How to Update Old Content to Crush SEO Ratings
A Guide for Updating Old Content
You really need to update old content to get more traffic. With more and more new web articles being published every day, search engines have to update their algorithms to reflect the most relevant and fresh information on every search request. For example, Google alters its SEO mechanisms up to 500 times per year.
Obviously, with such a tremendous number of changes, it is hard to keep all of your articles updated. Yet, if you include the update of your outdated content as a part of your ongoing marketing strategy, you’ll see your SEO rating coming up.
The question is whether you need to review your content every single day to keep up with trends. No, SEO content updated does not work like this. You can just follow a few useful tips to speed up the process and crush your statistics.
Change Headings and Subheadings
You do not have to re-write every single word in your article for it to rank top. Old content is the one that is rarely updated. Thus, a good idea is to start with headings and subheadings.
Many readers scan your tests for the information they need. If they find something catchy, they stay on the page. Headings and subheadings are the first things they read, so you should update them first.
SEO algorithms work similarly. They check articles for updates, paying special attention to keywords. Thus, your alterations to headings and subheadings should be inclusive of some hot search word combinations.
Move to the Body
Yet, it is not enough to change headings if you want to qualitatively update content. You should focus on the body part too. These updates are often called technical since they are often done manually. Every content manager should do it from time to time.
Mostly, it refers to keyword density, visuals, formatting, and other characteristics. You do not have to re-write the whole passage: often, some qualitative changes are enough to make your article look fresh for Google and other engines. Such technical characteristics really matter for Internet visibility of your content.
Build Links
Do not think that inserting external links is something unnecessary and redundant. In fact, this is very much important for ‘introducing’ your article to Google and other search engines.
Every new webpage should be indexed by them, and backlinks are key to this. These ‘anchors’ help your page connect with trustworthy and reliable sources that already exist. The chances of getting higher in search results for such pages increase proportionally.
However, such links also get outdated. Thus, you should always get back and review the content for the actuality of the external and internal links that you used.
Use Professional Tools to Update Old Content
There are lots of SEO tools now available for free or at a reasonable price that can really help you find out what changes your content needs. Use Google Analytics to find the right keywords and analyze your previous stats. Learn about SEO optimization platforms more to outsource your SEO and make your branding more successful.
Go to any essay writer generator to request professional writing help. The way you write your article (content types, typical phrases, call-for-action, etc.) really matters, so you’d better be generous about it.
Change Your Content to Be Informative
If you face the need to make serious changes in your older content, consider making it more informative and educational. Earlier, every content placed online was targeted at sales. It was aggressive in terms of marketing. Today, the audience seeks information to form their opinion and make an informed decision.
Provide your customers with the opportunity to compare your product against that of your competitors. Make your blog or website content educational and actionable rather than repeatedly state “buy from us.”
Study Your Audience
As you write for humans but not the machines, it is better to know what your potential customers look for. Your article can be well-written and SEO optimized but still outdated in terms of the information provided. Your content should answer client questions because you write it for them.
Thus, dig deeper and see what your target audience really wants. Be quick to respond to trends and update your content accordingly. This is the main path to SEO success.
Track Your Performance
If you regularly trace your content stats, you will be more equipped to make changes really needed for the improvement of its SEO ratings. It is not only about article reviews and clicks. Instead, it is more about content optimization in terms of trends, other blogs, etc.
Monitor your traffic regularly to see what customers look for and tailor your content to their needs. You can develop a new content strategy based on your outdated content performance.
Final Thoughts
Web content update is a routine that SEO specialists demand from content managers. It is not a marker that your previous articles are all bad. Instead, it is just an attempt to make your older blog posts catch up with new trends. Your content needs to be more relevant to the growing demands of the audience.
It is not possible to stay top in ratings if your article was written years ago. The internal search engine mechanisms will filter such texts. Thus, even the slightest changes and technical modifications can help your articles stay top.
If you put more effort into this, high chances are that your audience will see your website as a source for independent information to base their informed purchasing decisions. This is the ultimate goal for you because more traffic always generates greater sales.
BIO
Sandra Larson is a freelance writer who works in an online essay writing company. She is also a marketing specialist who successfully combines her writing talent with sales promotion. In this article, Sandra shares some ideas concerning the need for major content update for better SEO ratings.