Every blog has it share of old and dusty posts in some deep, dusty attic. While some will say that it is only prudent to purge them (saves you precious space) to allow for new posts, some states that there is wisdom in editing and reviving them. Not only do you keep old contents alive and kicking, but you also send a signal to Google (via their PageRank algorithm) that these posts are still out there and that you care for these posts of yours. And Google does have ways of rewarding those who care for their posts, such as an increase in your PageRank. Now wouldn’t that be great?
So how do we go about reviving these old posts? It depends upon how old the information is and how much have changed. Here are a few ways on how you could perk up those old posts of yours:
Be up to date with changes with your search engines. Algorithms. It’s what gives search engines the ability to rank websites. It’s only normal then to be aware of changes that occurs within each search engine. New algorithm? New restrictions? Be aware because what works before may not be working anymore.
Check if you are still hitting your targets. Regardless of what your post is about, you must have had a target search term when you wrote. Search for that term and see if your post still comes up. If not, then it’s time to start polishing that article.
Select new targets. As time moves on, so does the trend in keywords. It is important that you know which terms are hot and which are not. Keyword research is the key here. If you are able to find a new keyword term for your old blog post, the chances of bringing life into it just went a whole lot higher.
Rewrite your old articles. Change is a constant thing, and the same holds true with your articles. What you wrote about last year may have changed after a few months. So review your old articles, find out what has changed and revamp it. If your posts deal with information, find out if they are still updated.
Rewrite it with a different twist. Sometimes, you create an article based on a given perspective. But as you write more and more, you are exposed to more styles ways of writing. So if you want to revitalize and old post, then take one out and fire up your creativity. What you get is a totally repackaged article ready to be served again.
If you find yourself writing on a single topic, compile. If you find yourself dealing with the same topic over and over again, chances are you have created quite a number of articles dealing with the stuff. What you can do to put fire back to your old posts is to create a compilation of sorts. Link your articles together and present them as a compilation on a given topic. In that way, even if the pieces are old posts, as a whole you have created something new.
Everybody has their favorites, even in their blog posts. This is one of the common ways blogs polish their old posts. They create a top 10 or 20 or sometimes even 50 favorite blog posts. The result? 10 or 20 or even 50 of your old blog posts have once again emerged into the spotlight.
And there you have it. Just remember that old blog posts don’t always mean dead posts or expendable posts. Even if they are old, a little bit of polishing, dusting and creativity can get them to shine once more. And when they do, that ranking of yours will shine with them, and your SEO endeavors will not be in vain.
