The Complete Guide to Updating and Republishing Outdated Blog Content (2024 Edition)
Just like your wardrobe, hairstyle, and pop culture references, your blog content can start to feel outdated and stale over time. But also like those things, your blog posts can get a new lease on life with some strategic updating and refreshing.
Giving your old blog posts a makeover isn‘t just a fun way to walk down memory lane. It‘s actually a smart content marketing strategy that can help you get more traffic and leads without starting from scratch. Think of it as content recycling – a way to do more with less.
In this complete guide, I‘ll walk you through why you should update old blog posts, how to choose which posts to update, and the exact steps to freshen them up for today‘s audience. Plus, I‘ll share tips for relaunching your updated posts for maximum impact. Let‘s get into it!
Why Bother Updating Old Blog Posts?
If those old posts are buried deep in the archives of your blog, why dig them up now? Won‘t that just confuse your audience? Here are three compelling reasons to give your outdated content a glow-up:
- Old posts can still get a lot of traffic.
You might be surprised by how much traffic your blog gets to older posts, especially from organic search. A 2023 study by Databox found that over 70% of bloggers reported getting significant traffic to posts published more than 6 months ago.
At the HubSpot blog, we‘ve found that at any given time, the majority of our traffic comes from posts published prior to that month. For example, in July 2022, a whopping 86% of our blog visits were to posts originally published before that month.
This makes sense, since older posts have had more time to gain search authority and rack up backlinks. But there‘s a risk that some of that high-traffic content is out of date, which can hurt your credibility. Updating those popular evergreen posts ensures anyone who discovers them will get accurate, current information.
- You‘ll save time and effort compared to writing new posts.
Coming up with brand new blog post ideas, doing the research, writing a first draft, editing, finding images, optimizing for SEO, and promoting on social – it‘s a lot of work! And that‘s why it can be so tempting to push old posts to the back burner in favor of shiny new content.
But those old posts can be a gold mine. You‘ve already done much of the hard work, so updating an existing post can take a fraction of the time of creating a new one from scratch. Refreshing and republishing an old post may only take a few hours, versus days or weeks for a new post.
Of course, that doesn‘t mean you can forego publishing anything new – your blog still needs a healthy mix of fresh content. But post updates can be a great way to maintain a consistent publishing schedule without burning yourself out.
- You‘ll provide a better user experience for your blog readers.
Chances are, not everyone currently subscribed to your blog has been a loyal reader since day one. And even if they have, they probably haven‘t read every single post you‘ve ever published. So by updating and resurfacing your best posts, you can get more eyeballs on high-performing content that many of your readers likely missed the first time around.
On top of that, you‘ll provide all readers with the most relevant, helpful and up-to-date content on the topic, versus outdated advice or irrelevant examples. This improves the user experience and makes readers more likely to view you as an authoritative resource worthy of their time.
How to Choose Blog Posts to Update
Now that you‘re convinced of the benefits of blog post updates, your next step is figuring out which posts deserve a refresh. With an ever-growing archive of content to choose from, it can be tough to know where to start. Here are some key criteria to consider when making your picks:
Traffic
Look at your blog analytics to see which older posts are still getting steady traffic month after month. In Google Analytics, you can go to Behavior > Site Content > All Pages and set the date range to the past year to identify posts with the highest total pageviews.
If you have a tool like HubSpot‘s Page Performance, you can easily see a list of blog posts ranked by views over a set time period. Odds are, many of the top posts will have been published several months or even years ago.
Those high-traffic posts should be at the top of your list for potential updates. Prioritize those that are getting over 1,000 views per month on average – they have the biggest built-in audience that can benefit from a refresh.
Conversions
While traffic is important, the end goal of your blog is probably to generate leads and customers. Take a look at which posts are currently driving the most conversions, whether that‘s email sign-ups, demo requests, content downloads, or product purchases.
Again, your blog analytics or a tool like HubSpot‘s Attribution Reports can give you this data at the page level. Identify posts that are already proven lead generators, and breathe new life into them with an update. Even a small boost in conversion rate can translate to a meaningful increase in leads or customers.
Keyword Rankings
Are there particular keywords you‘re trying to rank higher for? A tool like Google Search Console, SEMrush, or HubSpot‘s SEO tool can show you which keywords each of your posts is ranking for and in what position.
Look for posts that are ranking on page 2 or 3 of Google search results for topics that are important to your business. With a little optimization and refreshing, you may be able to bump them up to page 1 for a big traffic boost.
Relevance and Timeliness
In addition to hard metrics, consider softer factors like relevance and timeliness in your selection process. For example, if you have an old post on a topic that has evolved significantly in the past year based on new research, it would be a prime candidate for an update to reflect the latest information.
Or if there‘s a hot industry topic you want to weigh in on that relates to an old post, you could rework the original to incorporate the current conversation. The key is choosing posts that will be interesting and helpful to today‘s readers.
Backlinks
Use a tool like Moz‘s Link Explorer or Ahrefs‘ Site Explorer to check how many external sites are linking to each of your blog posts. In general, posts with the most high-quality backlinks are good contenders for updating, since they‘ve already been vetted by other people in your industry as authoritative.
Keeping those backlinks going to relevant, up-to-date content helps protect your search authority over time. It also provides a better user experience for people who click on those links from other sites.
Social Shares
While not quite as important as backlinks from an SEO perspective, the number of social shares a post has can be a useful indicator of engagement and popularity. Use a tool like BuzzSumo to see which of your blog posts have gotten the most shares across social platforms.
Posts that struck a chord with readers in the past may be worth another push with a refresh and relaunch. You can also use those social share counts as a benchmark to see if your updated version gets even more traction.
Your Gut
Finally, don‘t discount your own marketing instincts. If there‘s an old post you‘re just not proud of anymore, or one you feel could do exponentially better with some tweaks, listen to that instinct. Your knowledge of your audience and industry can be just as valuable as the data in choosing which posts to focus on.
How to Update and Relaunch Old Blog Posts
You‘ve made a list of blog posts that are due for a refresh – now it‘s time to get to work! Follow these steps to update and republish each post for maximum impact and results.
- Identify what needs to be updated.
Give the post a thorough read-through and make a list of everything that needs to be changed, added, or removed to bring it up to date. This could include:
- Outdated statistics, references, or examples
- Irrelevant or no longer accurate information
- Broken links
- Poorly written or thin sections
- Lacking current best practices or the latest research
- Off-brand voice or tone
- Missing images or screenshots
- Weak headline, introduction or conclusion
- Do your research and rewrite.
Depending on your list above, updating a post could be a quick 30-minute task or a meaty several-hour project. For more extensive updates, you may want to create an outline to restructure the post, especially if you need to add a lot of new information to make it complete and comprehensive.
As you rewrite sections of the post, look for opportunities to add new research, data points, examples, quotes, and insight to strengthen your points. Be sure to properly cite your sources with links.
In general, aim to create the most helpful, in-depth resource you can on the topic. But don‘t just fluff for the sake of a higher word count – every sentence should provide value to the reader.
- Optimize for search engines.
An older post may already have search authority, but a little on-page SEO can help boost rankings even further. Weave in additional relevant keywords where they fit naturally, and make sure the post is structured well for SEO with:
- A compelling, keyword-rich headline
- Header tags to break up sections
- Short paragraphs and sentences
- Relevant internal and external links
- Optimized page title and meta description
- Proper image alt text
- Update the publishing date and URL.
When you‘re ready to relaunch the post, update the publish date to today‘s date so it shows up at the top of your blog. Use your blogging platform‘s scheduling tool to set it to publish at a high-traffic time for your audience.
In most cases, you‘ll want to keep the post‘s original URL the same, even if the headline has changed. That way, any existing backlinks to the post will still work. Consult your development team if you‘re unsure about the right approach for your website setup.
- Promote the post like new.
To get as many eyes as possible on your refreshed content, promote it through all your usual marketing channels like:
- Social media
- Email newsletter
- Paid social ads
- Syndication or republishing on sites like Medium or LinkedIn
- Link building outreach to relevant sites
Treat the republished post just like you would a brand new one in terms of promotion. You could even create a new lead magnet or content upgrade specifically for the post to capture more leads.
- Measure the before-and-after results.
Finally, track your updated post‘s performance and compare it to the original version. Key metrics to look at include:
- Pageviews
- Average time on page
- Bounce rate
- Keyword rankings
- Backlinks
- Social shares
- Email sign-ups or lead forms
- Comments or other on-page engagement
If your update was a success, you should see lifts in traffic, engagement, and conversions over time. Keep an eye on those metrics and continue to make small tweaks as needed to optimize the post‘s performance.
Examples of Brands Winning With Blog Post Updates
Need some inspiration to kick off your post refresh project? Check out these examples of companies doing content updating right:
HubSpot
At HubSpot, we‘ve seen just how powerful post updates can be for our blog‘s traffic and lead generation. For example, we updated and republished a post on "How to Write a Press Release" that was a few years old and starting to lose steam.
By expanding and improving the post, optimizing it for search engines, and promoting it through our channels, we were able to increase monthly organic traffic to the post by over 180%. It also gained featured snippets for several relevant keywords on Google. Now the post reliably drives thousands of views and leads for our business each month.
Ahrefs
The SEO tool Ahrefs makes a habit of refreshing its high-performing posts on a regular basis. One standout example is its post on "15 SEO Chrome Extensions You Need in 2023," which was originally published in 2021 and has been updated for accuracy and timeliness every few months since then.
Keeping this useful resource fresh has allowed it to maintain high keyword rankings and backlinks over time. It‘s a great example of how updating content can help you build and protect search authority in your industry.
Buffer
The social media management platform Buffer also does a great job at refreshing blog posts to keep up with the fast-paced changes in social media. One example is its post on "How to Create a Social Media Marketing Strategy: A Beginner‘s Guide" which was first published in 2016.
Since then, the post has been updated dozens of times, most recently in November 2022. It‘s consistently ranked at the top of search results for "social media marketing strategy" and related terms, driving a significant amount of traffic and leads for the business. By keeping the post up to date, Buffer has turned it into a powerful digital asset.
Moz
Finally, the SEO software company Moz sets the bar high when it comes to refreshing old blog posts. It even has a dedicated person on the team responsible for updating content.
For example, its post on "How to Choose a Domain Name" was originally published in 2007. But it‘s been updated numerous times over the years to reflect the latest best practices and research. It now ranks in the top 10 Google results for the highly competitive term "choose a domain name," bringing in over 10,000 organic visits per month.
Ready to Refresh?
I hope this guide has convinced you of the power of updating and republishing your old blog content. Not only can it save you time and resources compared to starting from scratch, but it can also give your traffic and leads a major boost.
Remember, your blog is a living resource, not a static archive. By regularly refreshing your best posts, you‘ll provide more value to your audience, build more topical authority, and get more mileage out of the content you‘ve worked so hard to create.
To recap, here‘s your action plan:
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Use analytics to identify your best candidates for updating based on traffic, conversions, keyword rankings, relevance, backlinks, and social shares.
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For each post, make a list of what needs to be updated, rewritten, added, or removed. Don‘t be afraid to massively overhaul posts that have potential.
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Optimize the post for search, engagement, and conversions with images, formatting, links, and CTAs.
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Relaunch the post by updating the publish date and URL, then promote it like new to your audience.
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Track the results and keep optimizing the post over time as needed.
Now go dig into those archives and give your content the makeover it deserves. Your readers (and your bottom line) will thank you.
