Create a process for updating content

1. Conduct a content audit to identify low performing content on your website.

Automate this process by using a tool like Animalz Revive, which connects to your Google Analytics account and delivers a report of web pages that are losing traffic and deteriorating in search rankings. You can also analyze metrics from Google Analytics and Search Console, such as impressions, number of sessions, and bounce rate for your web pages.

2. Identify pieces of low performing content that can be edited to keep up with current marketing and SEO practices.

Not all web pages might warrant an update. Pay close attention to trends in deteriorating traffic.  For example, did the post perform well in the past, but suddenly started to lose traffic? Analyze the piece of content to determine the reason for the sudden decrease in traffic. It could be that it contains outdated information, broken links, or is a few years old. Viewers might be searching for more recent posts that cover the same topic.

3. Add the content that needs to be updated to your editorial calendar.

The posts should be updated as soon as possible, but you can integrate these wherever they fit most conveniently in your content creation schedule.

4. Identify queries with high search volume that relate to the primary keywords for each piece of content you plan to edit. Use these queries to inform context you can add to posts to help satisfy searcher intent.

You can use a tool like Moz Keyword Explorer or AnswerThePublic to search for your keywords and generate a list of popular questions that users are searching for. Not every question will work well for the content you’re updating. Be sure to choose questions that you can answer naturally in the flow of your content. The goal is to create a more comprehensive blog post that adds value for readers.

5. Correct outdated information in each piece of underperforming content you identified.

Review each piece of content for any outdated statistics or facts. Research new material to replace outdated information. If the original post included any timely references, remove them and replace with more recent examples to keep content relevant for new readers.

6. Fix broken links or choose new sources to reference in each piece of content.

Here is a breakdown of the process: Check any links that appear in your post to make sure they work.  Replace broken links with correct URLs. If the links lead to content that is several years old or contains outdated information, remove these references and search for more recent sources.  Rewrite any passages that are necessary to accommodate the new research and links.

7. Update each post's alt text, meta descriptions, page titles, and make sure it's mobile optimized.

When you’re editing content on your site, these other elements also need to be updated to optimize your pages for SEO best practices. For example, if you’ve heavily edited the contents of a post, the original meta description and page title may no longer match the new post.

8. Develop a periodic strategy to repeat the process of auditing and updating your content to be accurate, relevant, and valuable to your audience.

Determine how often your business should implement this plan. This will depend on the size of your team and the amount of content you produce. You should do this no more often than quarterly, but avoid waiting any longer than a year between content audits.