Your old blog posts aren't finished. A post that ranked last year can slip quietly, and a good update often brings it back faster than writing something new.
Why old posts lose traffic
Facts go out of date, competitors publish better answers, and what people search for changes. Pages can even drop out of Google: in IndexCheckr's study of more than 300,000 indexed pages, about 1 in 5 were later removed from the index.
Updating a good post is often quicker than writing a new one, and it keeps the links and history it already has.
Which posts to update first
- Posts that used to get traffic and are slipping. Compare the last three months with the same months last year in Search Console or Google Analytics.
- Posts with old facts: prices, rules, dates or screenshots that have changed.
- Posts that nearly rank: pages appearing for useful searches but rarely clicked.
What to change
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Fix out-of-date facts, prices and examples | Change only the date |
| Answer the main question in the first paragraph | Pad it out to hit a word count |
| Add a section for what your customers now search for | Stuff in keywords that don't fit |
| Add links to your newer related posts | Change the URL |
| Show a "Last updated" date | Delete the original publish date |
Google's guidance on helpful, people-first content is blunt about shortcuts: it lists changing dates without substantially changing the content as a warning sign, and says adding content just to make a site seem fresh won't help.
Change the content, not just the date.
After you update it
- Show the new "Last updated" date, and make sure it matches the date in the page's structured data. Google says the visible and structured dates should match.
- Request indexing once in Search Console.
- Share it again with your email list and on social media. As with the best time to post a blog, people are the first readers; Google follows.
How SoudCoh helps
Good SEO services keep a refresh list for every site: which posts to refresh, what to add and what to leave alone. If you're looking for the best marketing agency for your business, book a free marketing audit.
Common questions about updating old posts
Should I change the date when I update a post?
Only if you've substantially changed it. Google lists changing dates without substantially changing the content as a warning sign. Show it as "Last updated", and keep the original publish date.
Should I change the URL of an updated post?
No. Keep the same address so the links and history it has built stay with it.
How often should I update old posts?
Check your most-visited posts every few months, and update any post as soon as a price, rule or fact in it changes.
Questions and answers
Is it better to update an old post or write a new one?
Update it if the topic is the same. A new post on the same topic competes with the old one; an updated post keeps its links and history.
Should I delete old posts that get no traffic?
Not automatically. Update them if the topic still matters to customers; redirect them to a better page if it's covered elsewhere.