Is your old content dragging down your SEO?
Refreshing old content is a strategic approach to improve your site’s SEO performance quickly. Instead of waiting months for new content to climb the ranks, updating existing content can yield significant results in weeks. This article guides you through identifying which pages to update, methods to enhance them, and tools to ensure they are reindexed promptly. By focusing on increasing word count, updating meta descriptions, and incorporating new keywords, you can elevate your pages’ rankings and drive more organic traffic.
SEO is a long game, requiring patience and persistent effort. Building backlinks, creating content, and targeting new keywords can take months to show a noticeable difference in organic traffic. Unlike paid ads that deliver immediate results, SEO compounds over time. But what if there was a shortcut to enhance your search engine results page (SERP) rankings swiftly? Updating old content might be the answer.
Google favours fresh content, as it is deemed more relevant to users. Their “freshness algorithm” influences approximately 35% of searches, meaning that regularly updated content can significantly impact your SEO. By refreshing your old content, you can boost your site’s visibility and performance in a matter of weeks. This guide will show you how to identify pages needing an update, the best practices for refreshing content, and how to get those pages reindexed quickly.
How to Select Which Pages to Update
Start by identifying web pages with room for improvement. Using Google Analytics, navigate to Acquisition > Search Console > Landing Pages. Here, you’ll find data on ‘Impressions’, ‘Clicks’, ‘Avg. Position’, and more for each landing page. Focus on pages in the 10-30 position range (page two and three on Google search), as most search traffic goes to the first page results.
Gather a list of 10 such pages to update. The following steps will guide you through optimizing these pages.
How to Update Content to Improve SEO
Updating old content isn’t just about adding new words. Google’s algorithms consider several factors, including time spent on the page, click-through rates (CTR), and overall impressions, to assess the quality of your updates. Here are three key strategies for updating your content:
1. Add More Content
Top-ranking pages often have more content. SerpIQ found that the word count correlates with higher rankings. To determine the ideal word count for your content, analyze the top three articles ranking for your target keyword. Calculate the mean word count and ensure your content exceeds this average by 10-15%.
Don’t add fluff. Enrich your content by including new insights, recent news, relevant images, and videos. Multimedia content can enhance user engagement, increasing dwell time and signaling to Google that your page is valuable.
2. Add More Keywords
Incorporate new long-tail keywords that have emerged since your last update. Avoid changing the seed keyword to prevent ranking volatility, but integrating additional relevant keywords can attract more traffic.
3. Update Meta Descriptions
Your page’s click-through rate influences its ranking. Review your title and meta description compared to your competitors. Use a problem-solution approach for meta descriptions, clearly stating what the reader will gain. Ensure your meta descriptions are concise and within Google’s display limits.
How to Get Pages Indexed Faster
After updating your pages, use Google Search Console to request reindexing. Enter the URL in the URL Inspection tool and click ‘Request Indexing’. This process prompts Google to re-crawl your page, which can take from a day to a week. Monitor the progress using the ‘Search Results’ report in Search Console.
Refreshing old content is a powerful yet often overlooked SEO tactic. It allows you to leverage past efforts and make them relevant for current search trends. Regular updates prevent your content from becoming stale and sliding down the SERP.
When was the last time you refreshed your site’s content? It might be time to give your old pages a new lease on life.
“Refreshing old content can significantly boost your SEO performance in weeks rather than months, leveraging existing work to meet current search trends.”
Ready to give your old content a makeover? Start today and watch your SEO soar. Contact us for a consultation and discover how we can help you achieve your SEO goals.
