Website Content Maintenance: Ensuring Accuracy for Users and AI

Your agency's website is more than a digital brochure; it's a living, breathing entity that, if neglected, can actively embarrass your business and misrepresent your current capabilities. This conversation with Chip Griffin and Gini Dietrich of the Agency Leadership Podcast reveals the hidden consequences of website stagnation: not just outdated information, but a fundamental misalignment with current business realities and a growing disconnect with both human users and AI search algorithms. For agency leaders who want to ensure their online presence accurately reflects their value and attracts the right clients, this analysis offers a strategic framework for auditing and revitalizing their digital storefront, turning a potential liability into a powerful asset by prioritizing user experience and consistent brand messaging.

The Downstream Drag of Digital Stagnation

The most immediate, and often overlooked, consequence of an outdated website is its failure to accurately represent who you are now. This isn't just about a typo or a testimonial from a client you no longer work with; it's about services you no longer offer, outdated philosophies, and a general sense of being left behind. Chip Griffin highlights this by noting the peril of having content that hasn't been looked at in years, implying a slow decay of relevance. Gini Dietrich’s anecdote of a 13-year-old post praising Elon Musk, discovered by a friend, perfectly encapsulates the embarrassing potential of these digital relics. The immediate problem is obvious: misrepresentation. The hidden consequence, however, is the erosion of trust and the potential to repel precisely the clients you want to attract.

Furthermore, the conversation delves into the critical, yet often ignored, impact on lead generation and pipeline accuracy. Gini Dietrich emphasizes her preference for "accurate numbers so I know exactly what my pipeline looks like, my lead generation looks like, what my lead nurturing looks like, and be able to work it backwards." An outdated website, particularly its service pages and core messaging, can attract traffic that is entirely irrelevant to your current business. Chip Griffin provides a stark example of a page with high traffic that is "frankly totally irrelevant to what they do today." While some SEO experts might see this traffic as a positive signal, the downstream effect is a distorted view of lead quality and a misallocation of resources. This isn't just about vanity metrics; it's about building a business on a foundation of accurate data. Sacrificing irrelevant traffic, Griffin argues, is a necessary step to ensure the signal you’re sending is one that actually benefits the organization.

"If you're bringing irrelevant traffic to your website, your numbers are inflated. So I would rather have accurate numbers so I know exactly what my pipeline looks like, my lead generation looks like, what my lead nurturing looks like, and be able to work it backwards."

-- Gini Dietrich

The rise of AI in search and content discovery adds another layer of complexity. Gini Dietrich points out a critical, often missed, point: "AI notices inconsistencies. So if you are inconsistent across different websites, social media, all the places that you are online, you are not going to show up in AI answers no matter how good your content is." This means that not only must your website content be accurate and up-to-date, but your bio, team information, and service descriptions must be consistent across all platforms. The downstream effect of inconsistency is being overlooked by AI, which is increasingly becoming a primary gatekeeper for information and recommendations. This creates a subtle but significant competitive disadvantage for those who haven't synchronized their digital identity.

"AI notices inconsistencies. So if you are inconsistent across different websites, social media, all the places that you are online, you are not going to show up in AI answers no matter how good your content is."

-- Gini Dietrich

Crucially, the discussion underscores a fundamental tension between optimizing for search engines/AI and prioritizing the human user. Chip Griffin’s strong stance is that "AI and SEO are very important. More important are the humans who actually visit your website." He warns against tailoring websites solely for AI, such as adopting a Q&A format simply because AI “loves” it, at the expense of a compelling narrative that serves the user. The long-term consequence of chasing algorithmic trends over user experience is a website that might perform well in the short term but alienates the very people you aim to serve. The enduring strategy, as both speakers agree, is to focus on creating content that is compelling to humans, as this naturally aligns with the goals of search engines and AI over time. This requires patience and a commitment to quality over fleeting technical optimization.

Actionable Steps for Website Revitalization

The conversation provides a clear, actionable roadmap for agency leaders to tackle website content. The core principle is to move from overwhelming inertia to manageable, strategic action.

• Immediate Action (Today/This Week):

  • Audit Your Homepage: Read your homepage with fresh eyes. Does it accurately reflect who you serve, what you do, and your agency's current standing? If not, block two hours this week to rewrite it. This is your most critical page and the fastest way to stop misrepresenting your business.
  • Identify Top Traffic Pages: Check Google Analytics for your top 20-30 pages. Assess if each still serves your business goals or if you're attracting irrelevant visitors.

• Short-Term Investment (Next Quarter):

  • Prioritize High-Traffic, Irrelevant Content: Address pages that drive significant traffic but are no longer relevant to your core offerings. Make a conscious decision to either update them to align with your current business or remove them entirely to ensure accurate lead generation metrics.
  • Ensure Bio Consistency: Audit your bio across your website, LinkedIn, and all other online platforms. Ensure consistency in messaging and key details to build trust with both human users and AI. This requires meticulous comparison and updating.

• Medium-Term Investment (6-12 Months):

  • Systematic Content Audit & Refresh: Utilize tools like Screaming Frog (or simply your CMS backend) to create a comprehensive list of your website's content. Categorize pages for updating, refreshing, or deleting. Commit to updating one piece of content per week.
  • Strategic Content Refresh vs. Creation: For older content with SEO value, prioritize refreshing it with new insights, statistics, and experts if it can be done with minimal resources. For evolved thinking, new services, or new intellectual property, focus on creating entirely new content.

• Long-Term Strategy (Ongoing):

  • Focus on User Experience Above All Else: Continuously evaluate your website through the lens of the end-user. Ensure content is compelling, accurate, and valuable, rather than solely chasing algorithm changes or AI preferences. This provides a durable competitive advantage.
  • Invest in Up-to-Date Visuals: Ensure team photos and other visual assets are current (within the last five years) to reflect reality and build rapport with potential clients. Outdated visuals can undermine credibility.