Content on the Web usually “lives” very shortly. This is not only about social media and formats such as Stories, which were designed to disappear after several hours, but also about “traditionally” content posted on websites.
It is true that articles or films on a given topic remain on the servers and usually, even many years after the original publication, they are still available, but the harsh truth is that very often they simply do not interest any recipient anymore. Their online use-by date has passed – such is the fate of the vast majority of news, reviews, sports reports, political commentaries and materials from hundreds of other categories. The Internet generates enormous amounts of information that we simply do not need – even those that recipients consider up-to-date and valuable at a given moment, in the vast majority of cases, will soon lose their recipients’ attention. The circle of digital life in all its glory.
There are, however, individual pieces of the Web that enjoy unflagging interest. Such content is called evergreen, in keeping with its name being evergreen and flourishing recognition, and hence – also organic traffic to the site. A post, website or movie called evergreen content generate visits all the time. There is no trick to it, although of course such an article must be created in accordance with good SEO practices and full of properly selected keywords. The most important thing, however, is that its content does not expire, while remaining up-to-date despite the passage of time.
In the case of portals on pop culture, evergreen articles will be, for example, journalistic materials about timeless book or film classics, which are considered a canon in a given field. However, in the tech industry, for example, things are a little more complicated. Both software and hardware change so dynamically that such texts very quickly become obsolete. An article about the best programs for a given task one year after publication may be simply based on outdated data, ergo useless for the user. From the website administrator’s perspective, a guide to a specific version of a given application loses its potential when customers migrate to the updated edition of the program.
Please note that seasonal content is not classified as evergreen content. The Google Trends chart for the phrase “presidential election” shows a huge increase in interest every 4 years, but in the periods between the elections, few users search for material on this topic. A similar situation occurs with other cyclical events – the football world championship, the Nobel Prize Gala, Golden Globe Awards or death anniversaries of famous people.
Evergreen content – examples
– Diet items – what to eat to lose weight, how to gain weight, etc .;
– Recipes for popular dishes – from scrambled eggs, to chili con carne, to preparing lobster;
– Training articles – sets of exercises for a specific audience and for a specific purpose;
– Dictionary content – definitions and translations of words or phrases;
– Various types of guides – e.g. gardening, renovation, computer;
– User manuals for specific tools.
Of course, this is only the tip – an article can be called an evergreen when its topicality (and thus the potential interest of the recipients) does not pass with time. It does not mean, however, that once written text should not be updated. While the assumption of evergreen is long, eternal topicality in mind, expanding the content with new data will always be desirable – both by recipients and by indexing robots. However, a well-written evergreen text does not require frequent completion, saving you time.
For this reason, evergreen content articles cannot define, for example, the vast majority of purchase guides with product proposals. Of course, guides “what to buy – [month, year]” can also generate valuable traffic and increase conversion in a given e-store, but it certainly contradicts the idea of evergreen.
Apart from several industries, current trends and store supplies are changing so dynamically that such texts have to be updated very often – even every few weeks.
How to write an evergreen article?
The main source of traffic for this type of content is organic traffic from search engines. In online marketing, intuition is very important, but it loses to something much more powerful – data analysis.
A. Keywords
The selection of appropriate keywords that will be placed in the text will be a priority, making it easier for users to find the article. So you have to answer the question: what phrases do people who are looking for content on a given topic enter into the search engine? If the topic has already been raised on competing websites – let’s not hide it, it probably is – you can analyze the content and structure of the text using various tools, and use the collected data to build your own project. Tools such as Google Trends, as well as Ahrefs, Senuto and Semstorm will be useful for this.
B. Adapt the text in line with good SEO practices
The article must be filled with valuable keywords, but in addition to the content, the form is also important. In order for it to fulfill its role, i.e. not only generating traffic, but not causing the reader to immediately turn off the card and turn to other sources of knowledge, it should be presented in an attractive structure. It consists of the entire visuals – text layout, division into paragraphs, used graphics, font and its color and many other factors.
C. Linking
Even the best-written and presented text will not make it to the top of the search results if it is not linked to it from various sides – especially in a competitive industry, where many other players are waiting for high positions. If the article is indeed very valuable from the user’s perspective, many links will naturally appear, harnessing the social power of the internet. Usually, however, even this is not enough to lift a subpage where it should be – at the very top. For this reason, it is worth using the help of professional positioners with experience, resources and skills in link building.
D. Copywriting and sales decency
When writing articles that are evergreen content in mind, it is easy to overdo it and turn to clickbait to encourage users to read even more. Sure, the main assumption of blog articles is most often, in addition to collecting traffic, encouraging – directly or indirectly – recipients to buy products, use the services of a given company or build brand prestige. However, evergreen’s article must carry not only sales, but also substantive value.
E. Protection against obsolescence
It is worth avoiding references to current events – although a country or the world is commenting on a matter, sensation or behavior at a given moment, in a few months the public’s attention will completely change its direction. References to a currently popular series or a political dispute are very catchy and often the most justified in terms of marketing, but in the long run they harm rather than help. It is hard to find a greater signal that the text was written a long time ago than an outdated joke or a saying that was only popular in its time.
