Both readers and search engines expect up-to-date and relevant information from publishers. However, information becomes outdated very quickly, and the content produced also loses its importance in search results and as a source of information for readers.
Producing new and relevant content as a content marketing tool is often emphasized so much that old blog posts and their utilization are completely forgotten. However, content marketing does not mean that you always have to reinvent the wheel, but by updating older content you can achieve the same results as by producing new text.
UPDATE THE MOST IMPORTANT TEXTS
Updating old blog posts helps keep the texts fresh and up-to-date. It does not necessarily make sense to go through every writing. Take advantage of available analytics and check which texts attract the most readers and lead to conversions (i.e. purchases, subscriptions, downloads, for example).
By updating popular and functional texts, you also tell search engines that your website is updated regularly. Editing an old post is also an opportunity to redistribute it. A fresh perspective on a familiar topic continues to drive traffic to websites when you share the updated text on social media. If you’re wondering how you can analyze this, Google’s free Google Analytics tool is an absolute must. (By the way, we train the use of Google Analytics)
UPDATE THE TITLE
The title makes people click and read the entire text. When updating the title, it is important to keep important keywords in mind, but keep an open mind to new ones. By researching competing texts on a topic, you may find new angles and keywords that perform better. Mark the time of the update at the beginning or end of the text. Providing this information makes your relationship with your readers transparent and provides a clear indication of when the last update was made.
Delete old information and add new information
Read the texts critically and remove information that is not up-to-date or relevant. Add fresh information and new perspectives to the text. Check that all links, statistics, facts, and figures are up to date.
KEEP THE FOCUS OF THE TEXT
When editing text, it is important to maintain focus. After the update, check that the writing makes sense and that you talk about things in an understandable manner without needlessly jumping between topics or mixing outdated terms with newer ones. Offering new perspectives is good, but don’t mislead readers. Search engine visibility may suffer if the text does not meet the readers’ needs.
CHECK THE LINKS, STATISTICS, FACTS, AND FIGURES
Check that all links, statistics, facts, and figures are up to date. Remove broken links, add new images and fix errors. In order to get the most out of the update, you should also link the article to other content found on your pages. Relevant additional information creates added value for readers and optimizes the text for searches.
A regularly updated blog gathers the most readers. Invest in the quality of your writing, but on the other hand, don’t raise the bar too high or put unnecessary heat on your writing.
The basic recipe for good content is clear. Tell things that are either useful or entertaining to the reader. Preferably both of these. Form them into clear entities written in a fluent language and add high-quality pictures.
A good update rate is at least 2-3 times a week. Updating the blog regularly is paying attention to the audience. The most popular bloggers even write every day. Regular readers want to hear their favorite stories as often as possible. You don’t always have to write long. Scheduling helps you manage the time spent preparing posts. Make your blog look just like you. Let your personality come through in texts and pictures. The time of anonymous blogging is over. Nowadays, practically all the most popular bloggers boldly write with their own names and face.
Feel free to be featured in your blog’s photos. The image world of travel blogs is different from, for example, fashion blogs, but the same rule applies to the readership of both: people are interested. The most important thing is not your appearance, but that you show. Show your face and tell us about yourself. Thus, you create a personal relationship with your reader and the reader will come again.
Set up your own Facebook page for your blog at an early stage and update it regularly. Share every new blog post on Facebook. Feel free to discuss and comment. Facebook has a function that allows you to also comment on other pages using your blog’s profile.
Add the Facebook link in a visible place, for example right at the top of your blog’s sidebar. Encourage readers to like your page and remind them about it in posts regularly.
Instagram is a rapidly growing image-based service that every blogger using a smartphone should check out. Easily created highly visual material is a beautiful addition to blog content as well. The Instagram widget can be installed to display in the sidebar of the blog. Interaction and the natural use of tags are also key on Instagram. On Instagram, the use of hashtags is more widespread than on Twitter, which is more limited in terms of characters, but relevance is essential in both. Use clear search words as tags, which allow the user to easily navigate to the content that interests them.