Exploring Analytics, and Metrics to Optimize Technical Content with Renee Carignan

Renee Carignan, Manager of technical writers at Pendo, joins us to discuss how AI is reshaping the future of technical writing. She shares insights on how AI-driven tools are transforming the technical writing space, the power of data analytics in making documentation more user-centric and why optimizing content for AI-powered search is very important. Plus, she reveals the best practices she follows to ensure documentation remains relevant and easily discoverable in the evolving digital landscape.

Watch the full podcast episode video here

About Renee

• Renee’s LinkedIn
• Renee majored in English, driven by her love for sci-fi books and fascination with how words shape storytelling. She began her career in publishing, helping various authors bring their books to life. With a growing interest in technology, she transitioned into tech support after completing a coding boot camp. After working as a technical writer for about 8 years as an individual contributor, Renee transitioned into management 3 years ago.

Key Takeaways

• Tracking Key Metrics Matters –Page views help in identifying the most popular docs. Why are some docs gaining more traction than others? Digging into this can unlock key insights.

• Search Data is Everything – In the AI era, search intent matters. Are your docs reaching the right audience when they search for answers? If not, then it is important to delve deeper and work toward making your doc appear in the top 3 to 4 search results.

• NPS, Upvotes & Comments = Goldmine – User feedback like comments, especially the ranking in NPS tells you what’s working (or not). Keeping an eye on these can help fine-tune your content for better engagement.

• Traffic Spikes & Dips? Pay Attention! – Why do some docs suddenly gain traction while others fade? Understanding these patterns helps maintain overall content health and take corrective actions to gain positive business outcomes.

• Best Practices for Content Optimization – Renee shares how analyzing top search terms and NPS responses can significantly improve user experience. Small tweaks = big impact!

• Too Many Tools, Not Enough Clarity – Finding the right analytics tool in a sea of options is one of the main challenges in this era of technical writing.

• AI is Changing the Game – With AI-driven summaries on the rise, content needs to be AI optimized. Otherwise even the most informative docs risk being overlooked.

• Getting started is the key – Renee’s advice for aspiring technical writers: Dive in! Start by documenting something simple, like how to use a tool—you’ll learn and improve along the way.

Rapid Fire

• What are some valuable resources you would recommend to the viewers?

  A book apart

  Every page is page one

  Write the docs community books

  Docs for developers

• One word that comes to mind when you hear “documentation”?
  Useful

• A piece of advice you would give your 20-year-old self? 
  Be flexible and there is no need to stick to best practices.

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