So, one of my goals for 2021 is to update and refresh content on all of my blogs. I would love to see if I can get the same benefit as I produce for my clients. And part of my 2021 drive is updating older posts on WriterSanctuary.
And it runs a shiver down my spine.
Not because the information is invalid, but because I’ve come a long way as a writer since 2013. I’ve learned a lot over the years, and it shows…in spades.
Why Updating Older Posts is Important
I’m a big fan of writing evergreen content whenever possible. That’s because if done right, evergreen content will continue to draw an audience for years. News pieces will only trend for a short period of time.
For instance, I wrote a post in 2018 regarding how long it takes to make money on Textbroker. It is still in the top 10 visited posts on WriterSanctuary…and it’s December of 2020.
But, evergreen content can only take you so far. You also need to get into updating older posts to keep the momentum going.
Sprucing Up the Content
Part of the older posts being so cringey is how it is structured. This was before learning as much as I have, and the sentences and word choices are not all that conducive to engaging reading.
At least, not as much as it is nowadays.
There are times when I understand truly why I was a 3-Star writer for so long on Textbroker.
I went to college for graphic design, what do I know about AP Style writing?
Google Loves Updating Older Posts
There is a lot of speculation that updating older content helps it rank better in search results. It’s one of the reasons why experts suggest taking the date out of the slug in WordPress.
And I can say from experience, there is quite a bit of validity in that assumption.
I’ve seen articles move between 5 to 100 places in Google over the span of six months from a simple revamp of the content.
Of course, this also depends on the topic and the type of information you add. If no one is searching for it, no one is going to find it.
Keeps Content Relevant
Keeping the information current is ideal for searching and reading. Outdated info will not do well in Google, nor will it help solidify yourself as an expert in your field.
Case in point, I had a blog post on WriterSanctuary for “monetizing a blog.” At the time, I only wrote about AdSense and affiliate marketing. In truth, there are many ways to make money from a website.
I recently revamped that piece to go a bit different given the slug and keyphrase.
Gives You a Chance to Add More Links
Not only does internal linking help visitors find relevant content for the topic, but it also gives search engines a chance to crawl other pages.
Some also speculate that linking to other articles on your site improves those pages in terms of search ranking. It’s demonstrating to Google what pages on your site are the most important.
If you focus on a specific niche for your blog, adding these while updating older posts should be quite simple.
Inspires New Ideas for Content
Going over your older ideas can inspire new posts. Perhaps you structured the content to work a certain way for the purpose of creating a new post and then forgot.
I know I do this a lot, which is one of the biggest reasons why I am fine with going over those older pieces.
But if you’re having writer’s block with your blog, revamp the oldest articles you have and see if it sparks a new idea. You can probably come up with a year’s worth of content by skimming through the text.
Updating Older Posts Boosts Confidence
Sure, reading some of my older articles is very cringe-worthy. But, it also shows me how far I’ve come as a creator. My skills have significantly improved since the days of starting WriterSanctuary.
I don’t feel resentment or discouragement when looking at those older articles. Instead, I feel a swell of pride in how far I’ve come.
Yes, the visitor stats on the blog are amazing and helps fuel my drive to continue. But it’s looking back and seeing how I write today as opposed to seven years ago that really makes me feel accomplished.
And This is Just One of 5 Blogs
Having so many blogs just means I have my work cut out for me. Some of the newer ones won’t need as much TLC, but there is always something I can add to a post to give it more meat.
Just remember that when you’re updating older posts that you’re providing relevant information. As the adage goes, “If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.”