Managing digital content in today’s data-rich world requires more than just having information available; it needs to be organized, accessible, and properly governed. Taxonomy — the system that structures this content — is foundational to ensuring smooth access and retrieval of information. However, despite their best efforts, many organizations face significant challenges with their taxonomy and content management processes. These challenges create frustration and prevent the organization from reaching its full potential in content management and utilization.
72% of organizations with a well-structured taxonomy report a 30-50% reduction in content search time (Gartner, 2022).
This article will cover the common pitfalls plaguing digital asset taxonomy and process management, examine why they occur, and provide insights on addressing these issues.
The Role of Taxonomy in Content Management
Taxonomy, in its simplest form, refers to the structured content classification. It’s the backbone of content management systems (CMS), allowing content to be logically organized into categories, subcategories, and related groupings. Think of it as the Dewey Decimal System in libraries — a means of ensuring that everything has its place, and its place is easy to find.
However, for many organizations, the taxonomy they’ve implemented either doesn’t grow with them or wasn’t built with enough flexibility. The resulting structure becomes more of a hindrance than a help, and frustrations with searchability, findability, and relevance arise.
In organizations using effective taxonomy systems, content findability increased by 56%, improving employee productivity and customer satisfaction (Forrester, 2023).
Identifying Key Issues with Current Taxonomy Systems
A. Lack of Flexibility
One of the most common issues with taxonomy systems is their lack of flexibility. What once worked for a small set of assets, or a limited number of categories becomes obsolete as the organization scales. This rigidity can prevent organizations from adapting their content systems to meet changing business or user needs. For example, as new services, products, or areas of expertise are introduced, the existing taxonomy may not accommodate the growth, leading to disorganized content that feels out of sync with the business.
Solution: Taxonomies should be flexible, allowing for growth and new categorizations. Regular reviews and updates will ensure they evolve with the organization rather than lagging.
B. Incomplete or Inconsistent Taxonomies
Another frequent pitfall is the incompleteness of the taxonomy. It may not include essential asset identifiers, have fractured pockets of categories, or seem illogical to those who rely on it. This issue often stems from creating a taxonomy without the input of the people who use it daily.
Solution: Collaboration between departments is crucial when developing a taxonomy. Involve stakeholders from different teams, particularly those working with content, to ensure that the taxonomy addresses all relevant categories and makes sense from multiple perspectives.
Adobe's 2023 Digital Efficiency Report shows that businesses save an average of 50% of time spent on content classification and management when using a clearly defined taxonomy, translating to approximately $120,000 in annual labor savings for mid-sized organizations.
C. Not Addressing User Needs
Your taxonomy exists to serve its users, but often, it fails to meet their needs. It may focus on technical or organizational needs but neglect how users search for and interact with content. For example, what seems like a logical hierarchy for your IT team may not align with how marketing or sales teams use or access content.
Solution: Conduct user research to understand how employees or customers interact with your content. The taxonomy should reflect the organization’s needs and the users' workflows and mental models.
Process and Tooling Issues that Hinder Effective Taxonomy
A taxonomy’s effectiveness is only as good as the processes and tools that support it. Unfortunately, many organizations use outdated or inefficient tools that don’t allow their taxonomy to reach its full potential.
A. Outdated or Inconsistent Tools
Even when a well-designed taxonomy is in place, it can be undermined by tools that don't support the system. For instance, specific platforms or content management systems (CMS) may not allow for complex taxonomies or multiple tagging capabilities. Inconsistent tools across departments can lead to miscommunication and broken workflows, further complicating the problem.
Solution: Audit your current content management tools and processes to ensure that they support the desired taxonomy and tagging structures. Upgrading or integrating systems that can handle the entire content management lifecycle is key to avoiding fragmentation.
According to McKinsey, companies that streamline their digital asset taxonomy see a 25-35% reduction in content management costs.
B. Lack of Quality Control in Tagging
Tags are meant to make content more searchable but can become disorganized without proper guidelines. Tags are often misapplied, too general, or too specific, leading to inconsistent use and confusion.
Solution: Establish clear tagging guidelines. This should include a list of approved tags, rules for how and when they should be applied, and ongoing monitoring to ensure they are used correctly.
C. Downstream Implications of Poor Process
Poor tagging and classification affect the present and create downstream implications for publishing, retrieval, and content governance. When no one takes ownership of the taxonomy process, it can quickly spiral into chaos, leading to inefficiencies across the organization.
Solution: Assign ownership to specific roles or teams responsible for maintaining the taxonomy and tagging systems. Ensure they have clear protocols and tools to manage the system over time.
Websites with clearly defined taxonomies that align with search engines' crawling practices saw a 35% boost in organic search rankings (Moz, 2022).
Human Factors: Misuse and Misunderstanding of Tags
The human element is often the most unpredictable aspect of taxonomy and tagging. Misuse or misunderstanding of the system can lead to critical gaps in how content is categorized and found.
A. Users Unfamiliar with Tagging Protocols
Many users don’t fully understand how or why tags are applied. As a result, they may under-tag or over-tag content or fail to use them at all.
Solution: Invest in user training to ensure that employees understand the purpose of tagging and how to use it effectively. Consider ongoing education efforts as new employees join and the taxonomy evolves.
Pages structured under a well-maintained taxonomy system experienced an average 18% increase in click-through rates (CTR) from search engines (BrightEdge, 2023).
B. Over- or Under-tagging
Over-tagging can lead to a cluttered system, making finding specific content challenging. On the flip side, under-tagging prevents content from being discoverable.
Solution: Provide specific guidelines on how many tags to apply to the content and which types of tags are appropriate. This will help users strike the right balance between detail and simplicity.
Lifecycle Management Issues: From Archiving to Updating
Managing content doesn’t end once it’s tagged and stored. Many organizations struggle with how to handle content once it’s outlived its usefulness.
A. Handling Dead Links and Outdated Content
Dead links and outdated documents clutter content libraries, making it harder to find relevant information. When content is archived or deleted, there’s often no formal process to update related materials or notify affected teams.
Solution: Set up regular content audits to identify and address dead links, outdated documents, or irrelevant assets. Implement an automated system that tracks content expiry and sends notifications when items need to be archived or refreshed.
65% of companies with a formal taxonomy structure report improved customer engagement and retention (Nielsen Norman Group, 2023).
B. Ownership and Compliance
Often, no one is responsible for managing content's lifecycle, leaving compliance, archiving, and ownership issues unresolved.
Solution: Designate lifecycle managers responsible for continuously archiving, updating, and deleting content. They should have access to all necessary tools and documentation to keep the content library current.
Governance and Leadership Challenges
A lack of governance can lead to a fractured system where multiple departments or individuals make decisions independently, leading to confusion and inconsistency.
A. No Clear Governance or Rules
Without a governing body, no one is accountable for enforcing the rules, leading to a “wild west” of taxonomy use.
Solution: Create a governance committee to maintain taxonomy standards and oversee changes. This will ensure consistency across the organization and provide a clear point of contact for any taxonomy-related issues.
58% of organizations that use taxonomy for centralized content management report greater control over their digital assets, leading to fewer content duplications and errors (Forrester, 2022).
B. Communication Gaps
When changes are made to the taxonomy or process, they often aren’t communicated effectively, leading to confusion and misalignment.
Solution: Develop a clear communication plan that informs all stakeholders of any updates to the taxonomy or tagging system, ensuring everyone is aligned.
Teams using shared taxonomies experienced a 30% increase in collaboration efficiency across departments (Adobe, 2023).
Point of View
Fixing a broken taxonomy and process takes time and effort. It requires a combination of regular updates, the right tools, and proper governance to ensure consistency and relevance. By addressing these common challenges — from inflexible taxonomies and inconsistent tagging to poor lifecycle management — organizations can create a system that organizes content and adds real value to their operations.
Taking proactive steps to improve taxonomy and processes will enhance internal workflows and user experiences, ultimately driving better organizational outcomes.
Websites that implemented clear taxonomy for product and content categorization saw a 20% increase in time spent on the site and a 15% improvement in bounce rate (HubSpot, 2022).
