Use data-driven research to audit the content quality of an existing website, product or service and use hard numbers to convince your colleagues and clients to invest in improved content design. As specialists, we often work with colleagues or clients who struggle to understand what we do and why we do it. Sometimes we need to prove to our colleagues that a problem really exists before we’ll be given the freedom to fix it. This session will give you practical tools to help you prove that that existing content standards aren’t meeting user needs. Lily will walk you through multiple data-driven approaches to auditing the content quality on an existing website, product or online service. She’ll show simple research methodologies that you can use identify potential problems with information architecture, content comprehension, and language usage.

1. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Lily Dart
Freelance user experience & research
Data driven
content audits

2. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Good content, like a good
user interface, is invisible
to most users

3. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
User needs driven
content can have a
transformative impact

4. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
You can’t understand
impact, without
first-hand experience

5. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
It’s difficult to overcome
subjective experience

6. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
To counter to subjective
experience, we need
objective data

7. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Data-driven content audits
allow us to stop talking
and start proving

8. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Identifying problems with
information architecture
Method

9. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Card sorting can help us
to understand how our
users approach content

10. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
During a card sort we ask
users to group and label
topic cards

11. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
The ‘mental model’ users engage when
thinking about topics
Where users might naturally expect to find
content in an information architecture
Which topics might cause confusion, or sit
outside of a standard information architecture

12. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
The ‘mental model’ users engage when
thinking about topics
Where users might naturally expect to find
content in an information architecture
Which topics might cause confusion, or sit
outside of a standard information architecture

13. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
The ‘mental model’ users engage when
thinking about topics
Where users might naturally expect to find
content in an information architecture
Which topics might cause confusion, or sit
outside of a standard information architecture

14. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Card sorts can be open
or closed, moderated or
unmoderated

15. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Select a maximum of 30 topics so that
participants aren’t overwhelmed
Use website analytics and search logs to inform
what the popular important content is
Speak to experts or stakeholders to discuss any
additional important topics

16. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Select a maximum of 30 topics so that
participants aren’t overwhelmed
Use website analytics and search logs to inform
what the popular important content is
Speak to experts or stakeholders to discuss any
additional important topics

17. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Select a maximum of 30 topics so that
participants aren’t overwhelmed
Use website analytics and search logs to inform
what the popular important content is
Speak to experts or stakeholders to discuss any
additional important topics

18. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Think topic, not page

19. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Test with your target audience, not with staff
or stakeholders
Online tools (such as OptimalSort) often have
built-in recruitment tools
Avoid targeting current users of the site, as
they may have learnt your current IA

20. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Test with your target audience, not with staff
or stakeholders
Online tools (such as OptimalSort) often have
built-in recruitment tools
Avoid targeting current users of the site, as
they may have learnt your current IA

21. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Test with your target audience, not with staff
or stakeholders
Online tools (such as OptimalSort) often have
built-in recruitment tools
Avoid targeting current users of the site, as
they may have learnt your current IA

22. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Recruit in person, using
online tools, or through
related organisations

23. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Card sorting can help you to:
Understand how users naturally group content
Identify topics that cause confusion
Identify issues in current information architecture

24. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Card sorting can help you to:
Understand how users naturally group content
Identify topics that cause confusion
Identify issues in current information architecture

25. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Card sorting can help you to:
Understand how users naturally group content
Identify topics that cause confusion
Identify issues in current information architecture

26. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Identifying problems with
content comprehension
Method

27. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Readability scoring tools
help us to assess
language complexity

28. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
They are formulas which
assess sentence length,
syllables per word and
passive sentences

29. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Establish a baseline standard for content
readability
Establish how consistently this standard is
applied across content
Judge whether our target audience will be able
to easily absorb the subject matter

30. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Establish a baseline standard for content
readability
Establish how consistently this standard is
applied across content
Judge whether our target audience will be able
to easily absorb the subject matter

31. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Establish a baseline standard for content
readability
Establish how consistently this standard is
applied across content
Judge whether our target audience will be able
to easily absorb the subject matter

32. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Half of the UK working
population have a reading age of
11-years-old or younger.”
“
Office of National Statistics

33. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Half of the UK working
population have a reading age of
11-years-old or younger.”
“
Office of National Statistics

34. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
readability-score.com

35. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
readability-score.com

36. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits

37. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Wikipedia

38. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Wikipedia

39. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Using these formulas will help you
quickly estimate how difficult your text is
[to read]. It’s a clear metric that can help
you advocate for plain language.”
“
Christine Cawthorne and Emileigh Barnes

40. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Like every formula, [readability scoring
tools] miss the magic and
unpredictable nature of human
interaction.”
“
Christine Cawthorne and Emileigh Barnes

41. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Scoring tools are not a
replacement for testing
content with real users

42. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Many variables can affect content legibility
including design and typesetting
Scoring tools do not account for incorrect
usage; e.g. ‘waived’ versus ‘waved’
Scoring tools require some human
interpretation with specialist subject matter

43. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Many variables can affect content legibility
including design and typesetting
Scoring tools do not account for incorrect
usage; e.g. ‘waived’ versus ‘waved’
Scoring tools require some human
interpretation with specialist subject matter

44. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Many variables can affect content legibility
including design and typesetting
Scoring tools do not account for incorrect
usage; e.g. ‘waived’ versus ‘waved’
Scoring tools require some human
interpretation with specialist subject matter

45. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Many variables can affect content legibility
including design and typesetting
Scoring tools do not account for incorrect
usage; e.g. ‘waived’ versus ‘waved’
Scoring tools require some human
interpretation with specialist subject matter

46. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Research into use of specialist legal language in
legal documents found: 80% of people preferred
sentences written in clear English […] People
understand complex specialist language, but
don’t want to read it if there’s an alternative.”
“
Government Digital Service

47. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Research into use of specialist legal language in
legal documents found: 80% of people preferred
sentences written in clear English […] People
understand complex specialist language, but
don’t want to read it if there’s an alternative.”
“
Government Digital Service

48. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Research into use of specialist legal language in
legal documents found: 80% of people preferred
sentences written in clear English […] People
understand complex specialist language, but
don’t want to read it if there’s an alternative.”
“
Government Digital Service

49. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Research into use of specialist legal language in
legal documents found: 80% of people preferred
sentences written in clear English […] People
understand complex specialist language, but
don’t want to read it if there’s an alternative.”
“
Government Digital Service

50. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Reading age can be
estimated through
audience demographics

51. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Readability scoring tools can help you to:
Establish a baseline content standard to measure
Establish the consistency of content structure
Estimate users content comprehension

52. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Establish a baseline content standard to measure
Establish the consistency of content structure
Estimate users content comprehension
Readability scoring tools can help you to:

53. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Establish a baseline content standard to measure
Establish the consistency of content structure
Estimate users content comprehension
Readability scoring tools can help you to:

54. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Identifying missing content
and language issues
Method

55. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Internal search logs are a
rich, often untapped, source
of insights about user
behaviour and needs

56. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Search log analysis
reveals the value of
“search returned no results”

57. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Search logs can help us to identify content
missing from our site that users want or expect
They can reveal when we’re using different
language than our users
They can give us an indication of how easy our
popular content is to find

58. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Search logs can help us to identify content
missing from our site that users want or expect
They can reveal when we’re using different
language than our users
They can give us an indication of how easy our
popular content is to find

59. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Search logs can help us to identify content
missing from our site that users want or expect
They can reveal when we’re using different
language than our users
They can give us an indication of how easy our
popular content is to find

60. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Top search queries Rummy
Go fish
You’re it
Chess
Blackjack
Solitaire
Poker
Patience
Uno
Monopoly
Trivial pursuit
Drafts
Your it
Cluedo
Twister
Pontoon
It
Cricket
Cludo
Dodgeball
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

61. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Top search queries
which don’t return
results
Rummy
Go fish
You’re it
Chess
Blackjack
Solitaire
Poker
Patience
Uno
Monopoly
Trivial pursuit
Drafts
Your it
Cluedo
Twister
Pontoon
It
Cricket
Cludo
Dodgeball
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

62. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Top search queries
which don’t return
results
1. User language doesn’t
align with site content
Rummy
Go fish
You’re it
Chess
Blackjack
Solitaire
Poker
Patience
Uno
Monopoly
Trivial pursuit
Drafts
Your it
Cluedo
Twister
Pontoon
It
Cricket
Cludo
Dodgeball
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

63. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Top search queries
which don’t return
results
Rummy
Go fish
You’re it
Chess
Blackjack
Solitaire
Poker
Patience
Uno
Monopoly
Trivial pursuit
Drafts
Your it
Cluedo
Twister
Pontoon
It
Cricket
Cludo
Dodgeball
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

64. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Top search queries
which don’t return
results
2. Content that users are
searching for does not
exist on the site
Rummy
Go fish
You’re it
Chess
Blackjack
Solitaire
Poker
Patience
Uno
Monopoly
Trivial pursuit
Drafts
Your it
Cluedo
Twister
Pontoon
It
Cricket
Cludo
Dodgeball
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

65. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Top search queries
which don’t return
the correct result
Rummy
Go fish
You’re it
Chess
Blackjack
Solitaire
Poker
Patience
Uno
Monopoly
Trivial pursuit
Drafts
Your it
Cluedo
Twister
Pontoon
It
Cricket
Cludo
Dodgeball
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

66. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
3. Misspelling means
some users can’t find
pages they are looking for
Rummy
Go fish
You’re it
Chess
Blackjack
Solitaire
Poker
Patience
Uno
Monopoly
Trivial pursuit
Drafts
Your it
Cluedo
Twister
Pontoon
It
Cricket
Cludo
Dodgeball
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Top search queries
which don’t return
the correct result

67. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Top search queries
which don’t return
the correct result
Rummy
Go fish
You’re it
Chess
Blackjack
Solitaire
Poker
Patience
Uno
Monopoly
Trivial pursuit
Drafts
Your it
Cluedo
Twister
Pontoon
It
Cricket
Cludo
Dodgeball
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20

68. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
4. Popular content is not
appropriately prioritised
in search results
Rummy
Go fish
You’re it
Chess
Blackjack
Solitaire
Poker
Patience
Uno
Monopoly
Trivial pursuit
Drafts
Your it
Cluedo
Twister
Pontoon
It
Cricket
Cludo
Dodgeball
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
Top search queries
which don’t return
the correct result

69. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Search query
analysis results
User language doesn’t align with
site content
Content that users are searching for
does not exist on the site
Misspelling means some users can’t
find pages they are looking for
Popular content is not appropriately
prioritised in search results
1
2
3
4

70. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Consider the timeframe for analysis; do external
factors affect your traffic and search terms?
Consider the size of your user base when
deciding on depth of analysis
Consider the amount of people searching for a
particular term to prioritise issues

71. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Consider the timeframe for analysis; do external
factors affect your traffic and search terms?
Consider the size of your user base when
deciding on depth of analysis
Consider the amount of people searching for a
particular term to prioritise issues

72. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Consider the timeframe for analysis; do external
factors affect your traffic and search terms?
Consider the size of your user base when
deciding on depth of analysis
Consider the amount of people searching for a
particular term to prioritise issues

73. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Search log analysis can help you to:
Identify missing or difficult to find content
Identify non-user friendly language
Reveal common misspellings

74. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Search log analysis can help you to:
Identify missing or difficult to find content
Identify non-user friendly language
Reveal common misspellings

75. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Search log analysis can help you to:
Identify missing or difficult to find content
Identify non-user friendly language
Reveal common misspellings

76. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Card sorting results
Analysis

77. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Original information architecture
Rummy
Blackjack
Go fish
Poker
Patience
Uno
1
2
3
4
5
6
Card games
Monopoly
Trivial pursuit
Snakes & ladders
Chess
Drafts
Cluedo
7
8
9
10
11
12
Board games
Twister
Football
You’re it
Tennis
Dodgeball
Red rover
13
14
15
16
17
18
Physical games

78. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Information architecture
Content discoverability and user-friendly language
Missing content
Consistency of style
Potential content comprehension

79. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Information architecture
Content discoverability and user-friendly language
Missing content
Consistency of style
Potential content comprehension

80. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Information architecture
Content discoverability and user-friendly language
Missing content
Consistency of style
Potential content comprehension

81. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Information architecture
Content discoverability and user-friendly language
Missing content
Consistency of style
Potential content comprehension

82. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Information architecture
Content discoverability and user-friendly language
Missing content
Consistency of style
Potential content comprehension

83. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Information architecture
Content discoverability and user-friendly language
Missing content
Consistency of style
Potential content comprehension

84. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Audit findings should present
what’s working as well as
what’s broken

85. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Using data driven audit
methods turns opinion into
objective analysis

86. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Using data driven audit
methods turns opinion into
objective analysis

87. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Data driven content audits
Use data to stop talking
and start proving

88. @lily_dart lilydart.com
Lily Dart
Freelance user experience & research
Any questions?