How To Level Up Your Old Blog Posts

When you first started blogging, I'm willing to bet that you saw people recommending that you needed to publish as much content on your blog as possible. If you're anything like me, you took this recommendation and ran with it, firing off as many posts as possible.

To a point, this is a good idea. But the problem is that even evergreen content becomes outdated. So, you need to be willing to go back and update your old blog posts. Don't worry, though. This post will guide you on how to level up your old blog posts.

I recently carried out a content refresh as part of Kelly McCausey's Stretch Yourself Challenge (which takes place every September). And boy, was it an eye-opener!

For this challenge, I chose to refresh ten old blog posts, which were a mix of super old posts (four years) and oldish posts (published in the last two years). I was taken aback when I realized that every single one of them appeared and felt out of date.

You see, while the majority of the old content on my blog falls into the evergreen category, things still change. For example, all these things have changed over the years:

• My branding
• My opinions and knowledge
• My writing
• The images I like to use
• My goals
• The value I want to give my target audience

I can guarantee that the same goes for you, too, which is why I highly recommend setting aside some time in your schedule to update old blog posts and add new content. Despite the effort it might take, you'll thank yourself later.

Getting Set Up For Success

Before you dive into updating old blog posts and creating new content, it's essential to lay a solid groundwork and complete a few preliminary steps. Don't worry, I've got you covered every step of the way with an incredible spreadsheet that will guide you through this process. Make sure to grab your own copy of this invaluable tool after absorbing the valuable tips I'm about to share.

Choose 10 Blog Posts

It can be tempting to review your older posts and update everything. But, for me, this is likely to be a mistake. If you decide to update all of your existing content, it is unlikely that you'll be able to put as much thought and effort into your updates. Therefore, I highly recommend only choosing ten old blog posts at a time.

How you choose your ten posts is up to you. You might select ten with the most outdated content or the ten posts that get the most traffic. You might even have older content you know could make you more money or get you more leads with a refresh and updated content.

Read Through Each Post

Before you start the updates, it is important that you get a good feeling for the old content you already have out there. You need to know what you wrote, what images you used, and how you laid it out.

So, let's begin by thoroughly reviewing your old blog content. Look out for areas that could use improvement, such as old content and outdated information. Search for grammar glitches, duplicate content, or formatting inconsistencies. This thorough evaluation will set the stage for your updated blog post.

When doing this, you'll probably look at things more intentionally than you normally might. Typically, when we visit a post or page on our websites, we do so to check that the URL still works, and that's about it.

When I went to each blog post, I discovered many things I hadn't even thought of before. For example, I found images that didn't load and layouts that were unhelpful for the reader. I also found things that I thought were a good idea at the time but decided I hated now.

As you read your posts, ensure you're taking lots of notes. Your notes will guide you as you level up your old blog posts. Again, my spreadsheet will help you with your note-taking.

Set a Goal For Each Piece of Content

Speaking from experience, the other problem with going along with the 'create as much content as you can' recommendation is the lack of intention. When you're firing out blog posts, it is easy to forget to be intentional with your content creation.

To give yourself a solid footing in the content marketing world, every piece of content you create should have a clear goal. A blog post goal could be anything from affiliate sales and getting new leads to creating a pillar post with lots of internal linking.

Here are two examples from my blog:

• How To Use PLR Content To Boost Your Business - this post is purposefully long because I've set it up as a pillar post with lots of internal links to other blog posts. This has been done for SEO purposes.
• How to Use PLR to Create The Best Email Marketing Content - this post has easy-to-share images and lots of affiliate links to make money with my content.

Your key question for every post is: What do I want people to do after reading this blog post?

Write Yourself A Checklist

I've already done this for you in this blog post and my spreadsheet, but you might like to write your own.

When I say checklist, I don't necessarily mean a to-do list for each individual blog post. Yes, you might have a list of priorities for each one. But I specifically mean a general checklist of everything you need to check, fix, or consider for every blog post.

Your checklist will act as a system or process that guides you through every stage of updating your blog posts.

14 Things You'll Need To Do to Level Up Your Old Blog Posts

Now, don't panic. I know a 14-point to-do list sounds overwhelming, especially if you're working on ten blog posts. But they don't all need significant effort. For some of them, you might find that you instinctively want to do them anyway. And some of them may only take a minute or two. But all of them will make you feel better about your content.

So, let's explore your new to-do list.

Doing SEO research

Apart from reviewing the content itself, it's crucial to assess the performance of your old blog posts. Dive into the metrics and data provided by tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console. This analysis will provide you with valuable insights into which blog posts are driving high traffic and engagement. Armed with this information, you can prioritize your efforts and focus on enhancing the blog posts that truly deserve it.

Now, it may be that your content isn't already set up for SEO (search engine optimization), which is fine if ranking on Google search isn't what you're aiming for. However, there's no harm in trying to build an SEO strategy now. Who doesn't want organic traffic?

When conducting keyword research, I use either Ubersuggest (it has a pretty decent free plan) or RankMath, which is an excellent all-in-one WordPress plugin. Keyword research is pivotal to ensure that your old blog posts align with current search trends and target the right audience. By identifying relevant keywords and strategically incorporating them into your content, you'll boost your blog post's visibility in search engine results and attract more organic traffic.

Another SEO tool I love is RankIQ.

If you're going down this route when setting up blog posts for SEO, make sure you're using the right keywords in the right places. You might even find it beneficial to change your post's URL to include your new keywords. But do this sparingly and use tools like Google Analytics to check how much traffic the post already receives - if you get a lot, it might not be worth it. Also, don't forget to use a redirection tool as well. RankMath has a redirection tool built in.

Rewrite the Content and Add More Detail

No matter what, the likelihood of you wanting to do a certain amount of rewriting is high. You might want to change small bits of the written content. However, remember what I said about opinions changing and knowledge increasing?

Never be afraid to change what you wrote in the past or add in extra detail if you feel it is useful. I had posts while doing the content refresh that I ended up rewriting about 80% of the stuff that was there. There's nothing wrong with this if it leads to a better user experience.

Check Old Links and Add in New Links

I'm a big advocate of using plenty of links in your blog posts. Not so many that it becomes overwhelming, but just enough to add extra value to your readers.

First, you'll want to check that any links you have previously added still work and go to places you're happy to direct people. The internet changes constantly, so it's always worth checking this.

Then, you need to consider whether there is anything else you can link to - either on your website or others' websites - that might be helpful to people.

Don't be afraid to link out to other people's content. Some people worry about doing this as it effectively drives traffic away. But if you make sure the link opens in a new tab, it will do you no harm. In fact, linking to helpful external resources is good for SEO.

Add Affiliate Links to Your Blog Posts

More often than not, the more time we spend working online, the more affiliate programs we join.

As you go through your content, are there tools or products that you think are closely related to your writing? If you're an affiliate of these things (or even if you're not), there's no reason you can't add these links.

Link to Your Products in Blog Posts

Like my affiliate link point above, if you sell products related to your posts, add the links to them. Even better, add an image and a call to action. Your product could be exactly what your reader is looking for.

Change or Create New Images

In my opinion, images are the fastest thing to become outdated. I don't know what it is. But whether it is stock images or graphics you've created yourself, it is very easy to look at them and think, "ooof, that is very last year."

Take a look at the images you've used and establish whether or not they still match your brand and what you want to portray. If they do, great. If not, it is time to mix things up.

You can create images easily using a tool like Canva. Or, if it is stock images you'll want, you might like to try a site like Styled Stock Society.

Adding images to your old blog posts is a great idea as it helps to make your content more engaging and keeps your readers interested. Remember to include alt text for each image to improve your search engine optimization (SEO). 

Alt text provides a description of the image, which helps search engines understand its content and relevance. By doing so, you can increase the visibility of your content in search results. So, make sure to take advantage of the opportunity to enrich your blog posts with visually appealing images and optimize them with descriptive alt text.

Add Video & Audio

Depending on your content, this may not be relevant to you, but it might be worth a try.

You see, people learn in different ways. Some people love to read, some are good visual learners, and others like to listen to things while they are doing other things.

If you can find a way to add different formats of your content to your blog posts, you'll be able to cater to a wider audience.

Create new Pins for Pinterest 

Again, this one may not be relevant to you. But you may find that it is relevant; you just haven't thought of it yet.

Pinterest is a visual search engine, and it is huge. It is a slow burner, so you have to play the long game. But get it right, and you'll be tapping into a brilliant source of traffic.

Pinterest loves new pins it hasn't seen before. So, even if you've already created pins for your posts, create some more. I use Tailwind to schedule my pins. But if you have a WordPress site, you can then use a tool called Tasty Pins to hide your pins, so they are still shareable but don't clog up your blog post.

Create Infographics

Infographics are shared on social media all the time, especially on Pinterest. People love them because they help deliver information simply and visually.

In addition, they can play a significant role in SEO for two main reasons. Firstly, they can help you get to the top of image search results because they are interesting and very clickable.

Secondly, you'll notice in my infographic above there's a little bit of text that says people can use it in their content if they include a link to my website. This means I could get backlinks from a whole range of people, which helps Google see me as an authority in my field.

You can also use Tasty Pins for your infographics so they can be shared on Pinterest.

Have Share Buttons and Share Your Posts

Share buttons are a really simple thing to add to your blog but could be extremely powerful. They allow your audience to share your content with others in just a few quick clicks. Getting more social shares for your website will very rarely do any harm.

There are tons of plugins for adding share buttons to your site. Personally, I use the free version of Sassy Social Share.

Make sure you're sharing your content on social media regularly, too.

Consider Cross-Posting

In the process of revitalizing your old blog posts, don't forget about the power of social media. Craft captivating snippets specifically designed for different platforms and share them to attract the attention of your target audience. These snippets, paired with eye-catching visuals and compelling captions, will create curiosity and entice users to click through and read your new blog post.

If you can break your site content into smaller pieces, it might be worth your time using something like Medium to publish on. Doing this will potentially allow you to reach a wider audience.

You can also add links back to your original website content, which could result in some pretty valuable backlinks.

Create Content Upgrades

A content upgrade is content that lives within other content your viewer is already reading or viewing. The goal is to give your audience additional value and/or inspire them to take action.

Usually, the content is downloadable. It could be a short report, a workbook, or a checklist. Personally, I create PDF versions of my blog posts using Designrr or Beacon. Once the post is published, I grab the link, insert it into Beacon, and the software does everything else.

Keep Your Content on Brand

Finally, you must ensure your content is true to you, your business, and your brand. Hopefully, if you've diligently been through everything else in this post, this should already be taken care of. But it is always worth checking.

Read through your updated blog content and make sure it sounds, looks, and feels the way you want it to.

The Bottom Line

Taking the time to refresh old blog posts is always worth it, even if it makes you feel more confident about your blog content.

But the chances are that updating your content will go far beyond your confidence. Creating increasingly valuable content will likely be truly welcomed by both search engines and users.

You don't need to do everything I've suggested in this blog post. You can pick and choose whatever you feel will result in nice fresh content. But, whatever you do, make sure you schedule time every now and then to update your content. The process of improving your blog content is continuous and requires dedication.

Keep assessing your blog's performance and stay on top of the ever-evolving digital landscape to ensure that your content remains fresh, relevant, and engaging.