What is evergreen content and why is it important for your website?
Do you want to know how to increase your blog’s organic traffic in a consistent and sustainable way? The answer is evergreen content. While good content is vital to any website’s SEO strategy, evergreen content is what can turn a good blog post into a great one. In this article, we will explore what exactly evergreen content is, why it is important, and how you can start creating it. Doing so will help ensure that your blog has the best and most effective content possible for both your readers and your long term SEO strategy.
What is evergreen content?
The first question we need to answer is what evergreen content consists of. To do this, it is helpful to understand why the word ‘evergreen’ is used to describe it. The word evergreen actually comes from evergreen trees, which are known for keeping their green leaves through the seasons and are therefore seen as everlasting. Thus, evergreen content is content that is timeless, meaning that it stays relevant past its publication date. This, in theory, means that organic traffic towards this type of content never ends.
For example, traffic towards content about a presidential election or a sports match may be high while the events are happening, but this traffic will decrease significantly after they are over. Another example could be that if you had a fitness blog, articles about the newest fitness trend will most likely end up receiving less traffic in the long run compared to an article that lists the top 10 best weight loss exercises. The key is to choose content that stands the test of time and will maintain a steady flow of traffic as long as it exists.
Some common evergreen content topics include:
- Top tips
- How-to guides
- Checklists
- Product reviews
- Research or case studies
Why is evergreen content important?
Did you know that content is one of Google’s top 3 search ranking factors? Quality content should play a crucial role in any SEO strategy, but creating evergreen content should be an integral part to your long term SEO strategy. This type of content is important because it has the potential to create a never-ending flow of traffic to your blog. When you write articles using this type of content, they are always fresh, always in-demand, and always have an audience. This means that your blog will always have an audience as well.
When you choose to write about topics or themes that are trendy, their relevance has an expiration date. As a result of this, interest and traffic towards this type of content will naturally decrease over time. However, evergreen content is a way to ensure consistent regular organic traffic to your blog posts over an endless amount of time.
Another perk is that evergreen content requires less maintenance in comparison to other types. The content should be timeless enough that it does not need updating, which means less work for you and less money spent on upkeep in the long run. Once you have written it, it is normally good for life, with slight changes here and there when necessary.
How do you create evergreen content?
So, how do you go about creating evergreen content? As mentioned before, it is important to choose topics that are not trendy or have a short lifespan. If you have a food blog, for example, a recipe for a new food trend is undoubtedly important, but an article on how to bake the best chocolate chip cookies is sure to create steady organic traffic over a longer period of time.
When it comes to deciding what to write about, there are a few tools that can help you in your research. Websites such as Google Trends and Buzzsumo can help you pinpoint what topics are increasing in popularity over time, instead of decreasing. In addition, websites such as ahrefs Keywords Explorer can help you find keywords that are relevant to your website and also have consistent search traffic. If there is not an audience for a particular keyword, it might not be worth spending the time writing an article about it.
Finally, whichever topic you decide to write an article on, it is essential to keep quality, uniqueness, and authority in mind when writing it. No matter what type of content you choose to write, it is important to always keep SEO and content writing best practices as your top priority. While you may have found the perfect topic for an article, you also need to make sure you have the proper execution when writing about it.
Does your blog need more evergreen content?
The answer is most likely yes. A long term SEO strategy is crucial in ensuring the success of your website, and evergreen content should be an essential component to yours. With a little bit of research, you can start writing content that will bring you more sustained organic search traffic and require you less work in the long run. What more could you ask for!