Why evergreen content is critical to your blog’s success

Why evergreen content is critical to your blog’s success

If you’ve been following my writing lately, you’ll notice I’ve given out a few tips on how to drive more traffic to your old blog content. I didn’t mention, however, that one thing ties all those tips together: evergreen content.

Evergreen content is content that doesn’t expire.

Evergreen content isn’t based on trends, recent events, or industry announcements. Evergreen content is information that will be valuable today, tomorrow, and a decade from now.

Whether you create list posts, link to old posts, or ignore keywords, making sure these techniques succeed requires a strategy that focuses on evergreen content.

I’ve been writing about grammar and social media for over a decade, and much of what I cover still applies today. My oldest writing article “Bold, Italics, and Overemphasis” is 11 years old, but it’s still as useful as it was in 2004.

When I write evergreen content, I follow Kevan Lee’s 3 keys to creating evergreen content:

  1. Be the definitive source
  2. Write for beginners
  3. Narrow your topic

1. Be the definitive source

When I write, I speak as an expert. I know I’m not the only writing expert or social media expert out there, but I know people turn to me for expertise and knowledge, so I present them with professional advice. Plus, when I come up in a search engine, it’s usually because people want their question answered; I have to provide that answer.

2. Write for beginners

My posts are written as tips and advice for people who need answers. They might be confused by two similar words or they might have just started their company Twitter account. What I offer is straightforward tips that are easy to implement.

3. Narrow your topic

When I created my communications company, I decided to focus on 3 areas: writing, editing, and social media. I don’t do publicity, marketing, or website development. I knew where my strengths were, and I targeted those strengths. My articles reflect that.

You probably aren’t the only player in your industry, but that shouldn’t stop you from being the definitive source, writing for beginners, or narrowing your topic. And it doesn’t matter whether you’re a cake shop, bank, or home builder, creating evergreen content is possible and critical.

For ideas on producing evergreen content, visit Evergreen Content Ideas – The Ultimate List of 100 Ideas written by Aurelija Pavilionyte of Hiplay, a cool app that lets you repost content to social media.

By Kim Siever

I am a copywriter and copyeditor. I blog on writing and social media tips mostly, but I sometimes throw in my thoughts about running a small business. Follow me on Twitter at @hotpepper.