We write a minimum of 30 posts a month or even more in some cases. We publish them on our websites; they enjoy the status of being a star on our landing pages until new ones come by. It’s a routine we all follow, don’t we?
How often do you check out your old posts though? To most us they are irrelevant. How would you feel if someone tells you that your old content could bring you more attention than your new content? You did put a lot of dollars, efforts and time into it. Why not make the most of it? If you are not able to drive the right traffic to your old posts, you are cutting down on your profits. Focus on refurbishing old posts and make them new again. The topics or the headlines we work with are usually of value irrespective of the year it is. What needs changing is including new updates on the topics as and when required. It will then be ready to go up as a new post again.
Imagine this: a new reader comes across your landing page. It has posts you know will be of use to him. He would ideally read a couple of posts on your landing page and continue reading. Ask yourself, wouldn’t your old posts be of value to him? If your answer is yes, you are right. Redesign your old posts and update them with the latest developments and let your readers enjoy them. You will be surprised by how organically your old blog posts get traffic. You will gradually see more leads converting on these posts. Getting search results and search engine optimization from old posts is a sign of a successful content marketing strategy.
Refurbishing your old content is financially smarter along with being resourceful for your readers. The next important question that comes to mind: is writing a new post better or republishing an old one? The answer would be an old blog post, when seen from a value point of view. Understand that it has already shown how effective it is, it has shown its results and it is maturing more with time. When done smartly, an old post can bring in more shares, interactions and organic searches. This is one blogging tactic not many follow.
Here are factors you should keep in mind before reposting or refurbishing your old posts
You should not just randomly post content from the past if you want the right results.
1. Create an inventory of all the old blogs you have. Note which are worthy and which aren’t promising for shares, conversions, bounce rates, etc.
2. Make a list of posts that bring you the most traffic. Set metrics that matter to your business.
3. Select the ones that make sense in the context of the existing readers’ demands for your new blog posts.
Before moving on to learn how to refurbish your old blogs to get more leads, there are certain things to understand. Google always prioritizes fresh content. Convince Google that your site is unique and get the new traffic that your post deserves. The reason is simple; a reader wants to read updated content and not something that was written in 2006. The general assumption is that the content wouldn’t have recent updates. You know how fast things are changing around the digital world!
You have decided on which posts to republish. The next logical step is to check out these 9 best practices for updating and republishing old content.
1. Make use of the same post and URL
Isn’t it easier to just use old content you put so much research and effort into? The smartest way to go about it is to copy/paste the same content into a fresh new draft and make changes. I will explain more about what changes to make later in this blog. Just modify and add whatever you think makes sense and copy/paste the original HTML back into the old post. I strictly advise against tampering with your old URL. Your software will automatically create a redirect, which you will need to work on. Redirects damage the link value.
2. Play with your title but not with your keywords
Things probably have changed for better since you wrote the old content, including your skills. Play around and structure a catchy title for your new post. While you are at it, you might feel ambitious and want to change the keywords too. Don’t! Make your title as fancy as possible without changing the original keywords.
3. Optimize your old posts’ meta descriptions
Check if your meta-description still makes sense after so much time. They most certainly don’t contribute to ranking but can encourage a reader to click through. Ensure that your meta description is an accurate representation of what’s inside. It should also be mysterious enough for readers to want to click through.
4. Update old content and add new parts
Rules and policies change with time. The old post might include aspects that have changed since then. I usually read posts thoroughly and update them with the latest buzzwords and policies. This makes my content more accurate for the present day. I also add new headers and elements that I have learned since I last posted the article.
5. Make your content fresh and include specific keywords
I can’t emphasize the ‘freshness’ enough. Keeping your content fresh will lead to you becoming a reader’s and Google’s favorite. You might not have used all the right keywords when you wrote the article initially. Make the most of this opportunity and add keywords that are trending and give a fresh twist to your content.
6. Remove your broken links and link to better resources
Finding broken links is frustrating, both for the reader and for Google. Chances are that the useful links you linked to in the past aren’t functional anymore. This can be dangerous as you go down Google’s search engine results page. Fix your broken links and look for new resources that make sense to your content.
7. Include multimedia and better pictures
You know how significantly multimedia is influencing today’s readers, don’t you? Older content probably didn’t have good quality multimedia and visuals. Including a variety of multimedia increases your chances with Google rankings. It could be videos, pictures, audios, GIFs, etc. There are many free tools online that startups are using for this sole purpose. As the old content looks more diverse and fresh, it encourages more interaction and conversions.
8. Remember to add a note from the editor for clarity
It’s best to be transparent with your audience as it keeps things simpler for both parties. Things can look sketchy to your audience when your posting date is a recent date and you have comments from over a year ago. Include a note from the editor that states the original date and the purpose of republishing to be for accuracy. This will keep things transparent and prevent confusion.
9. Republish and track the before and after of the performance
All the hard work is done, now what? Check for yourself if this experiment worked. The results will help you decide your next step. Keep a record of the performance before you start making changes and compare it to after the changes were made. With time, you will be able to understand better which kind of metrics you should be concentrated on.
Let me know in the comments section which posts you are planning to refurbish.
