Fresh Content: Updating Blog Posts Do’s & Don’ts
If you have a blog, creating fresh content is a constant process. Sometimes you think the well is dry or you're too busy with customers to write new posts. It's OK. You can bring old posts back to life, but there's some do's and don'ts to updating blog posts you need to follow so you don't do more harm than good.
This is a chance to update old posts from an experienced perspective. By now, your writing skills have improved. Often when looking back, there's so much you'll see that needs changed. That's great! Because it can benefit your search ranking as well to have fresh content.
Do Use EverNote (it's free!)
Evernote is a cloud based notebook that allows you to sync notes between your phone and your computer. I use it to create content in my downtime or wherever the inspiration hits me. Then I can finish it at my desktop.
But in this case, we're going to use it to keep the old version, as well as the new, updated version for future reference. You should also use EverNote, so when you copy your post over, it retains formatting including links.
Now you can make your changes to an offline copy while your post is still live on your site. Once you have your updated text using the suggestions below, you can copy & paste from EverNote to your post and update it. (Just be mindful you'll need to remove the <div></div> tags in the html view for proper formatting.)
Do Use Comments as a springboard
I can get into some lengthy answers to comments. Sometimes the answer could almost be a new post in itself. But if they aren't quite there, they can still be used to beef up and update a post.
Do Check links
Over time links get broken. Sometimes people update the post and don't follow best practices. They change the url and then don't add a redirect. Or they just delete the old post and publish a new one. And sometimes a site will just go away. No matter how it happened, once you find a link is broken you have 2 choices: 1. You have to remove the reference to it, or 2. Find a new resource.
Do Update resources
Just like finding bad links, you'll also see resources that are outdated in your old posts. Whether they are no longer available or just no longer the best option, you should find an up to date replacement.
I've recommended a number of products/services over the years. Quite a few have stood the test of time. But there are those that haven't. And some things just weren't available when you originally wrote that post. I'm sure you've found the same in your industry. So bringing your posts around to be in line with your current recommendations is another point to look at when updating.
Do Add & update images
Images make your site more appealing and help to convey your message. If you're not using them, an update is a good time to add them. Keep in mind to optimize the title and alt text to align with your keywords for that post. And if you already had an image there, now's a good time to make sure that optimization is done.
Don't change the url!
Advice on updating varies but one thing that most agree on is “The original url has the most link value.” Even though you can change the url and add a redirect, doesn't mean you should.
If you absolutely must change the url, make sure to use a 301 type (Found, permanently changed) redirect and make absolutely sure you follow best practices in creating your new link.
Don't publish in the future
This causes a 404 (page not found) error for anyone who visits your post between the time you set and the new publish time. That will cause you more problems with the search engine and actual users.
When you set a post to publish in the future, any existing links that go to that post will not work for the public because that post now technically doesn’t exist outside of the editor.
When you set a post to publish in the future, any existing links that go to that post will not work for the public because that post now technically doesn’t exist outside of the editor. Yes, you may see it when you’re logged in. But others (who aren’t logged in) can’t see it.
Here’s a little experiment you can try yourself: Set a post to publish the next day. Then open an incognito browser and try visiting that link. It will show 404.
So what’s the solution? Set a reminder in your calendar for the new publish date, and then hit publish. But that’s not it. You’ll also want to notify your subscribers of the updated content. So you’ll go into your email system and send out that notice.
While you can most certainly prepare the email notice in advance, you can avoid sending people to a post they can’t get to by getting in the habit of sending the message out when the post is published and you’re doing your other promotion of the post.
Don't update too often
Unless there's a pressing need for change, let your posts go for a while. A year is fine time to revisit posts. In the mean time, focus on generating real fresh content.
What I mean there, is don't just update for the sake of doing an update vs creating a new post. And if you updated a month ago and maybe now have a new addition that isn't earth shattering, put it in EverNote and tag it as an addition with a note that includes the link for the post. Add that to your content calendar.
Updating posts is a legitimate function of optimizing your site for search engines. It’s when people abuse it, that google decides to dilute or remove that function from their ranking algorithms. That’s why I said update your site when it’s appropriate, and don’t when it’s not.
The longer people follow that advice instead of trying to game the system until that “exploit” is closed, the longer it’ll last for all to benefit. Who knows, we may see one of google’s animal updates focusing on people who abuse the updating function and deranking their sites because of it.
That’s why it pays to use a strategy that’s focused on what works long term, vs the latest hacks and black hat tactics that are here today and gone tomorrow.
Don't pretend it's brand new
When you have a post with comments from a year ago (or more), it raises real doubts about your credibility. If you'll lie about this… So what some recommend is removing the comments for that post.
My view is it's best to avoid lying altogether and save your comments while you're at it by taking this one honest step, disclose it's an update. Add an update disclosure to the bottom (before the comments) of your updated posts.
Tell readers it's been updated, when it was originally published, and you can also (optional) include why it was updated. Here's an example:
This updated post was originally published in month of year. The reason for the update was to add new resources that weren't available then, and remove links that are no longer active.
Do Make sure to Promote
Once you've updated your post, make sure to promote it via all channels (social, email, etc.), just as you'd do with a brand new post. The more people you make aware of your posts, the more traffic you'll get to them.
Take Action!
Don't just read this post. Go to your site and find a post that could use a little sprucing up and update it!
This updated post was originally published in April of 2018. The reason for the update was to clarify when updates should be made and how to avoid doing it too often.
Rob Calhoun
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