10 common mistakes in Intranet content publishing and how to avoid them

Most organisations don't have an intranet content problem because people aren't trying hard enough.

In fact, the opposite is often true.

Intranets are full of content published with the best of intentions. Policies, procedures, guides, announcements and resources all exist somewhere. The problem is that employees often struggle to find what they need when they need it.

When employees ask colleagues where to find information, save outdated PDF documents or raise support tickets for questions that should be easy to answer, the issue is rarely effort.

More often, it's the publishing approach.

The following mistakes appear repeatedly in organisations trying to improve employee self-service, reduce support demand and create a better digital workplace experience.

1. Skipping user research

Many intranet pages are published because information exists, not because employees need it.

Leaders and subject matter experts often focus on what they want to communicate rather than what users are trying to achieve. This creates an imbalance between "push content" and "pull content".

The result is content that satisfies internal stakeholders without necessarily helping employees complete tasks.

What to do instead: Start with user questions, behaviours and tasks. Use principles from content design to understand what employees are trying to accomplish and design content around those needs.

2. Assuming writing skill means content design skill

Strong writing is valuable, but writing and content design are not the same thing.

Content design is about helping users find information, make decisions and complete tasks with as little effort as possible.

This requires:

• Clear information hierarchy

• Front-loaded headings

• Plain language

• Strong navigation cues

• Consistent page structures

Many intranet publishing challenges occur because content is written as if it will be read word-for-word, when most users are actually scanning for answers.

What to do instead: Treat content design as a specialist capability. Invest in content design capability uplift so publishers understand how people consume information online.

3. Using clever navigation labels

Teams often create labels that make sense to them, but create ambiguity for everyone else.

Labels such as "MyHR", "Learning@Company" or "People Hub" may sound engaging, but they force employees to interpret what the label means before they can take action.

Every additional moment of interpretation increases friction.

What to do instead: Use clear, task-based language that reflects how people naturally think. Labels such as "Pay and benefits", "Leave" and "Learning and development" are usually easier to understand and easier to find.

4. Treating the intranet as a document library

One of the most common mistakes is publishing information inside Word documents, PDFs and PowerPoint presentations rather than directly on web pages.

Documents create unnecessary friction.

They are harder to scan, harder to maintain and often contribute to poor search experiences.

In many platforms, uploaded documents also appear in search results by default, creating version-control challenges and increasing information clutter.

What to do instead:

• Publish information on web pages wherever possible.

• Use documents only when it assists the end-user to complete a task

• Reduce unnecessary reliance on PDFs.

• Regularly audit document libraries as part of a robust governance framework

5. Using one format for every channel

Information often gets copied from one system to another without considering how people will consume it.

A document designed for internal administration may not be the best way to present information on an intranet.

For example, a payroll spreadsheet may be useful operationally but a poor employee experience.

What to do instead: Work with subject matter experts to understand the information employees need and choose the format that best supports their goals. The most efficient publishing method is not always the best user experience.

6. Ignoring accessibility

Accessibility is often treated as a compliance requirement rather than a usability requirement.

In reality, accessible content is usually better content for everyone.

Common issues include:

• Poor heading structures

• Vague link text

• Missing image descriptions

• Dense paragraphs

• Complex language

• Over-reliance on documents

These issues increase cognitive load and make information harder to use.

What to do instead: Use descriptive headings, meaningful link text and plain language. If information is difficult to scan, understand or explain simply, it is probably creating accessibility challenges.

7. Operating without governance

Even well-designed content deteriorates if there is no ownership model behind it.

Without governance, content becomes outdated, duplicated and difficult to maintain.

This is one of the most common findings during content audits.

What to do instead:

Establish a clear content governance model that defines:

• Content ownership

• Review cycles

• Publishing responsibilities

• Governance processes

• Content lifecycle management

Good governance does not create bureaucracy. It creates clarity and accountability.

8. Ignoring search behaviour

Many employees search before navigating.

If search results are poor, the quality of navigation becomes far less important.

Yet many organisations never review what employees are searching for or what results are being returned.

What to do instead:

Use analytics to understand how people search.

Review high-volume search terms regularly and improve page titles, headings and metadata to align with real employee language.

Effective searchability begins with understanding user behaviour.

9. Overloading pages with visual noise

Many intranet pages contain large banners, stock photography, icons and promotional content that add little value.

Visual elements should support user goals, not compete with them.

When every element demands attention, nothing stands out.

What to do instead: Use visuals intentionally. Before adding an image, ask whether it helps users complete a task, understand information or make a decision. If not, remove it.

10. Letting legacy linger

Older tools and publishing habits often remain long after better alternatives exist.

PDF forms, lengthy guides and manual processes can persist for years simply because nobody has challenged them.

This creates friction and increases maintenance effort.

What to do instead: Regularly review how information and services are delivered. Modern platforms such as SharePoint and Microsoft 365 provide opportunities to simplify processes, reduce manual effort and improve the employee experience. Introducing new technology alone is not enough, however. Successful change requires effective technology adoption and change management to ensure employees embrace new ways of working.

Final thought

Most intranet content problems are not caused by poor intentions.

They occur because publishing is treated as a communications activity rather than a design challenge.

Good content should feel almost invisible.

Employees should be able to find information, complete tasks and move on without needing to think about how the content was created.

When organisations combine content design, employee self-service, content governance, and ongoing intranet improvement, the result is not just better content.

It is a better employee experience.