Many people believe that to increase organic traffic, they need to focus on creating new content.
However, there are many benefits to updating previously published content instead of only publishing new posts. Search engines want fresh content that will offer users the answers they are looking for.
Updating previously published content will give the search engines a reason to re-analyze and bring back older posts ranking in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Page).
This article will discuss why this is a good idea and how it can benefit your SEO rankings and overall traffic.
Why Search Engines Love Fresh Content
There are a few reasons why search engines love fresh content, and one of them is that it makes it easier to find topics relevant to what people in your niche are searching for.
When you update previously published content, you're essentially using more words and refreshing content that may be outdated.
This can make it easier to rank for keywords related to your updated post and ultimately increase the organic traffic going to your site because of this fact.
Search engines want to show the latest content for the most relevant results to what people are searching for.
When content goes stale, it becomes less relevant because it's been several months or years since that particular blog post was published.
Search engines will consider this when fresh content is available and rank you higher for keywords relevant to your recently updated content.
What Can You Do With Updated Content?
Several benefits come with updating previously published content that is ranking well in search engines.
One of the most significant benefits is giving yourself an opportunity to start using more keywords when writing your post.
For example, let's say you wrote an article once about making slime, and it did well for you.
If you update this article every time there is a new trend in the slime community, you will have countless opportunities to rank for different slime-related keywords.
The more you update your content, the more keywords that can be associated with it, and this, in turn, allows you to rank for multiple keywords with one post.
The other benefit of updating previously published content is that it allows you to make fresh new updates on older posts.
If a particular blog post does well because of the topic being covered, then there's no reason why it shouldn't continue to do well as long as you keep adding new resources or information from time to time.
Updating Content Through A Post Rewrite
Post rewrites are one way to update previous blog posts without affecting the original meaning.
Rewrites let you take old content and create new headlines that bring in even more traffic than before.
If your post is about exercising, an example of a headline rewrite could be taking "The Benefits Of Walking" and rewriting it to say, "How To Make The Most Out Of Your Walk."
It might look different at first glance, but you are still talking about the same topic. Rewrites give you more opportunities to update your content without losing any of the original meaning of your post.
Rewriting posts can be beneficial for new and old content.
For new posts, you can take what you know about a topic and put it in a way that will attract even more readers interested in the same subject.
If you have older content, rewriting your articles allows them to get back out there when they might have lost their traffic and rankings because of new articles taking over.
Rewriting posts allows you to not only bring in more readers but keep your site up to date with the latest trends and information without losing any of the search engine traffic you previously had.
Keeping Your Blog Current In Search Results
The reason someone might take the time to update previously published content instead of only focusing on creating new posts is to have their blog appear more current in search results.
If you have been publishing one or two posts per month and finally publish the third one three months later, it may look like there was a four-month-long gap between your second and third post because it took that long for Google's latest indexing update.
If you want your blog to look current, updating previously published content is one way to accomplish this.
Updating Previously Published Content Is A Great Way To Increase Organic Traffic And Rankings Without Costing You Anything Extra
When you update previously published content, the main thing that changes is the publication date on that particular post, but keeping them relevant is what matters most.
Creating new content is not always necessary if you don't have the time or money to do so. Simply editing older posts will keep your blog looking fresh in search results and up-to-date with Google's latest indexing updates.
Even though someone could pay much more money to have a professional writer create all new content for their blog, it is not always necessary if on a budget.
There are plenty of ways to increase organic traffic and rankings without spending money, but simply updating previously published content with relevant, current information is one of the best ways to accomplish this goal.
How Often Should You Update Your Posts?
To get the most out of updating previously published content, it's essential to edit your posts regularly.
Not only does this allow you to have the best chance of ranking for different keywords and continuing to get organic traffic overall, but it also helps people find relevant content they are searching for.
This is why it's essential to make sure you're constantly updating your content when new information becomes available.
If you aren't regularly updating your blog posts - or pretty much any online business property for that matter - then you won't be doing yourself any favors when it comes to increasing organic rankings.
Simply put, if someone looks up a particular topic on Google, but your old post doesn't mention anything about the most recent techniques, you will probably get less traffic than if that specific blog post did include this information.
Creating New Content Is Important
Updating content is one way to keep your blog posts relevant and keep your site from looking outdated, but that doesn't mean you should stop creating new content altogether.
Creating new content is just as crucial for increasing organic traffic and rankings in search engines.
The more new content you have, the better chance you will rank for different keywords and continue to drive even more organic traffic to your site or blog.
Creating new posts is a surefire way to give search engines a reason to index your site and improve your rankings.
You Need Content That Is Relevant And Useful To Your Visitors
Creating new content isn't just about blogging for the sake of blogging.
Your site should be packed with content relevant to your visitors and give them helpful information that will help solve their problems.
When you update previously published posts, you can take the knowledge in those articles and renew it so that readers get an updated perspective on a topic.
This gives your visitors more opportunities to read helpful information while staying away from topics or issues they might not care about.
Search engines look at relevance when indexing pages and sites, so updating your content means your old posts will continue to get the attention they deserve while edited posts add even more value.
Execution Is Key
After you have updated your content and restructured the post in a more helpful and in-depth way than before, it's time to improve upon your on-page SEO factors.
This means choosing keywords carefully and making sure you include them strategically throughout the post so search engines can quickly understand what this particular post is about.
Use the keywords from your original post and ensure they are in the titles, headings, meta descriptions, etc., for specific SEO purposes.
If you have more content on your site since you published the original post, you could link to internal pages on your site with related topics in the updated post.
This will show search engines that these pages are relevant to each other and will increase the likelihood of ranking for targeted keywords throughout your site. If you can do this strategically, it's a great way to take things one step further.
Even if you are updating previously published content on your blog, you still need to publish new posts for even more SEO opportunities.
Make sure to have a mix of old and new content so search engines can index your site correctly while giving visitors the information they are looking for. This will give you the best chance of ranking higher in search results.