You’re putting tons of energy into your business blog, right? If not, it’s time to get started.
The benefits of blogging are numerous. When it comes to ranking for keywords, engaging with your audience and humanizing your business, nothing comes close to blogging. It’s the ultimate business marketing tool.
So what is the big concern about blogging? The chronological nature of blogs keeps them full of new and trending topics. This is one of the many reasons people find blogs appealing and interesting to read. But mixing in content that is sustainable or “evergreen” is critical to the lifespan of a blog.
Here’s why you need evergreen content on your blog:
Everything that is published on the internet stays on the internet. There’s a good chance that someone might find a blog post several years after it’s been published. If it’s evergreen or still relevant, it will retain its value with your readers. On the other hand, if it covers a trendy topic, it might be viewed as stale. Blog posts that reference statistics, technology, or recent news events have very short lifespans.
The older content gets, the more valuable it becomes. Older content typically ranks higher over time. Here’s an example of what comes up when I search for ‘how to grow a business on Google:
The fourth search result was written in 2007. You’ll see that an article dated 2010 was the third search result.
And here’s what comes up when I search ‘how to write a book’:
Both articles are great examples of evergreen content. Pretty cool, right?
Here are six easy ways how to write evergreen content for your blog:
- Write about principles rather than trends. Trends are great to write about, but what topics have lasting value for your readers? What principles do you run your business by or with?
- Create tutorial or how-to content. Blog posts that share a how-to or are a tutorial in nature make great evergreen content, so long as they don’t involve technology. If you do decide to write how-to’s on technology, be sure to read my final tip.
- Share aspects of your life or philosophies. These kinds of posts not only humanize your business, they remain relevant. What did learn from college, marriage, or having children? What is your philosophy about business ownership, customer care or growth?
- Write historical posts. History is always relevant. For example, a blog post about the history of honey agriculture is more sustainable than a current obsession with bee-keeping. Obsessions and trends might change over time, but historical posts will always remain relevant.
- Book or product review. These kinds of blog posts always remain popular and never get old. Do you have a favorite book that changed your perspective on life or work? Even if you read it several years ago, your commentary is relevant.
- Review your content periodically. Along with an editorial calendar, keep a spreadsheet that lists all your blog post topics. Note which posts may need an update or a slight re-write. Review the spreadsheet monthly and make updates as necessary. Updating older content is a bit more work, but it’s totally worth it, and it’s a great way to keep your content relevant.