How to Find Content to Update
Before you start updating, you need to identify which content will give you the most significant return. Use your website analytics tools to find high-performing posts that have the potential for even greater success.
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Look for Inbound Links: Content that has already attracted links from other websites is a strong candidate. Search engines see these links as a vote of confidence, and an update can help it earn even more.
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Analyze Traffic: Identify posts that are already getting consistent traffic. These are your “low-hanging fruit” and are excellent opportunities for a quick win. Also, look for content that is on the verge of ranking on the first page (positions 11-20) and a refresh could be the push it needs to break through.
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Identify Evergreen Topics: Evergreen content is timeless and always relevant. Updating these foundational articles with fresh data, new insights, and current best practices ensures they continue to provide value for years.
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Review Keyword Performance: Use tools like Google Search Console to see which keywords your content is already ranking for. A content refresh can help you better optimize for these keywords and even target new, related terms.
The 6 Ways to Refresh Your Content for SEO
These are the core steps to transform your good content into great content that resonates with both people and search engines.
1. Update the Core Content: Start by conducting a thorough audit of the content’s accuracy. Is all the information still valid? Has anything changed in the industry or your business?
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Fact-check Everything: Replace outdated statistics, data, and research with new, credible sources. This reinforces your Expertise and Trustworthiness.
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Fix Broken Links: A broken link is a poor user experience and a negative signal to search engines. Ensure all internal and external links are working and relevant.
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Refine Your Call-to-Action (CTA): Make sure your CTA is still relevant to your current marketing goals. Is it encouraging a click, a sign-up, or a purchase?
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Refresh Visuals: Update old screenshots, images, and infographics to improve engagement and reflect current trends. Make sure all images have descriptive ALT tags.
2. Review and Update Your Keywords: Your keyword strategy is dynamic. Revisit your keywords to ensure they still align with how users are searching today.
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Add New Keywords: Use current keyword research to find new terms and long-tail phrases to include naturally in your content.
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Focus on Natural Language: Avoid keyword stuffing. Instead, integrate keywords in a way that feels organic and improves the content’s flow and readability.
3. Demonstrate E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authority, and Trust): Google now places a heavy emphasis on E-E-A-T, particularly for “Your Money or Your Life” (YMYL) content. This is a critical factor for showing your credibility.
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Add Personal Experience: Can you add a personal anecdote or a case study that shows your firsthand experience with the topic?
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Cite Experts: Back up your claims by linking to reputable industry sources, studies, and expert opinions.
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Update Author Bios: Ensure the author’s bio is up-to-date with their credentials and experience. This provides a clear signal of Expertise.
4. Update the Layout and Formatting: Readers have short attention spans. Make your content easy to read and scan.
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Use Headings and Subheadings: Break up large blocks of text with clear, descriptive headings to improve scannability.
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Incorporate Bulleted Lists: Use lists to present key information in a digestible format.
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Utilize Whitespace: Give your content room to breathe by using short paragraphs and plenty of whitespace. This improves readability on both desktop and mobile devices.
5. Share on Social Media and Other Channels: Your updated content won’t get noticed if you don’t promote it.
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Promote on Social Media: Share the refreshed article across your social media channels. Don’t just post once; create a new promotion plan for the updated content.
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Update Internal Links: Go back to other relevant articles on your site and add internal links to your newly refreshed content.
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Notify Subscribers: Send out an email to your subscribers to let them know about the updated article and its new insights.
6. Conduct a Content Audit: Make content refreshing a part of your ongoing strategy. Regularly audit your content to identify what’s working, what needs improvement, and what should be removed or consolidated. By continuously reviewing and optimizing your content, you maintain a healthy and high-performing website.
