University Marketing and Communications

Content Debt

How "I'll get to it later" turns into big problems.

Addressing Content Debt is very important when maintaining content on your website. If left ignored, it could cause big problems down the line such as a drop in users engagement and lower rankings in search engines.

What is Content Debt?

Website content debt refers to the accumulation of outdated, incomplete, or unoptimized content on a website. It occurs when content is created or managed without proper upkeep, leading to a backlog of tasks that need to be addressed to maintain the website’s quality, performance, and user experience. Website content debt can result in inefficiencies and missed opportunities for traffic, engagement, or conversions.

Examples of Content Debt

Outdated Web Pages

Pages that contain old information, expired offers or dates, or outdated references to past events can mislead users or reflect poorly on the website’s credibility. For example, a web page promoting a past event or with out-of-date information that hasn’t been updated. Users may find the information irrelevant or confusing, reducing trust and engagement. Search engines may also lower the page’s ranking due to outdated content.

Broken Links

Hyperlinks that point to pages that no longer exist or have been moved result in "404 errors." These links degrade user experience and can negatively impact Search Engine Optimization (SEO). This can happen when pages are deleted (recycled) in the CMS without checking dependencies or requesting a redirect. Broken links frustrate visitors and lower engagement rates. They also harm the website's search engine rankings as they signal poor maintenance.

Unaddressed User Feedback

Ignoring or failing to incorporate user feedback into the website's content, such as suggestions for clearer navigation, more detailed descriptions and information, or missing resources can frustrate users. For example, a user requests more information about a specific service you offer, but the web page remains unchanged. User dissatisfaction can increase as their feedback goes unaddressed, leading to lower engagement rates, fewer conversions, and a negative brand perception.

Unstructured Content

Content that lacks a clear structure or format can make it difficult for users to follow or for search engines to properly index. This often happens when content is created quickly without attention to readability or design. This can be seen in web pages with long paragraphs, no subheadings, and poor flow, making it hard for readers to scan the content. Readers may leave the page due to difficulty in reading or understanding, leading to lower engagement.

Missing Metadata

Metadata, such as meta descriptions or appropriate alt text for images are crucial for SEO and accessibility. Creating a new webpage without meta descriptions or updating your content without updating the meta description makes it harder for search engines to understand the page’s content and for visually impaired users to navigate. This can lead to missed SEO opportunities, as search engines rely on metadata to index and rank pages. Accessibility issues may also arise, reducing the site’s usability for some visitors.

Fixing Content Debt

Proactively managing web content debt involves:

  • Regular audits
  • Updates
  • Strategic Content planning

Fixing content debt is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring and updates. By systematically addressing outdated, unoptimized, or incomplete content, you can improve the overall quality and performance of your website, leading to better user experience, SEO, and outcomes.

Conduct a Comprehensive Content Audit

A content audit involves reviewing all the content on your website to identify what needs to be updated, deleted, consolidated, or optimized. This is the first step in tackling content debt.

  1. Create an inventory of all content on your site (e.g., landing pages, subpages, hidden pages).
  2. Identify outdated or irrelevant content, such as broken links, and missing metadata.
  3. Categorize content by performance metrics (e.g., traffic, engagement, conversion) to prioritize fixes.

You’ll have a clear roadmap for fixing content debt, leading to more effective updates and improvements. This also helps prioritize which content issues to address first. 

See how employees can access analytics for Michigan Tech websites. If you need help interpreting your website's analytics, contact webmaster@mtu.edu to request a meeting and our staff will work with you.

Update Outdated Content

Outdated content can mislead users and hurt your SEO. Regularly updating content ensures that it's relevant and accurate.

  1. Identify content that is no longer relevant or needs updates (e.g. statistics, dates, or general info).
  2. Revise old content with new data or trends, and remove any outdated references. Avoid using dates unless necessary to make maintenance easier.
  3. Update internal and external links to relevant and active pages. Make sure to appropriately check dependencies, recycle, and redirect unneeded or old pages.

Search engines favor fresh, personalized content, and users are more likely to engage with accurate, up-to-date information. This helps maintain your site’s credibility and search rankings.

Fix Broken Links

Broken links harm user experience and SEO. Regularly check for and fix broken internal and external links.

  1. We use Siteimprove to track broken links. If you need access to Siteimprove please email webmaster@mtu.edu.
  2. Replace broken links with updated URLs or relevant resources.
  3. Send redirect requests to webmaster@mtu.edu for outdated pages that have been removed.

Fixing broken links improves user navigation and increases engagement rates. It also helps maintain a clean website structure that search engines can crawl easily. Overall on a website, if there are too many broken links it can reduce our rankings.

Complete Unfinished Content

Unfinished landing and webpages can create gaps in your content strategy. Completing these tasks provides more opportunities for engagement. If you tell people to keep checking back for more information but never update the information, you lose user trust and engagement.

  1. Review unfinished drafts or half-completed projects.
  2. Prioritize content that is most relevant or has the potential to attract traffic and conversions.
  3. Ensure that content is fully optimized for SEO and user experience before publishing.

Publishing finished content adds value to your site and increases opportunities for traffic and conversions.

Optimize Content for SEO

Content that lacks SEO optimization (e.g. missing meta descriptions, relevant keywords, or meaningful headings) can limit its visibility in search engines.

  1. Review all pages for proper meta descriptions and alt text for images. Learn more about the Top Five Tips for SEO Improvement.
  2. Ensure content is structured with headings (H1, H2, etc) and contains relevant keywords.
  3. Add internal links to improve site navigation. If you created new pages, link them!

Optimizing for SEO improves search rankings, increases organic traffic, and makes your site more discoverable.

Delete or Consolidate Duplicate Content

Duplicate content can confuse search engines and harm your search engine rankings. Consolidating similar content into a single, comprehensive resource can improve user experience and SEO. Be strategic with asset use.

  1. Identify duplicate or very similar content pieces.
  2. Merge duplicate pages into one updated, authoritative version.
  3. Use redirects to point old or redundant URLs to the new consolidated pages.

Reducing duplicate content prevents SEO penalties and provides a better, more cohesive experience for users.

Improve Content Structure

Unstructured content is difficult for both users and search engines to navigate. Improving content structure can enhance readability and boost SEO.

  1. Break content into smaller, scannable sections with clear headings and subheadings. Be strategic with use of large/larger text. Learn more about writing for the web.
  2. Use bullet points, numbered lists, and short paragraphs for easier readability.
  3. Ensure consistency in content formatting across the site.

Improved structure increases user engagement and helps search engines index your pages more effectively.

Prioritize High-Impact Content Updates

Not all content debt is equally important. Focus on high-impact content that drives traffic, conversions, or serves your department goals.

  1. Use performance metrics like pageviews, conversion rates, or time on page to prioritize updates.
  2. Focus on pages that generate the most traffic or conversions first.
  3. Apply updates incrementally, ensuring that high-impact pages get attention first. Add these updates to a maintenance calendar.

Addressing high-impact content first maximized return on your efforts, improving site performance in areas that matter most.

Refresh Visual Elements

Outdated visual content, such as old logos, images, and videos, can make your site appear neglected. Images should be updated on a three to four year cycle.

  1. Review visual assets like logos, images, and videos to ensure they align with your current goals.
  2. Replace old visuals with new, high-quality media. Submit a Studio Request if needed.
  3. Ensure all images are optimized with appropriate, meaningful alt text. 

Updated visuals enhance user engagement and make your website look modern and professional.

Ongoing Process

Fixing content debt is an ongoing process that requires regular monitoring and updates. By systematically addressing outdated, unoptimized, or incomplete content, you can improve the overall quality and performance of your website, leading to better user experience, SEO, and outcomes.