Content Pruning
A systematic audit for removing outdated content and consolidating traffic to your best pages.
By James Schramko
Systematic audit and cleanup of blog, YouTube, and podcast content to remove outdated material and consolidate traffic to your best pages.
When To Run
Run a content audit when your positioning has shifted and old content no longer reflects what you do. Run it when people referenced in content are no longer relevant due to partnerships ending, relationships changing, or reputations shifting. Run it annually as maintenance even if nothing has changed.
Do not wait until the problem is visible. By the time outdated content causes damage, it has already been seen.
The Core Filter
One question decides most of it. Does this still help me sell what I sell today? If the answer is not a clear yes, the content is a candidate for removal. Do not keep content for sentimental reasons or because it once performed well. Hesitation usually means it no longer fits.
What To Audit
Blog posts. Export your XML sitemap and cross-reference against Google Analytics traffic data. Sort by sessions over the last 12 months. Flag anything with minimal traffic for review.
YouTube channel. Sort by views with an age filter. Videos older than two years with under 500 views are candidates. Check titles and thumbnails for dated references, old branding, or irrelevant positioning.
Podcast feed. Check for duplicate re-uploads from show migrations. Check for episodes from defunct shows that were merged into your main feed. Check for dated promotional episodes referencing old offers, expired launches, or past events.
How To Flag Content
Use three tiers.
HIGH priority. Low or zero traffic plus outdated context. These are actively unhelpful. They reference old offers, old positioning, old relationships, or contain advice you no longer stand behind. Action required.
MEDIUM priority. Low traffic only. The content is not wrong, just not performing. May be worth consolidating or redirecting.
LOW priority. Outdated context but still receiving meaningful traffic. Something is dated but people are still finding value. Leave these unless the context is actively harmful to your positioning or reputation.
LOW stays unless the outdated context creates real risk. Traffic is a signal that something is working even if you would write it differently today.
Blog Posts
Never delete blog posts. Always 301 redirect to the most relevant current page.
Map by topic. Recurring revenue posts redirect to your best recurring revenue page. Productivity posts redirect to your simplify or systems page. Off-brand posts redirect to homepage.
Deleting a blog post loses any backlinks pointing to it. A redirect preserves link equity and sends visitors somewhere useful instead of a dead page.
If multiple posts cover the same topic, redirect all weaker versions to the single best version. One strong page outranks five weak ones.
YouTube Videos
Delete confirmed low performers with outdated context. Do not unlist. Delete.
Unlisted videos still exist, still appear in playlists, and still get discovered through direct links. If the content is bad enough to remove, remove it completely.
Owner reviews the list before the team executes. Do not delegate the final delete decision. The person whose face is on the content makes the call.
Before deleting, check if any videos have meaningful comments worth preserving. Screenshot if needed.
Podcast Episodes
Remove duplicate re-uploads that exist because of feed migrations or platform changes. If the same episode appears twice, delete the duplicate.
Remove episodes from defunct shows that were merged into your main feed. If you absorbed another show and those episodes no longer fit your positioning, remove them.
Remove dated promotional episodes referencing old offers, expired launches, past events, or time-sensitive content that no longer applies.
Investigate any recent episodes showing abnormally low downloads before removing. Low numbers on new episodes may be a tracking issue, not a content issue. Check your hosting platform before assuming the episode failed.
Execution Process
Step 1. Export data from all three platforms. Blog sitemap plus GA sessions. YouTube video list sorted by views. Podcast episode list with download counts.
Step 2. Cross-reference against age. Anything older than two years gets manual review.
Step 3. Flag using the three-tier system. HIGH, MEDIUM, LOW.
Step 4. Owner reviews HIGH items and approves action.
Step 5. Team executes redirects and deletions.
Step 6. Document what was removed and where traffic was redirected. Keep a simple log.
What This Creates
Cleaner content footprint. Visitors find your best work instead of stumbling on outdated material.
Stronger positioning. Old content that contradicts your current message is gone.
Better SEO. Consolidated pages with redirected link equity outperform scattered weak pages.
Reduced risk. Dated references, old relationships, and expired advice no longer represent you.
Reference Numbers
A typical audit across 250 blog posts, 700 YouTube videos, and 300 podcast episodes flags around 100 items. Expect roughly half to be HIGH priority requiring immediate action.