One question our content team here at Posse is asked by clients on a regular basis is “how do we increase our site traffic and keep it up?” Believe it or not, there is a way to do so even with all the algorithm changes we see from Google and other search engines. Whether you are a simple blogger or a large business, it is possible to do this by utilizing evergreen content. That’s all fine and good, but it may leave you asking what is evergreen content and why should you produce it?
Before you can produce such content you must first understand the concept behind evergreen content. Think about a printed newspaper. Do papers run the same articles every time they are printed, or do they print new articles each time? Of course the answer is that they always run with new articles. Sometimes the subject matter is the same or similar but the writing itself changes. This is due to their type of readership. If they ran the same article constantly they would likely lose paying readers.
On the other hand, think about textbooks. The material in textbooks remains pretty consistent from one edition to the next. This is due to the fact that the information itself is always pertinent. Human anatomy does not change other than updating some of the new findings on how certain processes work. This is much like evergreen content. It is content that your readers will find consistently useful without the need for constant updates. That’s not to say that you cannot or should not update it, but it requires revisiting on a very limited basis when compared to standard content. Much like evergreen trees, it stays alive throughout the year by providing relevant information.
This sort of content is highly coveted by other sites who are looking to backlink to it in order to help their sites rank better. This in turn helps to increase your ranking as well. Sure, your article on why Company XYZ stinks may draw a hundred or more readers in a short time. At the same time though an article about the poor tactics used by a company such as XYZ could lead to a business’s downfall may draw more traffic over time. This could be due to the fact that other businesses may want to avoid the same pitfalls that damaged Company XYZ’s reputation.
Is it okay to simply use all evergreen content on your site? Not if you are looking to touch on trending news or tips that could change in a short amount of time. A good mix of content types can help draw in both types of individuals, those looking for hot topics and those looking for info that will not change over the short term.
Evergreen content should not contain time dependent info and should attract SIGNIFICANT backlinks from other sites. These are backlinks that actually pertain to your chosen topic that come in from sites that Google sees as being reliable sources of info. Your content should be able to easily attract search engine attention both now and in the future. It must also bring in both repeat and new visitors.
Hopefully this helps to answer any questions you might have about what constitutes evergreen content and why you should produce it. Still have questions? Hit us up and we will be glad to answer any remaining questions you may have!