How time-based and timeless content complement each other
Writing good copy takes time. Especially if you want to put serious ‘SEO energy’ into the right texts for online use. Texts that Google knows to appreciate. Therefore, always make a content plan. With it you have the essential preparation, everything well thought out and you can better plan and monitor. And in that content plan, make a distinction between content that is intended for the short term (time-bound) and content for the long term (timeless).
Time-based content
Examples of time-bound content are updates, monthly trivia or industry figures that you can share. Google loves content that is “currently” relevant. Call it “industry figures March 2021” or “December 2020 update”. For Google, these are signals that you are giving off to show that you are constantly sharing the latest news (thus underlining your authority). Before you know it, you’ve published a year’s worth of industry figures in a row. A series of monthly content that you can bundle into one interesting annual review. In this way, you reuse relevant content very efficiently. And if every month is just too time-consuming, switch to quarters.
Timeless content
For the long haul, however, you need timeless content. Visions, thoughts, views that have not blossomed after a few months. Content that you build on step by step. The message you stand for becomes more solid the more you write about it. So that content may well be a little longer. So long, in fact, that you can publish parts of it separately. Then it is well thought out and you have exposure not once but several times. You break down your story into smaller pieces that together tell the big picture. In this way, you take your readers with you and, when the series of content is finished, you can do a publication of the big picture. The advantage of timeless content is that you can update it. Again and again.
“Apply old examples to recent developments.
Look back and tell forward. Then you always stay current.”
Then and Now
Modifying and republishing existing content – an old white paper, for example – Google sees as new content. As long as you adjust enough. Don’t go around telling a story twice with minimal modifications. Google can’t appreciate that (and your loyal readers probably can’t either). What you can do, though? Take an old white paper you have on the shelf. How can the theory of then be applied to the market situation of today? Apply the examples you had named then to recent developments. Refresh your argument with current insights. Also, are there any keywords that you rank well for now and didn’t back then? Then be sure to incorporate them. Look back and tell forward. That always keeps you up-to-date.
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