content clusters have gaps (missing subtopics)
Tools:
Ahrefs (Organic Keywords report for competitors), keyword research tools
Step 5: Recommendation Framework
Create prioritized roadmap.
Categorization:
Keep & Maintain:
High traffic, good performance. No change needed.
Optimize:
Good topic, underperforming execution. Update content, improve optimization.
Expand:
Good content with ranking opportunity. Add related keywords, expand topic coverage.
Rewrite:
Poor performance, high priority topic. Complete rewrite required.
Consolidate:
Thin content on same topic. Merge into single strong article.
Remove:
No traffic, no ranking potential, no strategic value. Delete or noindex.
Create:
Content gap identified. New content required.
Cannabis-Specific Content Audit Considerations
Product Page Performance
Cannabis sites often have a large number of product pages, and auditing all of them individually is infeasible.
Approach:
Sample audit of your top products by traffic. Extrapolate findings to full catalog.
Analysis:
- Which products drive traffic? - Which product pages rank for search keywords? - Which product attributes matter (THC, strain type, effects)? - Which products have reviews?
Regulatory Content Freshness
Cannabis regulatory content can become outdated quickly.
Audit focus:
- When was regulatory content last updated? - Have state laws changed since publication? - Are product label requirements current? - Are compliance statements accurate?
Content Tone and Brand Alignment
Cannabis content must align with brand voice and comply with regulations.
Audit focus:
- Does content match brand voice? - Are health claims compliant with regulations? - Does content reflect company values (sustainability, inclusivity, etc.)? - Is tone appropriate (educational, commercial, advocacy)?
Output and Action Plan
Content audit produces:
1. Performance summary:
- Traffic driven by content: X% - Conversion-driving content: Y% - Underperforming articles
2. Optimization roadmap:
- Articles to optimize (improve existing) - Articles to rewrite (complete overhaul) - Content gaps to address (new content) - Thin or duplicate articles to consolidate
3. Content strategy improvements:
- Which topics drive highest traffic? - Which topics have lowest competition? - Where are ranking opportunities? - Where are gaps?
4. Maintenance schedule:
- Quarterly review of top-performing content - Annual regulatory content updates - Semi-annual competitor analysis refresh
Content Audit Impact on SEO Performance
Cannabis sites particularly benefit from audits due to complex regulatory compliance and product-specific variations.
Performance Analysis and Resource Allocation
Content audits identify which pieces merit optimization investment vs. deletion.
Checklist for Cannabis Content Audit
- 1Export all indexed pages from GSC or crawl site
- 2Add organic traffic data from GA4
- 3Add ranking data from Ahrefs or SEMrush
- 4Add conversion/revenue data where available
- 5Analyze performance by content type and topic
- 6Analyze competitor content for gaps
- 7Create recommendations (keep, optimize, expand, rewrite, consolidate, remove, create)
- 8Prioritize and create implementation roadmap
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