Content Refreshing: Powerful Yet Easy Solution For Boosting SEO
Many marketers will create a new page if they need to enhance traffic to their website. However, there is another approach to generating traffic. It only takes a fraction of the time that starting a new blog does: content refreshing.
What exactly is Content Refreshing?
The process of finding web pages with the potential for increased organic traffic via search is known as content refreshing. This usually entails identifying pages on your website that:
Previously performed well, however, traffic has recently decreased. or
Rank for numerous target keywords outside of the top positions and you can get extra clicks by moving up a few positions.
How to Refresh Content
1. Recognize Content For Optimization
Google Analytics is a good place to start. You can locate existing content that used to drive a lot of organic traffic but has suddenly dropped. You may view the organic traffic to each blog article over time. The graphic below depicts a web page that was doing well but experienced a downturn and has not fully recovered.
When you notice this type of traffic decline, you should try to figure out why. Seasonality, for example, can have a significant impact. Assume that a particular page’s traffic historically peaked in the summer months and then declined in the winter. This is not the best option for a refresh. No amount of high search rankings in the winter will help it keep its traffic.
Consider the following scenario: a competitor has now outranked your page and stolen clicks. This situation calls for a change. You could reclaim your position in search results and increase traffic if you update the page.
The other type of page that can be refreshed ranks within a “striking distance” of high-volume keywords. What is considered within striking distance is not a precise science. A page ranking for numerous keywords in positions four through ten is generally a good fit. If you make the essential changes, your page may move into the top three search ranks.
2. Make a fresh list of target keywords
Whatever the reason for your site’s need for a refresh, the following step is the same. You must now generate a fresh list of target keywords. This is an essential component of any SEO-focused content strategy.
See which keywords the page ranks for in positions four through ten using a service like Ahrefs or SEMrush. The new keywords will be targeted by the page.
3. Examine the pages that are ranking for your new target keywords
The next stage is to determine what type of improvements your page requires to gain or reclaim the top three search rankings. Google each target term and examine the pages that are ranking higher than yours.
There’s a reason Google ranks pages above yours, and you must figure out why.
Review the five pages ranking above them to identify what ranking variables are driving Google to regard those pages as better matches for the query.
It’s worth noting the proportion of functional landing pages against blog entries on the results page.
The key is to identify what elements the top pages share and include those elements on your page. Want to go a step further? Instead of simply matching the content of those pages, provide even more useful content.
4. Concentrate on the Featured Snippet
The answer boxes at the top of search results are known as featured snippets. They attempt to answer the query without requiring the user to navigate to the page.
They appear in more than 12% of searches, according to Search Engine Land. Featured snippets are even more common for informational queries, which are ideal for refreshing content.
In your content refresh, you should specifically target the featured snippet. Featured snippets boost your site’s visibility in search engine results and may earn you a top ranking.
How should the snippet be targeted?
Examine the current snippet’s format. The following are the primary formats for featured snippets:
- Lists with bullets
- Lists with numbers
- Paragraphs
Always provide an answer to the query in the format of the current featured snippet when refreshing your website.
If the featured snippet is a paragraph, insert a quick paragraph toward the top of the page directly answering the question. If it’s a bulleted list, either include one on the page or include your query responses as H2 headers.
5. Keep an eye on Organic Traffic Rebound
Another advantage of content refresh is that you don’t have to wait as long to notice an increase in traffic.
Expect to wait several months after writing new blog entries for pages to break into the top few places. However, with the content refresh, a page is frequently already ranking. Traffic can recover in a matter of weeks.
Furthermore, not every page on your website will be a success. While some may receive thousands of sessions per month, others may only receive a few dozen. When you choose a content refresh over a new page, you are doubling down on high-ranking information. As a result, the risk of a poor-performing page is reduced.
Collaborate with an agency with a difference
We at Dimension VIZ understand that content marketing and SEO go hand in hand. You’ll need SEO to align your pages with Google’s ever-changing algorithms, as well as a content team to efficiently implement these techniques. To learn more about our digital marketing services, please contact us.
