Optimising Old Content: The Importance of Revisiting Your Blog Posts

Having been a blogger for over a decade, I find the process rewarding, particularly when optimising old content. Yet, one significant downside, particularly for prolific bloggers, is the tendency to overlook older content.

The Dilemma of Neglecting Old Blog Posts

Consider this scenario: you dedicate countless hours researching and writing a blog post, only to abandon it after a year or two amidst the flurry of ongoing blogging.

This pattern is common among many bloggers. The focus is often on generating fresh content rather than evaluating and leveraging the potential of past posts. This is unfortunate because older content can be a valuable asset. For instance, it accrues authority over time through backlinks and continues to attract clicks. By neglecting it, bloggers miss out on potential traffic boosts and updated conversion opportunities due to outdated calls to action.

Optimising Old Content: Making Old Content Optimisation a Routine

Incorporating the optimisation of old content into your regular blogging schedule, whether monthly or quarterly, can significantly enhance your conversions without the need to produce new articles. Here are several strategies to help you achieve this.

Generate More Conversions from Top-Performing Old Content

Have you recently reviewed your most successful blog posts? If not, now is the time to do so. Hence, Google’s Search Console makes this process straightforward:

1. Navigate to Performance.
2. Click on the “Pages” tab.
3. Adjust the time frame to 16 months for a comprehensive overview.

This report highlights your top-performing pages for optimising old content. Once identified, think of ways to optimise these posts to generate more leads while maintaining their traffic flow.

Using ChatGPT for Call-to-Action Enhancement

ChatGPT can assist in crafting effective contextual calls to action (CTAs) designed to drive sales or email sign-ups. Here’s a useful prompt:

“This is my article [COPY-PASTE YOUR CONTENT / PROVIDE YOUR URL]. I’d like more readers to [SPECIFY YOUR CTA HERE]. Develop 2-3 contextual CTAs using the problem-solution strategy. The CTAs should address problems or answer questions included in the content.”

Practical Application

1. Internal Linking: Use high-ranking content to direct more traffic to your crucial landing pages. Adding an internal link to a main landing page within well-performing posts can boost its search engine ranking due to enhanced internal linking.
2. In-Content Calls to Action: Implement non-intrusive CTAs using a two-step opt-in process. Readers click a link to load the opt-in form, which avoids cluttering the content and maintains a legitimate appearance.

Transform Old Content into Visuals and Videos

Moreover, diversifying content formats can broaden your marketing channels and, consequently, boost traffic and conversions through optimising old content. Repurpose existing content into visual formats such as infographics, flowcharts, or video slideshows.

Tools and Techniques

• Visme: An easy-to-use tool for creating visuals and videos without additional software installation.
• YouTube Channel: Even without extensive video production, a YouTube channel can enhance brand awareness. Moreover, use AI tools to generate a cohesive YouTube branding identity.
• Newsletters: Refresh your content with visual assets and repurpose it into engaging newsletters for subscribers.

Leveraging ChatGPT for Content Creation

ChatGPT can streamline the process by:

• Writing original YouTube video descriptions (including tags).
• Creating newsletter content based on your blog posts.

Re-Optimise Content for Increased Traffic

While reviewing your top-performing pages, you might discover content that isn’t performing as well as expected. Save these URLs and explore strategies to boost their search referral traffic, ensuring they stay relevant.

Keyword Optimisation and Clustering

Analyse your keyword strategy to identify effective phrases. In fact, if the topic is broad, consider clustering related keywords to optimise content for multiple search terms.

ChatGPT for Keyword Analysis

Instead of manually sifting through keyword lists, use ChatGPT. Here’s a prompt to help:

“My article topic is [TITLE]. Here’s my target keyword list. Determine a keyword group applicable to this topic. Create a table with columns for (1) keyword, (2) search intent, and (3) a new section in the article to introduce it.”

SEO Tools and Plugins

Utilise powerful SEO plugins for WordPress to enhance your content optimisation efforts, ensuring your old posts target a cluster of related keywords rather than a single one.

Re-Share Old Content on Social Media

Social media platforms are excellent for promoting content repeatedly, driving fresh mentions and links, which bolster rankings, trust, and conversions.

ChatGPT for Social Media Updates

Furthermore, ChatGPT can craft engaging social media updates. Use this prompt:

“Here’s my article [TEXT]. Create 5 tweets, one Instagram caption, one LinkedIn post, and one Facebook post to promote it on social media. Include emojis and ensure each update adds value rather than just promotional content.”

Tools for Continuous Sharing

Platforms like ViralContentBee allow you to put your content in front of active social media users. Moreover, by consistently adding credits, your older posts will continue to be shared, driving ongoing traffic and encouraging updates or follow-ups.

Optimising Old Content: Making the Most of Your Blogging Efforts

In summary, revisiting and optimising old content is not just about boosting traffic; it’s about maximising the value of the work you’ve already done. By integrating these strategies into your routine, you can ensure that, consequently, your blog remains a powerful tool for engagement and conversion.

Good luck with your blogging journey!

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