Any content, no matter how good, becomes stale over time. That’s why revitalizing old content is essential.

Updating old content takes less effort than creating new content.

By updating old content frequently, you improve your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts and increase traffic to your website.

HubSpot, a marketing automation software company, reviewed all its content.

The review discovered that 76% of its monthly blog views came from old blog posts. These posts generated 92% of its monthly blog leads.

It was their light bulb moment.

It should be yours too.

Optimize the past to improve the future.

According to HubSpot, updating old blog posts with new content and images can increase organic traffic by 106%.

Additionally, 51% of companies claim updating old content is one of the most efficient tactics they have implemented.

Since Google announced its freshness update, freshness has become a critical ranking factor in Google’s search algorithm.

Searchers prefer content published a couple of days or weeks ago. They are less likely to click on content published months or years ago.

A fresh date also encourages Googlebot to index your website. Since Googlebot can only crawl so many pages daily, it prioritizes newer content.

---

5 things to do when updating old content

Ready to give your older content a new life?

Here are five things you should do to revitalize your old content.

1. Look at data and pick content to update first

Content diminishes in value over time. One of the best approaches is to figure out what content is getting the most traffic.

Use tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics, and Ubersuggest to find out what content is performing and not performing.

Single out content that ranks well for the keyword being searched and with the right intent.

Go to your Google Search Console to see the average search volume for your targeted keywords.

Track your highest-traffic articles and update them at least once a year.

2. Make your old content more helpful

Helpful content is content that readers can act on right away with examples and tools.

The bottom line is that useful content addresses a reader’s needs, problems, and questions.

Add interactive elements such as a survey, poll, quiz, assessment, calculator, video, or slideshow to make your content more helpful.

Also, add proof points such as facts, statistics, data, and expert quotes.

Ensure your formatting lets readers digest your content with more whitespace and visuals to break up the text.

You should simplify your content by removing fluff words.

Avoid complex words. Use the active voice to help your readers connect strongly to your call to action.

Once you know which articles to update, perform several actions.

• Check for broken links.
• Update old screenshots and company logos.
• Add a paragraph mentioning newer tools and more recent data.

3. Beef up “thin” content

Thin content has less than 300-words. It has little to no value. Make sure your content has depth.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

Do you need to add more words? 

It may be enough if you can tell your story in less than 300 words through images or videos.

For example, the right way to Google yourself [infographic] blog post is one of my shortest posts. It is very popular because it includes an infographic.

Don’t add words to add words.

Does your article or page add value? 

If you see that the content you created provides little to no value now, delete it. Alternatively, make a 301 redirect.

4. Combine old content into pillar pages

How people use Google search has changed, impacting how you organize your content.

With Google’s introduction of knowledge panels, and featured snippets, a searcher’s behavior is changing.

This change is giving way to the rise of pinball searches.

Since today’s complex search results pages, users don’t always process search results sequentially.

They move their attention across the page more than they did in the past. This means content creators and SEO professionals need to improve their ability to address gaps.

To address gaps, companies are creating pillar pages. A pillar page broadly covers a particular topic.

For example, you can create one SEO pillar page if you have many SEO topics. Combine your articles about on-page SEO, technical SEO, and off-page SEO in this page.

When you have a pillar page, you can connect other related blog posts to it via links.

Google is now better at understanding the intent of searchers. It also understands the true meaning of a phrase.

Therefore, thinking beyond the combination of letters and words is essential.

Google wants you to cover a topic more broadly.

Find the phrases related to the primary one—answer as many questions as possible throughout your content on that broader topic.

5. Update call to actions (CTAs)

As your content ages, the calls to action you included might become outdated.

When reviewing CTAs, you can add more power words.

These emotional words accompany persuasion to get your readers to click on your CTAs.

When you update your CTA, use words like “my” instead of “your.” Apply the “I want to” principle.

Put yourself in the reader’s shoes.

The reader wants to get a report, secure a reservation, get a free copy of an eBook, or increase sales.

Other tips for updating CTAs include adding trust signals.

These can be privacy assurances, giving your readers a sense of security.

It will help if you use language that speaks directly to your audience.

Your CTAs should focus on key benefits rather than the features of your offer.

---

Bringing it all together

Your content diminishes in value over time. Updating old content is essential to ensure search engines crawl your website more frequently. This is especially important in the age of AI.

To revitalize your old content, you should do these five things:

• Look at data and pick content to update first
• Make old content more helpful
• Beef up thin content
• Combine old content into pillar pages
• Update call to actions (CTAs)

Be aware that some of your content will fail. It’s essential to revitalize your content. Identify what didn’t work well and give it a second chance.

We often get so caught up in creating new content. We forget to review our old content. We also forget to update it.

You can create as much value in updating old content as in developing brand new content.

---

Join my email newsletter for a free eBook and more helpful insights.