Content updating can be as simple as adding a few sentences or as complex as rewriting entire sections or refreshing internal links that point to better-performing pages (and making sure those better-performing pages also point back!).
No matter the approach, be sure to let Google and other search engines know that you’ve updated your content.
This will help them crawl and index your content more quickly. Here are a few specific content update ideas that reinforce why you or your agency must stay educated on all the latest – I argue weekly because of how fast industries change nowadays.
Update outdated statistics.
Add new information based on the latest research and developments in your field.
Cut the fluff and use shorter sentences and paragraphs to improve the content’s readability and open up “psychological space” that readers can digest more easily.
Add more visuals to your content, like images, videos, and infographics. Regarding videos, we constantly try to get company leaders to produce a short video discussing the focus of a blog or service page. The goal is to upload that to YouTube and link back to the article, then embed the video in the actual article itself. This helps in numerous ways, keeping people engaged and helping them become brand loyalists quickly.
Ensure your content is optimized for current SEO best practices. This includes using relevant keywords throughout your content and ensuring your website is mobile-friendly.
Check for and fix broken links. Broken links can frustrate users and hurt your search engine rankings.
Make sure your content is still relevant to your target audience. Your target audience may change over time, and your content needs to reflect that.
Repurpose Outdated Content
Instead of letting older pieces of content gather dust in your archives, give them new life by repurposing them into other formats. This is a great content strategy for getting more mileage from your existing content.
For example, you could turn a blog post into a video, infographic, or even a podcast episode.
When you repurpose content, you make the most of your existing content while also reaching a wider audience. Repurposing content is an effective way to breathe new life into your content and reach a wider audience.
Content Format
Repurposing Ideas
Blog post
Create an infographic, video, or social media post based on the information. Turn it into a downloadable checklist, template, or worksheet.
Infographic
Break it down into smaller, individual visuals for social media. Expand on each point in a series of blog posts or email newsletters.
Video
Transcribe the video into a blog post or create short, shareable clips for social media. Extract the audio and create a podcast episode.
Podcast Episode
Transcribe the episode and turn it into a blog post or create short, shareable audiograms for social media. Pull out key quotes and create social media graphics.
Sunset Content That’s Past Its Prime
It’s a good rule of thumb to keep high-performing content for as long as possible. However, not all content is worth saving. Content sunsetting is the practice of removing outdated or irrelevant content from your website.
Not all content needs to be updated. If you have a piece of content that’s factually incorrect or no longer relevant to your target audience, it’s usually best to remove it entirely.
However, you can also choose to redirect that URL to a more relevant page on your site rather than deleting it completely.
Make Use Of User Feedback
User feedback can be incredibly valuable when it comes to identifying content decay.
You can gain valuable insights by using tools like Google Analytics and your Search Console, but don’t stop there. Use comments and social media to your advantage, too.
See what people are saying (or not saying) about your content. What resonates with them? What falls flat? This feedback is like gold when figuring out what content to update and refresh.
Consider sending out surveys to your audience, asking what topics they’d like to see covered or what content they find most helpful.
Create A Content Review Schedule
The best way to stay on top of your content refresh efforts is to create a content review schedule and stick to it. Life gets busy, and a schedule will ensure that your content remains relevant and engaging and doesn’t get lost in the shuffle.
For example, you could review all of your website content every quarter and flag any that needs updating. This ensures that you never let a piece of content go stale.
My agency monitors individual pages/posts weekly. Depending on the size of the website, from those producing 25 new pieces of content monthly to three pieces monthly, we overhaul older pieces on different timelines.
For example, for our large website campaign clients with 200+ pages/posts, we overhaul them monthly, say 5 or so. For a smaller website, the pages/posts will be overhauled quarterly.
Regularly Review Your Content, And Make It A Priority
Content decay is a real problem for websites of all sizes.
By implementing these content decay strategies, you can breathe new life into your old content. You’ll make it more relevant to your audience.
Not only that, but you will also improve your search engine rankings and boost traffic to your site. Regularly review your content, and make it a priority to keep things fresh, updated, and engaging.
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