If the beginning of the year is all about building foundations, the current months can be considered as the perfect time to assess and refresh. This includes looking back on previous content marketing strategies through a mid-year content audit.
What exactly can you gain from a blog marketing audit? This article will discuss the benefits of this marketing strategy and provide you with a valuable content audit checklist you can use within your business.
The Value of Looking Back
Marketers often rush to create the next big piece of content to the point that they dismiss the ones that already exist.
Don’t just keep creating—pause to refine and perfect your best content.
Think of your old content as a treasure chest you forgot you had. Those forgotten blogs sitting in your content library aren’t just taking up space—they’re potential goldmines waiting to be discovered. While everyone else is spending time and money creating brand-new content from scratch, smart marketers are willing to take a step back to see what they already have. This is often done through revitalizing underperforming content.
Here’s the thing about content asset refresh: it’s one of the most cost-effective ways to boost your traffic and generate new leads.
Instead of starting with a blank page, you’re working with content that already has a foundation. These forgotten blogs often contain valuable information that just needs a fresh or modern touch. By simply conducting a content audit and improving existing blogs, you can enjoy benefits like:
1. Better Search Rankings
Search engines notice whenever you refresh old content with updated keywords and current information. Google searches love fresh content, and updating your existing posts signals that your site is active and relevant. Plus, you’re building on content that already has some authority. This gives you a head start in the rankings race.
2. Improved Credibility
Nothing hurts your credibility like outdated information or broken links scattered throughout your content. By refreshing old blogs, you’re cleaning house. It shows visitors and potential clients that you care about accuracy. Updated statistics, current examples, and working internal links make you the reliable expert your audience wants to follow.
3. Longer Content Lifecycles
Most blog posts have a short lifespan, but refreshed content gets a second chance to shine. Think of updating old blogs and social media posts as a way to essentially hit the reset button on their lifecycle. This means more opportunities for social shares, more chances to attract new readers, and a longer period of traffic generation from a single blog.
The 7-Point Treasure Hunt: How to Spot Content Gold
The key to a successful content refresh is knowing which pieces deserve your attention. Remember that not every old blog post is worth saving—this is where a content audit becomes vital. Trying to refresh everything will waste your time and resources. You need a clear framework to separate the diamonds from the rough.
Here are seven things to look for to help you find which blogs are worth your mid-year marketing refresh.
- Decent Engagement Metrics: Look for posts that still get comments and shares. You can also check which blogs have good time-on-page numbers. Even if the traffic has dropped off, strong engagement shows that people find real value in the content when they discover it. These metrics tell you that the core topic resonates with your audience.
- High Conversion Rates in the Past: If a blog post previously generated leads, sales, or email signups, it has proven business value. These social media or blog posts might just need updated calls-to-action or fresh examples to start performing again. Past success is often the best predictor of future potential.
- Contains Outdated Information: Posts with old statistics, expired tools, or outdated examples are perfect refresh candidates. The framework and main ideas might still be solid, but updating the details can make the content relevant again. This is often the easiest type of content to refresh because you’re not changing the entire structure.
- Strong Backlink Profile: Content that other websites link to has already earned trust and authority in Google Analytics’ eyes. These backlinks are valuable assets you don’t want to waste. Refreshing content with existing backlinks can boost your rankings faster than starting from scratch.
- High Keyword Ranking Potential: Look for posts that rank on page 2 or 3 for keywords you still want to target. These pieces are close to the first page and might just need some optimization to break through. It’s much easier to improve a ranking from position 15 to position 5 than to start at position 100.
- Relevant to Current Trends: Some old content becomes relevant again when industry trends shift. For example, a post about remote work from 2018 might be perfect to refresh considering today’s workforce trends. Take the time to remain updated within your industry—then match recent news with content you’ve already created.
- Covers Evergreen Topics: These refer to content with timeless subjects. For example, fundamental skills within your sector or basic business principles that are important for your target market. These topics have staying power, which means your refreshed content will continue to attract readers for years to come.
5 Tactics to Refresh Content
Once you’ve identified the content worth refreshing, it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to work! The following tactics will help you transform those forgotten blog posts into golden coins for your digital marketing efforts.
1. Update Stats and References
Start by hunting down all the old numbers, studies, and examples in your content. Do your research and replace them with current, accurate information.
Note that outdated statistics make your content look stale. It can hurt your credibility with both readers and search engines. Fresh data not only makes your content more accurate but also gives you a reason to republish and promote it again. This simple update can make a big difference in how relevant and trustworthy your content appears to new visitors.
2. Optimize for SEO
Go through your content with fresh eyes. Look for new keyword opportunities that didn’t exist when you first published. Update your entire output. From your title tags to meta descriptions and headers, include current search terms your audiences are using.
Pro Tip: Don’t forget to check whether your content still matches the search intent for your target keywords.
Remember that the ideas people look for may have different terminologies over time. So, make sure your content delivers what they actually want to find.
3. Expand Ideas and Content
Take your existing content and make it more comprehensive by adding new sections, examples, or insights you’ve gained since the original publication. You can also look for questions readers have asked in comments to further improve the content of your blogs.
This expansion not only makes your content more valuable but also helps it compete with newer content. The goal of this specific content strategy is to make your refreshed post the most complete resource on the topic.
Read more: Running Out of Ideas for Content? No Worries, We Got You!
4. Improve Visuals
In content marketing, your words aren’t the only thing that matters. High content quality should always be accompanied by pleasing visuals that support the main message of the text. With this said, replace old screenshots, outdated graphics, and low-quality images attached to your blogs. Upload fresh, high-resolution visuals that match your current brand style and help explain your points better.
Pro Tip: Visual content is more engaging and shareable. It helps break up text-heavy posts that might feel overwhelming to readers.
Read more: Revolutionize Your Marketing with These 6 Graphic Design Tools
5. Enhance CTAs and Internal Links
Review all your calls-to-action to make sure they’re still relevant and leading to active landing pages or offers. Take the time to update internal links to connect to your newer, high-performing content. It’s also crucial to remove any broken links that lead to deleted pages.
Strong internal linking helps search engines understand your content better. It can boost the rankings of multiple pages at once, which improves overall content performance.
Generate organic traffic with the right marketing plan.
Allied Insight is a marketing firm that’s equipped with the expertise you need to reach your target audience. Our skilled team is experienced in helping clients reach their full marketing potential.
Want to improve your audience reach? Contact us today to learn more about our tailored services!
