For companies that have created a large inventory of web content (blog posts and web pages) over time, it pays to reassess regularly your content for relevance, accurate information and SEO efficacy.
I’m working with a company now that has hundreds of blog posts it created over the past three to four years. Many of the posts had not been examined since they were originally posted. And, of course, many are ranking well, but others, probably not so much.
Sure, content is king, but existing content might be a little more kingly. That’s because it’s always less expensive to fix your existing content than it is to create new content.
From an article on Search Engine Land by Erin Eberhart, she provides a checklist for managing old and outdated content.
Of the four items on the checklist, I think the most critical is updating your keyword research. I’ve embellished this item with a few keyword research tools you could employ, along with links to a few more relevant articles.
Update your keyword research: Use a keyword tool such as Google Adwords Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest or Keywordtool.io. I use SEMrush Pro because it gives me great insight into what competitors are using on their sites to attract visitors, as well as providing hundreds of related keywords you may not have considered. For a comprehensive list of keyword tools check out these articles:
If you have a poor performing post, you may find a better keyword to target after your research. If you do, make sure you include the keyword phrase in the article title. For example, on some audits I find original blog titles that don’t include the appropriate keyword phrase.
Additionally, if you alter the title, you may end up with a different URL, which means creating a 301 redirect.
For more information on keeping your blog posts and other web content up to date, including optimizing calls to action and how to promote your new and improved post read the original Search Engine Land article.
Finally, to jog your memory on how to write a great post, I’ve included Quicksprout’s excellent infographic (Thanks, Neil Patel!).
Contact us to update and optimize your web content and blog posts.
