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How Often Should You Refresh Your Website Content?
Does Google love fresh content? Yes, big time. But does this mean it’s a good idea to regularly refresh your content, purely to please Google? No, despite that being precisely what (too) many people do.
As a rule of thumb, publishers should take the time to review and audit their content frequently. Rather than just ignoring content that no longer hits the right notes, you could aim to give it a new lease of life.
But here’s the thing – you should never attempt to refresh content without a clear purpose in mind. You’ll just be wasting your time, and could end up diluting both the quality and SEO value of the original text.
Which begs the question – when exactly should you update your content, in order to enhance its value and performance?
According to Google, there are four main scenarios that call for genuinely useful content overhauls:
1. To Eliminate Outdated Content
First up, anything that’s clearly out of date and no longer holds any value or relevance should be refreshed or removed. But it’s important to note how some outdated content can still serve a purpose, providing context and background for future developments.
Here, we’re talking more the kind of content that could be deemed misleading – facts proven false, advice proven ineffective, statements that are no longer true, etc. If it’s likely to mislead your readers or harm your credibility, update it.
2. To Enhance Information Density
This is all about getting as much information over as possible using as few words as you can. Of course, information density shouldn’t take a backseat to readability and clarity. It’s about striking the right balance – getting your message across clearly, while eliminating unnecessary filler.
This means getting into the habit of critically reading through your copy, identifying statements and sentences that carry no value, and getting rid of them.
3. To Expand with Fresh Information
From products to services to laws to consumer expectations, everything evolves and shifts over time. Which means that while some aspects of your content may not be outdated, they may lack the most up-to-date information on the topic.
The more important the content, the more crucial it becomes to ensure it is as complete and current as possible.
4. To Improve Clarity
Last up, Google has long made clear its preference for content that’s clear, easy to read and presented as simply as possible. Needlessly complicating content with flowery language does little to please readers or search engines.
This feeds as much into content formats and layouts as it does the use of language. From infographics to simple numbered lists to the inclusion of video explainers, there’s always a way to present complex information in a clear and digestible way.