How to Update Old Blog Posts for SEO Value

Creating new content is essential for your digital marketing strategy, but updating older content to boost search engine optimization (SEO) can also increase web traffic and engagement.

Evaluate Your Content

You should know what to look for during a Google Analytics review to determine which blog posts and other pages lack engagement. Check the click-through rate, bounce rate and the amount of time users spent on those pages.

Consider the following:

• What need is this page supposed to serve?
• When was this page published?
• What are the target keywords?
• How are competitors’ websites addressing the user’s needs related to that topic?

Focus on the User Experience

Google values quality user experiences, so crawlers evaluate websites based on their benefit to a human user. When you understand the intent of your target audience, you can update your existing content to better meet their needs.

That may include reformatting web pages and blog content into a more digestible presentation. Giving users information with concise copy and efficient navigation can improve their user experience and your site’s SEO value.

Large blocks of copy aren’t appealing to the eye and may even feel overwhelming to readers, so break those sections into smaller paragraphs. Add visual elements, too: branded graphics, images, videos and other multimedia.

Review and Optimize Keywords

When it comes to keywords, quality is more important than quantity, so stuffing a keyword many times into a page or blog article won’t improve SEO.

Site crawlers evaluate keyword use in the context of the user experience. That means keywords and phrases should be used in a natural way that supports a person’s search query.

Review title tags, meta-descriptions, headings and subheadings to ensure they include important keywords and phrases.

Invest in Internal and External Link Building

Does your current content include internal links to relevant pages and articles on your website? If not, using internal link building is an opportunity to boost SEO.

Google also prioritizes backlinking from other online entities as an indicator of your website’s credibility and influence. Click every link on a page to make sure you’re not sending users to broken links or unpublished web pages.

Keep Statistics, Data and Quotes Relevant

Are you now offering new services or products? Did you write a blog post that used statistics from an outdated study? It’s important to keep your website current and relevant. Updating your site’s information regularly will help keep it evergreen.

Double Check Grammar, Spelling and Punctuation

A misspelling or improper use of punctuation reflects poorly on your brand in the eyes of your target audience. Even if your website is optimized for search engines, grammar and spelling errors can discourage visitors from clicking on your website.

We’re committed to improving your Google ranking, so you can get your brand in front of your target audience. Contact us to schedule a meeting.