Do You Know When the Best Time to Update Your Content is?
For businesses and content creators, simply publishing content isn’t enough; updating it is crucial to staying relevant, visible, and competitive. As a digital marketing agency, we have refined content strategies to help businesses understand how and when to update content to maximize traffic and conversions.
With our recent attendance at the BrightonSEO conference in San Diego, Alyssa Corso’s presentation about updating content gave us some helpful tips. If you’re having trouble gaining traffic, contact Now Media Group today. With tailored SEO strategies, we can help you meet your 2025 goals. Call our team at (858) 333-8950.
Why Does Updating Content Matter?
Content updates are essential to combat the inevitable “content decay” that happens over time. Even the most well-written and engaging articles can lose relevance, decreasing search engine rankings and traffic. Here are some key reasons why updating content is a must:
- Maintain Search Engine Rankings: Search engines prioritize fresh and relevant content. Regular updates signal to algorithms that your site remains a valuable resource.
- Improve User Engagement: Outdated information can frustrate readers and reduce trust. Keeping content updated ensures a better user experience.
- Leverage Existing Content: Updating old content is often more cost-effective than creating new pieces from scratch, especially for high-performing pages.
- Boost Traffic: Studies have shown that updating content can increase weekly traffic by up to 55%. For businesses, this means more leads, conversions, and revenue.
When Should You Update Content?
Article Age
Content often follows a performance trajectory where it gains traction, peaks, and then starts to decline. Allow your content to mature (typically 3 to 6 months after publication) before assessing whether an update is needed. Updating too early can disrupt its natural growth and ranking potential.
Content Goals
Define the purpose of your content updates. Make sure there’s a purpose behind each update and you’re not updating content just because. Common goals include:
- Increasing organic traffic
- Improving conversions
- Enhancing topical authority
- Updating outdated information
Traffic Trends
Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your content’s performance. Look for trends such as declining traffic or reduced click-through rates (CTR). These are strong indicators that an update is necessary.
Industry and Algorithm Changes
If your industry has undergone significant changes or Google has released a major algorithm update, reassess your content to ensure it aligns with new standards and user intent.
Content Type
Not all content requires frequent updates. For example:
- Evergreen content (e.g., “How-to” guides) may need minor tweaks periodically.
- Seasonal or time-sensitive content (e.g., holiday promotions) requires updates before the relevant period.
How to Identify Content That Needs Updating
Conduct a Content Audit
Perform a comprehensive audit of your website’s content. Use tools like Ahrefs, SEMrush, or Screaming Frog to assess metrics such as:
- Organic traffic
- Keyword rankings
- Backlink profile
- Dwell time
If you’re ready to let the professionals at Now Media Group take your content strategy to the next level, contact our team today for your free content audit at (858) 333-8950.
Analyze Competitor Content
Review top-performing content in your niche to identify gaps or opportunities. Competitor analysis can reveal:
- Keywords you may have overlooked
- New subtopics to cover
- Improved formatting or visuals
Use Performance Metrics
Focus on:
- Declining Traffic: Content that was previously successful but has lost traction.
- High Impressions, Low Clicks: Optimize for better titles, meta descriptions, or user intent.
- Outdated Information: Check for outdated stats, broken links, or references to obsolete practices.
Steps to Take When Updating Content
Step 1: Refresh and Expand Content
- Update Data: Replace outdated statistics, studies, or references with the latest information.
- Add Depth: Expand sections that lack detail or add new subsections addressing emerging trends.
- Answer FAQs: Incorporate frequently asked questions to improve relevance and user experience.
Step 2: Optimize for Keywords
- Revisit Keywords: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ahrefs to identify updated keyword opportunities.
- Refine Headers: Ensure your H1s, H2s, and H3s incorporate target keywords naturally.
- Improve Internal Linking: Add links to newer or related articles to improve site structure and SEO.
Step 3: Improve Visual Appeal
- Add high-quality images, videos, or infographics.
- Use bullet points, numbered lists, and shorter paragraphs for better readability.
- Include call-to-action (CTA) buttons to encourage user engagement.
Step 4: Enhance Technical SEO
If you don’t have a solid technical SEO foundation, the rest of your marketing can suffer.
- Optimize page speed by compressing images and cleaning up code.
- Ensure mobile-friendliness, as most users access content via smartphones.
- Update meta descriptions, alt text, and URL slugs for better indexing.
Step 5: Monitor and Iterate
- After publishing updates, monitor performance metrics to measure success.
- Use insights to refine future updates and content creation strategies.
Don’t Give Up On Content!
Remember, content updates aren’t just about adding new information; they’re about enhancing value for your audience and ensuring alignment with current trends. Start auditing your content today, and watch your traffic and conversions soar. To get started with content marketing at Now Media Group, call (858) 333-8950.