We’re forever being told that we should be producing fresh content that is valuable, relevant and engaging. By producing content of this nature, the value of your site shall increase as Google and other search engines reward you for good behaviour.

While there is an element of truth to this, there is a little bit of housekeeping that must be done in order to allow your new content to shine.

The Internet isn’t a dumping ground

Sadly, it once was. The first step to ensuring that new content brings you the full benefits that it should is to go back and audit the existing content on your site.

Content audits can reveal issues that affect the overall performance of your site and often result in customer dissatisfaction. Some common issues include:

  • Content is no longer valid - an event has passed, seasons have changed, a product is no longer in stock.
  • Copy isn’t reader-friendly - it lacks structure, information is hard to absorb, keyword stuffing is noticeable.
  • Content is irrelevant to the brand or the overarching theme of the site.
  • The wrong tone of voice is used.
  • There is duplicate content.
  • Content is thin (less than ~200 words). This dilutes the domain value making all pages on the domain slightly weaker in performance. This content is almost certainly viewed as low-value by Google.

Google Analytics is your friend

A whole wealth of information can be drawn from Google Analytics that can help you discern a certain page's performance. It considers factors such as bounce rates, pageviews, time spent on site, search terms used, and the number of social shares.

Common conclusions that suggest you may need to review your content include:

  • A gradually declining number of pageviews show that content is losing its relevance.
  • High bounce rates (over 50%) can indicate that users aren’t engaging with the site.
  • A low number of pageviews indicate that a page isn’t performing.

It’s important to note that while Google Analytics is indeed very useful, it is also important to read and objectively assess each page to pick up on any readability issues such as lack of structure, and excessive keyphrase usage. Remember, your content should always be for the benefit of the reader and not for the search engines.

Out with the old

Once you have identified your outdated content, you need to begin cleaning it up. To prevent any broken backlinks and preserve your domain value, you should 301-redirect the out-of-date pages to their respective top-level category.

Of course, it would be a shame to lose all of the content, so recycling or repurposing is always an option, one that also saves time and money. Think of new ways to reproduce content such as video or podcasting as this provides new opportunities for social sharing.

In with the new

With your outdated content dealt with, fresh content needs to be produced and this is where the bulk of your strategy comes in. Here are some tools that assist with creating fresh content:

1) Editorial calendar

Producing an editorial calendar allows you to schedule content production in advance. They are used to identify seasons, trends and important dates that provide opportunities for existing content to be updated or new content to be produced.

Keep an eye on the news and monitor trends. Unexpected opportunities can be great for driving traffic; aptly timed content can boost your brand visibility, so be sure to be on the lookout for content ideas outside of the editorial calendar.

2) Page tables

Each piece of content should serve a purpose. The creation of a page table outlining a page's type, structure, purpose, aim, message and target audience helps to ensure that content produced for that page is well focused.

The page table should also detail the research that needs to be carried out prior to producing a particular piece of content.

3) Expiry date

Hopefully by now you will have realised that no content should be left untouched on a website to grow grey and old. Whether it requires a simple refresh or complete retirement, assigning an expiry date to each piece of content you create ensures that your content remains fresh.

Expiry dates for content should appear in your editorial calendar giving you plenty of notice to apply the necessary changes and create something fresh.

In the end

If you’re keen for your site to perform well on search engine results pages, gain social shares, and have a strong backlink profile, then devising a solid content strategy is key.

Remember though, having a great content strategy is not, by any means, an easy fix: it is an ongoing tactic that only works if approached methodically.

 

By Lisa Jamison, Search Copywriter at QueryClick. 

 

The Digital Marketing Show Content Masterclass will offer deep insight and solutions that will enable attendees to understand how the world of content can help deliver their marketing objectives. This one day intensive masterclass will provide you with all the knowledge necessary to confidently implement a new content strategy for your business.

Book your ticket now!

Digital Marketing Show Content Masterlcass, 2nd May, Ravensbourne College, London.

PrivSec Conferences will bring together leading speakers and experts from privacy and security to deliver compelling content via solo presentations, panel discussions, debates, roundtables and workshops.
For more information on upcoming events, visit the website.

comments powered by Disqus