How To Boost Your Houston SEO Performance On Google By Updating Older Content
Google threw the SEO game for a major loop in 2011 when they announced the launch of their new freshness algorithm. The stated goal of this change was to deliver “fresher, more recent results” to the search engine’s users. What does that mean from an online marketing standpoint? Let a Houston SEO expert explain it to you: The practical upshot of Google’s freshness algorithm is that whether or not it seems sensible, all of your content now loses its SEO potency as it ages. The search engine is going to prioritize more recently-published content over older content, no matter how useful and evergreen that old content might be. So, how do you deal with this game-changer? Do you have to hire a full-time writer to churn out fresh articles in order to stay on top of the search results? Fortunately, no! You can turn the Google freshness algorithm into an asset instead of a challenge: It’s an excuse to rework older content and turn it into a more productive marketing tool.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to refreshing your content to improve SEO the same way the pros do:
1) Tweak The Words
How is the tone of your old content? Does it still match the new articles you’re posting? Are the facts still accurate? Is it up to the latest standards in your industry? Don’t be afraid to cut, modify, and expand your writing to make sure it’s as good as can be! This is also an excellent time to check your content’s keyword placement. Are you dumping too many keywords into your articles? Have you shifted targets and need to rephrase to target new keywords? Bear in mind that best SEO practices on this subject evolve over time; a keyword density that was considered “adequate” a few years ago might be “overstuffed” today. You want to do what you can to gain Google’s trust so you can rank higher.
2) Overhaul Your Visuals
This step is absolutely vital in making your old content look fresh again. Change out the existing graphics and consider adding new videos or infographics if you have them. Overhaul the layout to conform to the latest standards. Your goal here is to make your content look appealing even to a visitor who might have read it before.
3) Aim At New Social Networks
If your marketing techniques have evolved over time, the odds are good that you’re promoting yourself in new channels where you previously had no presence. Make sure that your overhauled content gets announced in all of your most effective social media channels. Reworked content is a great “icebreaker” to use to break into new platforms.
4) Expand Your Audience
The refreshed material may attract a dramatically different audience than your original content. You can even aim for this effect intentionally and conduct your entire overhaul with an eye toward capturing a new audience’s attention. Never overlook an opportunity to expand your business by expanding your market!
5) Automate As Much As Possible
Once you start to unlock the content renewal potential in all of your old material, every scrap of stuff you’ve published will likely start to look valuable. Don’t let the sheer volume of material overwhelm you! Establish a consistent process for content renewal and automate it as much as possible. You should use your time where it’s most effective: Making substantive decisions on how best to overhaul your material. The minutiae of picking it out and posting it should be handled by a rigidly-defined process.
To get started, call us or contact SEO Houston Pros. We invite you to visit our blog for more SEO tips and tricks!
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