Recycling Content: 9 Ways to Refresh Old Blog Posts

Sometimes we run out of ideas for new blog content or just don’t have the bandwidth to create something from scratch. It happens.

If that’s the situation you find yourself in, now is the perfect time to focus on refreshing old blog posts on your site.

In this post, we’ll cover why it’s important to refresh blog content, how to decide which ones need a revisit and the things to keep a close eye on when revising a post. So If you’re trying to live greener in the spirit of Earth Day (April 22), why not also apply those recycling/upcycling goals to your own blog?

Why should you update old content?

Not only can updating old posts help you fill out your content calendar, but it can also improve SEO for your site. You may not have been thinking about meta tags or alt tags for your images when the post was first published, but those oversights can be hurting its performance. Fixing those issues can give that post and your site a boost.

And remember: Google loves fresh content.

Updating older posts also ensures your readers are getting the latest, most relevant information to help answer their questions. if you’re linking to old data, videos that have been taken down, or sites that are leading to a 404 page, it’s a bad experience for your audience.

Overall, updating old content is a win-win for you and your readers. And rest assured, the Beyond Bylines team practices what we preach; refreshing content is something we’re always working on to help improve the visibility of our site and make sure our readers can find helpful content.

Before you start…

It’s important to decide if a post is worthy of an update.

If it’s still generating good traffic and clicks, the post is probably OK as is and you don’t need to dedicate your valuable time to updating it. But if the traffic has slipped even though the content could still be relevant to your readers, it’s worth reviewing.

On the other hand, if traffic to the page has dipped, it could be a sign that the content is no longer timely or isn’t relevant to your audience. In that case, it may be time to 404 the page or redirect it to a more compelling post.

Tips for updating an old blog post

Here are a few items to consider when you’re updating old blog content. While not each of these pieces of a blog post will need to be updated, it’s important to at least look at each one.

1. Update the title. Is the old one too long? Does it lack target keywords? Is it vague? Rework the title to attract readers and give search engines a clear idea of what the content is about. Here are some tips for writing a strong headline.
2. Add a meta description. If the old version didn’t have one, write a short description of the post to further entice readers to click if they come across your post in search engines results. Read more about meta tag best practices.
3. Adjust the URL. If the original URL is long or just a string of numbers, it’s a good idea to update it to a short, keyword-friendly version of the headline. Google and readers will use the URL to understand what the page is about. Here are some URL structure best practices. And remember to redirect the old URL to the new one if you make any changes!
4. Fix broken links. External links that are 404ing or leading to a nonsecure (http) page can be flagged by Google. Not to mention it’s also a bad user experience. So check links and ensure they’re working as expected. It’s also a good idea to search for more recent and/or more relevant external articles if the data you’re referencing is older.
5. Add internal links. Written something recently that relates to this topic? Link to it to improve your internal link structure and keep readers on your site.
6. Improve the post structure. Add section headers, bullets and bolding where appropriate. Break up the text with H2/H3/H4 tags and bullets to help readers quickly scan the content. A strong format will help keep readers engaged.
7. Add images. Are there broken images or is the old post lacking visual elements? Add some to make it more compelling and shareable (and don’t make these mistakes).
8. Match reader intent. Have you covered a topic in depth when readers would prefer a quick how-to? Understanding your readers’ questions will help you craft a stronger piece of content that meets their needs.
9. Think about other ways to repurpose it. Could it make a good podcast? What about creating an infographic or short video for social promotion? Get more life out of your post by finding new ways to cover the topic and appeal to your audience.

Once you’ve refreshed an old blog post, use this checklist to make sure you’ve covered the bases before republishing.

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Rocky Parker is the Digital Content Lead at Cision PR Newswire. She’s worked with journalists, bloggers, and content creators to create their targeted newsfeeds from PR Newswire for Journalists. Rocky has also counseled on content writing best practices. Check out her previous posts for Beyond Bylines. In her free time, Rocky can usually be found cooking, binge-watching a new show, or playing with her puppy, Hudson.