#ContentWritingChat Recap: Best Practices on Updating Your Old Content for More Results with Andy Crestodina
Quick question for you! Do you take the time to update the blog posts that are buried in the depths of your archives?
If not, you should be!
And that’s exactly what we’re teaching you how to do in this week’s #ContentWritingChat!
So, if your older content could use some sprucing up, let’s dive into the recap for some great tips!
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Best Practices on Updating Your Old Content for More Results with Andy Crestodina
Join us for #ContentWritingChat on Tuesday, November 21st at 10 AM Central to spruce up your older content with @crestodina! ? pic.twitter.com/QChHJ3ZNKa
— Express Writers (@ExpWriters) November 14, 2017
Our guest host this week was Andy Crestodina. Andy is a speaker, a content marketer, and the co-founder of Orbit Media. He shared some fantastic advice with us that’ll help you make the most of the content you’ve already published.
Q1: Why is it so important to keep you older content updated and fresh?
If you’re wondering why keeping your content updated is so important, it’s time to listen up! Check out these responses from the chat on why it’s a must for any content creator:
A1: Quality and efficiency! It takes less time to update something old than create something new. #contentwritingchat
— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
A1: Those older topics are sometimes your best. Update them and put them back in rotation. Back at the top of the blog. #ContentWritingChat
— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
As Andy said, it’s worth updating your old content for quality and efficiency. Instead of creating something new, you can easily improve upon what’s already there. Sometimes that older content of yours is still great and therefore worth being updated.
A1. What if a prospect happens to land on an old piece of content & it’s wildly outdated? The horror ? #contentwritingchat
— Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) November 21, 2017
Kristen knows that it would be pretty awful if a potential client stumbled upon an older piece of content that didn’t exactly give off the best impression. You risk sending them running far away from your website.
A1: You’ll never know whether someone is going to stumble upon an old post of yours – and in that case, you’ll want him/her to find still relevant info, right?
Also, search engines looove fresh content!#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/K6yX4hNVhA
— @AndreaTorti90 (@andreatorti90) November 21, 2017
And as Andrea said, you never know when someone might find one of your older posts. You want to make sure it’s updated to your current standards.
A1) The topic could still be relevant, but the data used could be updated (or even included to compare to the old data) to show how, over time, things have shifted.#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/wqVYGobJ10
— Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) November 21, 2017
Jason pointed out that sometimes the topic is still relevant, but the data could use some updating. You don’t want readers coming across a post that’s filled with outdated information.
A1: Things are always changing so in order to keep up with and stay ahead of the game, you have to continually refresh your content so that it stays relevant and shareable! #contentwritingchat
— Flying Cork (@flyingcorkpgh) November 21, 2017
Giving your content a refresh is a great way to ensure it stays relevant and shareable!
A1 Updating older content is INSTRUMENTAL to gain more conversions & $$ from your possibly outdated but high-ranking posts. #ContentWritingChat
— Julia McCoy | ? New book out Nov 30! (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 21, 2017
Julia said updating your old content is actually a great way to boost conversions, especially if those posts are already ranking well in search results.
A1 / Links break. Trends change. Facts update. Meaning evolves. Lots of gold in old content if you take the time to rework and freshen up. #ContentWritingChat
— Mike Barzacchini (@MikeBarzacchini) November 21, 2017
As Mike pointed out, links can break, trends can change, and facts get outdated. These are all important things to look at improving in your older blog posts.
A1 Don’t let that old content go to waste! Especially anything that is still getting traffic. Update it with any recent changes to keep it relevant for readers. #ContentWritingChat
— Cristy (@lacristysalinas) November 21, 2017
If it’s still getting traffic, Cristy knows it’s worth updating to keep it relevant for your readers.
A1: #Content may be old but that doesn’t mean it’s not getting traffic. (You’d be surprised!) Keeping those evergreen eyes engaged with periodic updates is so important! #contentwritingchat
— Ashley Cardwell (@TheAshleyDale) November 21, 2017
Even if a piece of content is old, it could still be getting a lot of traffic. As Ashley mentioned, you might be surprised to see what gets the most traffic when looking through your analytics. It’s better to deliver those site visitors an amazing piece of content.
Q2: Which brands do an amazing job at updating their older content? Tag them and let them know!
Which brands can you learn from when it comes to keeping your archives fresh? Here are some great examples that are worth checking out:
A2: I know that @LisaDJenkins at @SMExaminer has a strategy to update content. So does @michelelinn at @CMIcontent. #ContentWritingChat
— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
A2: According to our annual blogger survey, 55% of bloggers update old content!
Here’s the data…https://t.co/oQ7P2vg9Fr
#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/Le5HwniGNe— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
Lisa Jenkins, Social Media Examiner, and Michele Linn all do a great job at keeping older content updated and fresh. Andy’s blogger survey even revealed 55% of bloggers update old content. Don’t you want to be part of that group?
A2 Love seeing how @CMIContent updates their older content. They recently had me rewrite one of mine. Boosts your entire content marketing campaign to rewrite/update. #ContentWritingChat
— Julia McCoy | ? New book out Nov 30! (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 21, 2017
Julia said Content Marketing Institute does a great job at updating old blog posts.
A2. I see @RebekahRadice updates her content and turn them into podcast #contentwritingchat
— Cheval John (@chevd80) November 21, 2017
Cheval is a fan of Rebekah Radice and how she transforms blog posts into podcast episodes.
A2) I think that @HubSpot is great at re-purposing old content and keeping it fresh and relevant. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/7d9bA0jbAH
— Liliana H (@Liliholl) November 21, 2017
HubSpot is another brand that’s doing a great job according to Liliana.
A2. @campaignmonitor does a great job of giving their blog posts & infographics new life on their social channels #contentwritingchat
— Kristen Dunleavy (@KristenWritesIt) November 21, 2017
Kristen thinks Campaign Monitor does an impressive job when it comes to giving their blog posts and infographics new life on social media.
A2 Absolutely @buffer! I love how they keep on updating, adding and also creating new content from their own experience & feedback from the users / marketers! Kudos ? #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/KdTQOcPer9
— Zala Bricelj (@ZalkaB) November 21, 2017
Zala said Buffer is another brand that’s doing a great job at keeping their content fresh.
Q3: Once you’ve chosen an older post to update, what steps can you take to freshen it up?
You have your blog post all picked out… Now it’s time to actually give it a makeover, but you need to know where to begin! Here’s how you can get started with updating your old content:
A3: The idea is to UPGRADE the content. Add detail, examples, images, contributor quotes, video and formatting. Polish it until it shines! #ContentWritingChat
— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
Andy feels the purpose is to truly upgrade the content. He encourages you to add detail, examples, images, contributor quotes, video, and formatting.
A3: The trend in content is to add more media and formatting. Make it beautiful…https://t.co/oQ7P2vg9Fr#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/Tuk83gwSvL
— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
He even shared some great statistics that show media and formatting are essential.
A3) Compile new data to show, poll users to show shift in industry (or audience) thinking, conduct A/B testing showing old vs. new way…show that your update is better and includes added value on top of the old version. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/lN8CwLFSka
— Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) November 21, 2017
Jason shared some great ideas such as compiling new data, polling users, conducting A/B tests, and more.
A3: My ideal content audit would include
– removing old or now-irrelevant info;
– put new, useful info;
– changing visuals (you might have found better tools in the meantime);
– adding multimedia (i.e. video – everybody talks about it, now)#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/TyZfAmE0B5— @AndreaTorti90 (@andreatorti90) November 21, 2017
These are all great tips from Andrea. Make sure you’ve gotten rid of old or irrelevant information, add useful information, update the visuals, and include additional multimedia.
A3 We go by these content quality KPIs to determine where old content is lacking, and focus on redoing a key area or two once we find something missing. (I.E. current logo missing on all graphics, outdated concepts, etc.) #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/X9prpl177v
— Julia McCoy | ? New book out Nov 30! (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 21, 2017
Julia shared a pretty impressive list of things to do when updating your old content.
a3) Refresh your links. Link to more relevant content & new posts that you’ve written. Make sure sources are still good #contentwritingchat
— Ryan Johnson (@rsj8000) November 21, 2017
Don’t forget to refresh your links as well. As Ryan pointed out, you can link to other relevant content on your site and others, which gives people more to read.
A3. Make sure it’s in line with your current branding and strategy. Don’t be afraid to take it apart to make it useful again. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/zgbxvS3j87
— YourWebContentWriter (@WebContent4U) November 21, 2017
Older content needs to be aligned with your current branding and strategy.
A3 Links, any research/data that you’ve included, update publish date (IMO, only if you’ve made significant changes, but I’m sure people disagree with me), and add it to your social publishing calendar. #ContentWritingChat
— Cristy (@lacristysalinas) November 21, 2017
Cristy recommends updating links, any research or data within the post, and the publish date. For any post that received a major update, you can always republish it as if it were brand new. You can include the original post date and the date it was updated for reference.
A3: First of all, check to see if it has a CTA. It hasn’t always been the content norm. If any of the content is outdated, be sure to update it with new stats, data, etc. #contentwritingchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) November 21, 2017
Lexie said to make sure your post has a call to action (CTA). You need to get people to take action after they’ve read your content.
Q4: What are some great ways to repurpose older content for maximum mileage?
Once you’ve begun updating your old content, you might also want to think about ways you can repurpose it. A blog post can easily be transformed into another format based on what works well for you and your audience. Here are some great ideas:
A4: If it worked well as a blog, try publishing it in a new format. Make a video on the topic. Turn it into an infographic or eBook. #ContentWritingChat
— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
As Andy said, if your content worked well as a blog post, you can always publish it in a new format. Try turning it into a video, an infographic, or an ebook.
A4: Why not take a blog post and turn it into a video? It’s a great way to add a new element to the content and boost views on YouTube. #ContentWritingChat
— Rachel (@redheadrachel) November 21, 2017
Not only will a video be beneficial for those who prefer it over written content, but it’s a great way to boost views on your YouTube channel.
A4: Turn an old post into a new Facebook Live broadcast #contentwritingchat
— Writer Leah Ingram (@theleahingram) November 21, 2017
Leah suggests using a blog post as content for a Facebook Live broadcast.
A4. You can take some of your blog post and turn it into a podcast. #contentwritingchat
— Cheval John (@chevd80) November 21, 2017
Another great option, as Cheval suggested, is to turn your blog post into a podcast episode.
A4: Turn blog posts into infographics. #ContentWritingChat
— Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) November 21, 2017
If you shared tons of valuable information in your blog post, it could become a great infographic.
A4: Turn that #content into new media. Think how the article can turn into a video, slide deck, podcast, etc. If people are interested in the topic, the potential is endless. #contentwritingchat
— Ashley Cardwell (@TheAshleyDale) November 21, 2017
Your blog post can easily become a video, a slideshow, or a podcast. It all depends what works best for you and your audience.
Q5: When you’ve finished updating your old content, how can you get more eyes on it? What promotion strategies do you use?
When you have a fresh piece of content, you obviously want tons of new people to check it out. How can you do this? Check out these promotional tactics for a boost in traffic:
A5: Put it into heavy social rotation…
Send it as a new email newsletter…
Link to it from other high traffic pages… #ContentWritingChat— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
A5: Continued…
Put it on your homepage.
Link to it from your email signature.
Pin it to the top of your Twitter account. #ContentWritingChat— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
Andy shared some helpful ideas for increasing views on your content. You can schedule it on social media, send it out as an email newsletter, link to it from the high traffic pages, add it to your homepage, link to it in your email signature, and pin it to your Twitter account.
A5: Treat it like new #content & use same #marketing strategies-social, email marketing, intranet, whatever works for your company.#ContentWritingChat
— Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) November 21, 2017
Danielle’s advice is to treat your updated content like new content. The same tactics you normally use for a brand new post can still be applied here.
A5: Share in relevant places. It’s tempting to share on every platform, but it’s important to know you have an audience there. Then give it some time and (shamelessly) share again. #ContentWritingChat.
— Narmadhaa (@s_narmadhaa) November 21, 2017
Make sure you’re sharing your content in relevant places. If your audience is there, it’s worth scheduling out a share to boost traffic.
A5: Also, don’t be afraid to promote or boost a social media post. It’s almost essential for social media now. #contentwritingchat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) November 21, 2017
Lexie said you shouldn’t be afraid of using paid social either. Boosting a post on Facebook can be very effective for getting more eyes on your content.
A5: Don’t underestimate the power of boosting posts on facebook and running ads on social media. If you don’t have a following this is great and if you do it brings even more eyes. #ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/rq5Sw2Ls4b
— Virteom (@virteom) November 21, 2017
There’s no harm in running ads on content you’re really proud of!
A5: Answering questions & sharing resources directly with people (@Twitter chats, on @Quora, in forums) is a great way to promote, too — especially when working with smaller budgets. #ContentWritingChat
— Brent G. Trotter (@bgtrotter) November 21, 2017
Brent’s advice is to answer questions and share your content with people. You can do so through Twitter chats, on Quora, and many other ways.
Q6: How do you measure the success of older content that you’ve updated? Which metrics are important to track?
After your updated content is live, you’ll want to keep an eye on some key metrics to see how it’s performing. Here’s what you should pay attention to:
All the usual metrics apply: traffic, engagement, links, sharing, rankings. But the fun part is measuring the before and after. Here’s what it might look like…#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/p11dgtwtLc
— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
Traffic, engagement, links, sharing, and rankings are all important things to look at for Andy.
A6: Track time on site/page, a visit doesn’t always mean the content was read. If you’ve added a CTA to the content, be sure you’re tracking it. #ContentWritingChat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) November 21, 2017
Lexie suggests tracking time on site/page. She also said to include a CTA to tell people what that next step is.
A6) If the view/open rate, page view duration, and conversion rate increase…I’d say you have a successfully updated, valuable piece of content.#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/O4Y6QRlJH7
— Jason Schemmel (@JasonSchemmel) November 21, 2017
For Jason, he pays attention to view/open rate, page view duration, and how conversion rates have increased. These are all important things to track!
A6 We look for conversion metrics: amount of new chats opened from a blog, lead inquiries, and followup conversions/purchases. #ContentWritingChat
— Julia McCoy | ? New book out Nov 30! (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 21, 2017
Julia is all about those conversions. For the team here at Express Writers, it’s a good sign when potential clients start a new chat with our customer service from a blog post.
A6
Track
??engagement
??traffic
??shares
??links
??bounce rate
??feedback
etcFor updated
content…COMPARE analytics!
(1st post to last)
??Repeat readers
??changes in engagement
?? etc#contentwritingchat #marketing #branding #contentmarketing #business pic.twitter.com/lfPWsfzwon— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) November 21, 2017
Gaby said to measure engagement, traffic, shares, links, bounce rate, and feedback. You can compare those stats to how the post was performing before the update to see how much you’ve improved.
Q7: Do you use any tools to help you update and repurpose older content? Share them!
When updating your old content, there are plenty of tools out there that can help you get the job done. Check out these suggestions from the chat:
A7: #Analytics is one of the best tools…
1) Find every phrase that every page ranks for using Google Analytics
2) Update articles that rank low on page 1 or high on page 2!— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
As Andy knows, Google Analytics is a must for any content creator.
A7: Google Analytics shows which #content is worth udating.#ContentWritingChat
— Danielle Bullen Love (@daniellewriter) November 21, 2017
Danielle agrees because Google Analytics is a go-to for her as well. It’ll show you which posts are worth updating because you can easily see how they’re ranking.
A7: @BuzzSumo can help you see what people is talking about in your industry, so you can understand what’s worth repurposing and what’s not.
Also, as I’ve previously mentioned, tools like @LumenFive let you turn your blog posts into short and tidy videos.#ContentWritingChat pic.twitter.com/mLmZztPehC
— @AndreaTorti90 (@andreatorti90) November 21, 2017
BuzzSumo is a great tool to see what’s popular within your industry. Andrea also like LumenFive.
A7.
Tools
to help w/
updating +repurposing content:?? Buffer
?? Buzzsumo
?? Google Analytics
?? Photoshop
?? Social
?? New Research (competitors, industry, audience)#contentwritingchat— Gabriela Cardoza (@CardozaGab) November 21, 2017
Gaby suggests using BuzzSumo, Google Analytics, Photoshop, and social media.
A7 @googleanalytics, @semrush (Projects) are my favorite go-tos to discover old, high-traffic/ranking content that I can repurpose & update. #ContentWritingChat
— Julia McCoy | ? New book out Nov 30! (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 21, 2017
Google Analytics and SEMrush are must-have tools for Julia.
A7) @canva @AdobeSpark are great tools to use. Especially if you need a quick template to work with, or even get an idea from then create something based off that. #ContentWritingChat
— Andre M. Powell, CC (@andrempowell) November 21, 2017
Canva and Adobe Spark are both great tools to check out.
Q8: How do you choose which piece of content to update? Are there any qualifications?
Now that you have all these tips to go forward with, you might be wondering which posts are worth updating. To find out, you’ll want to keep this advice in mind:
A8: Update any post with an evergreen topic but out-of-date info. #ContentWritingChat
— Andy Crestodina (@crestodina) November 21, 2017
If your blog post is written on an evergreen topic, but has some outdated information, then it’s worth updating.
A8 Yes! I look for pieces that are already getting views, traffic, and rankings. That way, I know time spent in updating it will really be worth the trouble. #ContentWritingChat
— Julia McCoy | ? New book out Nov 30! (@JuliaEMcCoy) November 21, 2017
Julia said to look for content that’s already getting views, traffic, and rankings. She said this is an indicator that it’ll be worthwhile to update.
A8: Find content that your audience originally connected with and then improve it. Should statistics be updated? Can you expand more on parts of the content? #ContentWritingChat
— Netvantage Marketing (@netvantage) November 21, 2017
Lexie’s advice is to find content that your audience connected with previously and improve it. If the content resonated before, there’s a good chance it’ll resonate again.
A8 Which piece or portion sparked most interest or conversation Find that & expand on it? #ContentWritingChat
— BrainBlender?? (@BrainBlenderTec) November 21, 2017
Content that sparked interested or conversation is often worth a refresh.
A8 I choose content that is relevant to current trending topics or any new projects I am working on #ContentWritingChat
— Chelsea Krost (@ChelseaKrost) November 21, 2017
Chelsea chooses to update content that’s relevant to current trending topics or new projects that she’s working on.
A8. Content that originally did well, content that has become relevant again (but needs some tweaks), content that could be expanded #ContentWritingChat
— seoplus+ (@seopluscanada) November 21, 2017
If a piece of content did well before or has once again become relevant, it’s worth improving it with an update.
A8. Check the engagement on every content such as bounce rate, shares, views, etc then find and Analyze how you can do better. #ContentWritingChat https://t.co/um9goT4MGc
— 《 Sabjan 》 (@sabjanseo) November 21, 2017
Sabjan said to choose posts to update based on the engagement it received. You’ll want to keep an eye on bounce rate, shares, and views.
Ready to join in on the next #ContentWritingChat? We’re hanging out on Twitter every Tuesday at 10 AM Central! Make sure you follow @ExpWriters and @writingchat for all the latest!
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