Time for a Refresh? Watch Out for Signs of Outdated Content
Even evergreen content fades over time, especially when you're not looking out for the warnings.
As industry standards change and competitors bring in new information, your optimized content may not be as fresh and relevant as before.
When you slowly start seeing the signs of outdated content in your website, it's time to create a refresh and rewrite strategy before your visibility and conversions drop.
Siege Media analyzed over 17,000 keywords from Ahrefs to look into when the high-ranking pages were last updated. On average, pages that appear on SERP have been updated in the last 2 years.
For competitive keywords like 'best software', the update cycles can be as short as 143 days. This is how often your content should be edited and refreshed for relevance. On the other hand, other 'best' search queries average around 400 days.
Aside from data on the update frequency of high-ranking pages, you can also evaluate your own need for a refresh if you're seeing any of the following:
- Months of slow traffic despite stable demand.
- Lower click-through rate (CTR) despite retaining the same rankings.
- Fewer keyword impressions in priority topics.
- No visibility in AI tools or citations in Google's AI Overview.
- Titles and headings, or statistics mentioned in your article, still refer to an outdated year.
Refresh or Rewrite? How to Execute a Content Refresh
Content audits are important in assessing which pages need a content refresh and which ones need a complete rewrite. A content refresh strengthens what already works for you, and if the topic is still relevant. You need a refresh if your content has already earned backlinks and still continues to generate impressions despite the gradual decline. The steps to refresh may include:
- Updating statistics and references cited
- Expanding sections
- Improving heading structures and formatting
- Enhancing semantic clarity for easy extraction (for AI and journalists)
There are times when web pages require more than a few edits, and you have to rewrite them. It can be tricky to decide between a refresh and a rewrite. Topics are constantly evolving, and the most significant factor in rewriting is a change in search intent. For example, if target users are no longer just searching for informational articles, but looking for extensive how-to instructions on AI platforms, you need rewritten content that meets their goal and specific query.
Partner with Scoompy to Keep Your Content Fresh and Relevant
Keeping your content fresh is a continuous cycle of audits and section rewrites. This process needs consistency and regular updates. Scoompy Inc can provide you with a consistent team to do content audits, refresh content to strengthen link building, and rewrite pages. With significant changes both in SEO and generative engine optimization rolling out, it's the best time to restructure your existing content for Google Search and AI platforms. If you're ready to start the audit, get in touch with Scoompy Inc.