SEO is a lot of work, and it can be extremely frustrating because it’s relatively unpredictable.
You can work days on a piece of content, optimize it to the max, and then one day it’s bringing in traffic, and the other, your rankings plummet. Not fair, right? All this work for nothing, and here you were, thinking you cracked the code.
No, your content wasn’t bad.
In fact, the problem isn’t in the content at all; it’s the internet. The internet doesn’t stand still, and neither does SEO. Google is always changing what it likes and values, and your competitors keep releasing new stuff. Even users change the way they search, so is it really realistic to expect that SEO stays the same?
Every single piece of content has an expiration date, but that doesn’t mean you should cross your hands and let it rot.
Why Old Content Falls Behind
Most of the time, it’s not just one thing that tanks your rankings. It’s the small changes that add up. Search engines are always changing what they reward, so a page that was once perfect can become outdated overnight in Google’s eyes.
On top of that, the way people search doesn’t stay the same, either.
A post that matched intent a year ago might no longer answer the question people are asking today. Meanwhile, you also need to keep an eye on your competitors because they’re coming up with new content, as well. And it could even be the content you’re publishing, just with more details, which makes your page look thin (surface level, basic) in comparison.
Technical issues are another issue.
Things like broken links and images that slow down the page are problematic and shouldn’t be left unattended.
How to Spot What Needs Work
Before you can get to fixing what went wrong, you first need to be able to see what’s not working anymore.
Here’s how:
Look at Search Data
Start with numbers.
Google Search Console (GSC) provides you with a super-simple way to see which pages are losing impressions or clicks. If you have a post that performed well and is now barely visible, it’s a sign of concern. It means that search engines find other pages more relevant, and your content is no longer as deep or as fresh as it should be.
Track these drops over time so you can see the difference between random dips and long-term issues that need to be fixed.
Watch Engagement
You need to know what happens when people land on your page.
If you have high bounce rates or visitors stay only for a few seconds, then your content is not what they need anymore. Maybe the search intent changed, or your page doesn’t deliver the clarity readers want. Either way, this needs to be fixed.
Check for Technical Issues
Even if the writing is top-notch, small technical issues can drag your page down.
Old meta descriptions, broken links, missing alt text, and images that slow things down all send signals to search engines that a page isn’t maintained.
And users notice this, too.
Make Sure the Content Is Accurate
Information doesn’t have a long lifespan online.
Stats that were relevant 2 years ago could be outdated by now, industry practices expire faster than you think, etc. When your readers see old numbers or irrelevant details, they won’t trust your content.
Accuracy is one of the easiest ways to keep a page strong, but it’s also one of the first things that slips if you don’t check it regularly.
Compare with Competitors
It’s important to be aware of what the competitors are doing and who outranks you.
Pull up the top results for the keywords your post is targeting and see how those pages are doing against yours. If the competitors’ content looks better than yours, that’s a sign that your piece needs some refreshing.
How to Fix Old Content
Once you’ve figured out what needs to be fixed, it’s time to find out how to fix it.
First, update your numbers and facts so all information is current. Then look at the copy itself because it might need to be adjusted to match today’s intent and expectations. And don’t forget to check your links (both internal and external!) and replace anything that’s broken with stronger references. You can also add visuals like charts and screenshots. Perhaps even a short video will make your page more engaging.
Once you’ve refreshed everything that needed refreshing, don’t let it sit there. Re-promote it so that it reaches people and so that search engines see that it’s active again.
This is a time-consuming process that can easily overwhelm you. If your business heavily relies on online traffic, then you can’t really take any chances here; Hire professionals.
Think about it; if your office has electricity issues, you’ll call an electrician, you won’t DIY it. If one of you’re company cars has mechanical issues, you’ll have the dedicated mechanic solve the problem for you. The same applies to your website. It’s part of your business, and it needs to be treated in the same manner as every other part of the business. But in reality, even more so, because with a few lights flickering in the office, you’ll still get the job done, but with your main revenue engine – the website – not working properly, your business will go down.
But not to end this on a negative note, remember that you can always hire the best SEO copywriting services available and let professionals handle all the heavy lifting for you, which is also (probably) the best approach considering how error-prone and time-consuming the entire process really is.
Conclusion
This happens to everyone. Everyone’s content becomes irrelevant sooner or later, but that’s not the end of the world. It just means that your site needs some TLC, that’s all.
If you regularly check your content, update the facts, and polish the structure a bit, it’ll perform consistently.
