Content that is considered “evergreen” is material that has potential to stay relevant for years to come. Things like case studies, historical references and personal success stories are considered evergreen.
This is because the content is based on information that may never change or is unlikely to be modified at a later date.
Developing evergreen content is the most ideal method if you want to generate traffic from a single post over a very long period of time. In fact, it’s not uncommon for evergreen content to be in top search results from nearly 10 years ago.
What Kind of Impact Does Evergreen Content Make?
When you write a post, will it be relevant in a couple of years? That is the question you should ask yourself any time you plan on developing content.
Giving your articles longevity can play a prominent role in the success of your website over time. This means a quality, evergreen piece written today will still be able to drive traffic several years from now.
Constant Traffic
Evergreen content has potential to boost the results of your website by 283%! This is because the information for the search criteria is still relevant. As long as the piece has been properly constructed using ideal keywords and phrases, it could rank high in search engines indefinitely.
In reality, 92% of the leads for organizations like HubSpot come from content older than one year.
Sharing on Social Media
Studies show that evergreen content receives more shares on social media than those of immediate news articles. In fact, it’s quite common to see posts revisited by others several years later based purely on the content.
Sharing on social media directly contributes to the brand’s awareness and trust. About 29% of consumers use social platforms to research a product before making a purchase. This is also an important aspect to consider since social media is the most utilized aspect of the Internet.
This is why many brands will reuse older blog posts and articles in today’s social content. If it’s evergreen, the information is as relevant today as it was when the article was written.
Industry Authority
Evergreen content has been found to help boost industry authority for businesses. It’s one of the most efficient SEO techniques for establishing knowledge and trust.
As timeless content remains effective year after year, creating authoritative content can boost the reputation of the brand for a prolonged period of time. And the less likely the information is to change, the more authoritative your site becomes.
It’s all about providing solid information and making visitors feel they learned something before leaving your website.
Search Engine Optimization
According to experts in SEO techniques, evergreen content is one of the most efficient and easiest ways for small businesses to get more exposure on the Internet.
Search engines often reward organizations that have relevant and timeless materials published on their sites by ranking them higher in result pages. This means that even the smallest of businesses can compete against larger companies for top positions.
Higher Levels of Traffic
Because of the nature of evergreen content, these webpages often experience greater levels of traffic. This is partly due to the fact that evergreen material usually ranks higher in search results.
A post can continue to drive large numbers of visitors long after it was published. In some instances, a post written more than a year ago will simply explode in terms of visitors suddenly and without warning.
However, this is often due to changes in search engine algorithms.
For example, I saw a blog post go from an average of two visitors per day to close to 50 more than two years after is was published on a small business website.
SEO Techniques for Writing Evergreen Content
It’s possible to write timeless material regardless of your industry. While some topics may need to be researched in-depth, there are still many ways that any business can develop evergreen content.
It’s all about delivering quality information that anyone can find useful in the future.
How To Guides and Tutorials
Guides and tutorials are among some of the most affluent pieces on the Internet. This is especially true if you create these instructional pieces to surround products and services that will be relevant two or three years from now.
For instance, “How to Cook a Pizza in a Dutch Oven” is an example of an evergreen tutorial since the pizza and the oven will always stay the same. If it’s well-written, tutorials can easily gain momentum over time.
This is especially true if you take the time to update them as needed.
Product and Service Reviews
Reviews about any given product or service related to your niche could be monumental in driving continued traffic. Since the majority of consumers online will research a company, these types of content can quickly draw traffic if properly constructed.
If you could include personal experience within the material, this could compound the effect the post will have on visitors.
Lists
Lists are one of the most used methods for developing content online. Virtually every successful website on the Internet has some kind of a list to engage visitors. However, not all lists are timeless.
It’s how these are structured that will dictate whether they will be relevant in the future or not. For instance, “7 Ways to Eat Bacon” or “23 Ways to Sharpen a Pencil” pique the interest of the individual while providing valuable information he or she may need over the next few years.
But something like “7 Reasons to Vote for So-and-So” will be outdated relatively quick.
Historical References
History is one of those components that will remain evergreen the longest. Until something has been revealed to discredit facts, historical content has potential to last for decades on end.
However, many find it a good practice to keep apprised of any changes within their industry. A headline such as “Cable Internet: The Fastest Way to Access Websites” would surely fail to be evergreen by today’s standards.
Tips and Best Practices Pieces
Tips, tricks, life hacks and more are a common rage on the Internet. These pieces are often quite informative while offering evergreen materials that could remain relevant for several years. An example of this would be, “18 Tips for Keeping Your Computer Clean.”
On the other hand, an article such as “15 of the Best Practices for Using WordPress” may need revisions as software often changes during upgrades.
Keep an eye on things that will affect the meat of your content.
Stats and Data Relevant to Your Niche
Statistical information and data have potential to be evergreen. However, they can also be related to current events. For instance, writing a post titled, “20 Best SEO Tips” could become irrelevant in a couple of years.
Can you imagine a “best SEO practice” article from 2002? The information would be completely wrong according to today’s practices. Always make sure that your stats are verifiable, trustworthy and have staying power in fact.
Case Studies
Case studies are some of the most effective types of evergreen content on the Internet. These rely on pure facts through discovery.
Case studies, when conducted correctly, provide hard facts for the reader. They are often develop to prove or disprove a certain aspect. Readers can then absorb the information and come to their own conclusions about personal experience.
For example, you could write a case study about how many calories you can burn playing video games and how it relates to health. As long as your data is sound and presented well, the case study can last the test of time.
What Isn’t Considered Evergreen Content?
Although evergreen content can keep visitors engaged for a very long time, it doesn’t mean that it should be the only thing you deliver. Perhaps you want to include other pieces that are relevant to the here-and-now.
As long as you balance the material, your website can still be successful. What are some topics that are not evergreen but can still help drive immediate traffic?
- Dated Materials: “Top Phone Companies of 2012”
- Specific Events: “The Largest Turnout Ever at the Antiques Roadshow”
- Breaking News Pieces: “Facebook Offers IPO of Its Stock”
Use Evergreen Content to Drive Traffic
Evergreen content isn’t all that difficult to develop. Although there will be a greater need to research facts when writing these kinds of pieces, the resulting traffic is worth the effort.
Make sure your website keeps generating traffic for years to come from the posts you publish today. It may contribute to continued sales and leads from visitors.
I think this is a great idea to stay relevant for a long time.