The advantages of replacing outdated blog content with the latest information are endless. This not only improves user experience but also expands your chances of ranking on SERPs, as everyone expects a quality read. They want to be sure that your content is current, new, worthy & worth their trust & time. 

Regular content audits & updates are thus crucial to maintaining traffic, rankings & backlinks to your website. But when & how do you update old blog posts? Read below to learn the best strategies for blog updation. 

Why Updating Old Blog Posts is More Effective?

The old blog updates are a highly effective way to boost your website’s visibility, traffic, authority, trust as well as user experience and engagement. Google itself admitted so in its December 2022 Helpful Content Update. 

Moreover, the cost of time & resources spent reviving old content vs researching & writing new content is much lesser. This makes it a cost-effective alternative, especially for small businesses or novice bloggers.

Proven Strategies to Update an Old Blog Post

Here’s a step-by-step guide with actionable tips to help you update your content effectively:

Strategy 1: Target New Keywords

• Keyword Research: Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify relevant keywords that are trending or have higher search volume.
• Keyword Placement: Incorporate these keywords naturally into your content, including the title, meta description, headings, and body text.
• Relevant Questions: Answer People Also Ask or FAQs in your content.

Strategy 2: Improve On-Page SEO

• SEO Title Tag: Create a compelling title that includes your target keyword and accurately reflects the content.
• Meta Description: Write a concise and engaging meta description summarizing the blog updates post and including your target keyword.
• Subheadings: Use clear and descriptive subheadings that contain relevant keywords.
• Article Title: Keep the original title if it’s still relevant.
  Avoid changing the URL, as it can affect your ranking in SERP.

Strategy 3: Update Old Blog Post Content

• Refresh Information: Ensure that the content is up-to-date and accurate.
• Expand on Topics: Add more details or examples to make the content more informative and engaging. Or reduce fluff if it doesn’t align with the search intent of readers.
• Address Current Trends: Incorporate recent developments or trends related to the topic.
• Identify Featured Snippet opportunities: This helps 

Strategy 4: Focus on Linking

• Internal Linking: Link to other relevant blog posts or pages on your website to improve navigation and SEO.
• External Linking: Adding links to authoritative sources to enhance credibility is a tried & tested tip of internet advertising service industry.

Strategy 5: Add and Optimize New Images and Videos

• Visual Appeal: Use high-quality images and videos to make your content visually appealing.
• Optimization: Add descriptive alt text to images and video captions to improve accessibility and SEO.

Strategy 6: Improve Content Formatting

• Readability: Use clear formatting, bullet points, and headings to ensure the content is easily read.
• Visual Appeal: Consider using a different layout or design to make the post more visually appealing.

• Proofread: Carefully proofread the content to eliminate any typos or grammatical errors.
• Clarity: Make sure the content is clear and easy to understand. Sentences are not too long or complicated to follow.

Strategy 7: Publish & Reindex Blog Post with a New Date 

Update the publication date to indicate the content has been refreshed. Once done, submit your updated sitemap to Google Search Console to request reindexing.

If you own social media handles for said website, share the updated blog post to increase its visibility.

These strategies will help you effectively update your old blog posts and improve your website’s search engine rankings and in turn, engagement.

Which of your old blog posts should you update? 

So, how do you decide which to pick & which to skip? As a general norm, the following types of blogs are audited & updated first.

1. Update Outdated Posts: Make sure your information is up-to-date and accurate. Outdated content can hurt your credibility and drive visitors away.

2. Optimise Low-Hanging Fruit: Target posts close to the top 5 or top 10 search results but could benefit from a little extra optimization. These might include pages ranking in the 6-21 range, those targeting branded keywords, or high-traffic pages.

3. Revive Old Favorites: A well-timed update of your top-performing posts can regain traffic lost previously.  

Example blog that needs updating every year

If you have a blog post about “Top 5 Smartphones of 2019,” it might get outdated quickly due to the release of newer models almost every month. Updating the post to include the top smartphones of the current year (2024) will certainly improve its relevance and hopefully search engine rankings.

How do you decide which old blog posts to update?

This decision will be based on:

1. Current Relevance vs Evergreen Content

Identify posts with outdated information that could be misleading or inaccurate. Look for posts that discuss topics that have evolved significantly since their publication.

The rest of the informative topics may not require much changes.

2. Performance & Search Engine Rankings

• Low Traffic: Analyze your website analytics to identify posts that receive minimal traffic.
• High Bounce Rate: Posts with a high bounce rate (meaning users quickly leave after visiting) may benefit from updates.

• Low Rankings: Identify posts needing to rank better for their target keywords.
• Keyword Changes: Check if the keywords you used in the original post are still relevant or if there are new, more popular keywords to target.

4. User Engagement

• Comments and Shares: Posts with many comments and shares may still be relevant and engaging.
• Negative Feedback: Pay attention to negative comments or feedback that suggest the content needs improvement.

5. Link Building Opportunities

Identify posts that have earned backlinks from other websites. Updating these posts can help maintain their value and attract more backlinks.

Additional Tip: Identify & Fill Content Gaps

Look for gaps in your content that could be filled by updating or creating new posts.

• This can be achieved by comparing your content with competitors in the same industry. 
• Then, with comprehensive keyword research, form detailed content outlines. 
• Write on these topics & publish them to ensure search engines understand your website, product, or service better. 

Conclusion

SEO is a part of the fast-paced field of online marketing; the best practices for it are always evolving. Regular content revisions are essential to stay on top of the latest trends and create a satisfying user experience.