media update’s Talisa Jansen van Rensburg takes a look at why evergreen content needs to be updated on the regular.
Although evergreen content is, by definition, always relevant and topical, once a reader sees that the article they are reading has broken links or images that say ‘this picture is no longer available’, don’t be surprised if they simply close the tab and move on.
As a brand, you need to tell evergreen stories and provide your audience with content that keeps them informed and satisfied. But, if the article doesn’t look as appealing as it once did, and is riddled with technical faults, it might be time for an update.
1. Links can break
It’s common for writers to make reference to a certain brand or person in their content and to source them by linking back to their webpage. But the reality is that websites sometimes shut down or people remove some of their content, leaving your article looking far less impressive with broken links and content that no longer exists.
The same goes for when you are sharing stats from a site; those stats can be updated or removed at any point, meaning that even though your content or topic
is relevant, the stats may be outdated.
This means that there is a chance that, over time, that link might break, meaning you should make time to go through your brand’s content and check the links for two reasons:
- to make sure that all the links still work when you click on them, and
- to ensure that, when you click on them, that it takes you to the correct page.
If you find that there is an error, it’s time to find a new website to link to. If you find that almost all of the links are broken or incorrect, then it might be better to remove that content altogether and potentially repurpose it by writing about the topic in a new light.
2. Images become outdated
A great way to grab your audience’s attention is through the use of memes and aesthetically-pleasing images. When it comes to images, things that people found funny five years ago might not be that amusing anymore, and some of it might even be viewed as offensive. That’s why it is
vital to take time to look through the images in relation to your content and decide whether or not it’s still relevant, or if it’s time to replace it.
In some cases, if you’ve uploaded images through the use of a link and that link is broken, it’s best to go and find a new one to add to your content.
It’s also important to remember that SEO and images go hand-in-hand. So, when you save an image, it’s better to use keywords that best describe the content so that Google is more likely to pick up on it. Sometimes an older image you added might not be saved with relevant keywords, making it harder for people to actually find your content.
3. Improve SEO
New buzzwords are constantly on the rise, and they’re normally used to describe similar aspects of the marketing industry. This means that, although your article from three years ago talks about a topic that is still very relevant, it’s so important to add the new keywords, or ‘buzzwords’, to your evergreen content.
This will help improve the accuracy of your work as well as improve your SEO. You can always build on top of your evergreen content by adding in new information that will benefit your readers, allowing people to find more value in your writing.
What are some other reasons you think it’s important to update your evergreen content? Be sure to let us know in the comments section below.
*Image courtesy of Pexels