You’ve probably heard of evergreen content before. It’s the kind of content that always stays relevant, making it highly indexable by search engines and endlessly appealing to readers. In short, it’s a content marketer’s dream come true.
Evergreen content is considered the holy grail of content creation because its sustained web popularity continues to provide business value long after it’s been published. A lot has been written about evergreen content – why evergreen content is a must-have, how to start creating evergreen content, and which types of content are considered evergreen.
But with the evergreen craze in full effect, most businesses don’t stop and ask themselves whether their content should be evergreen.
Are there times when content shouldn’t stand the test of time? Is a strong viral surge more lucrative than continued interest? Can content with a limited shelf-life demonstrate more authority or strengthen brand positioning better?
Evergreen content is considered the holy grail of content creation because its sustained web popularity continues to provide business value long after it’s been published. A lot has been written about evergreen content – why evergreen content is a must-have, how to start creating evergreen content, and which types of content are considered evergreen.
But with the evergreen craze in full effect, most businesses don’t stop and ask themselves whether their content should be evergreen.
Are there times when content shouldn’t stand the test of time? Is a strong viral surge more lucrative than continued interest? Can content with a limited shelf-life demonstrate more authority or strengthen brand positioning better?
Perishable Content Explained
Content with a short shelf-life, or “perishable content,” is firmly anchored in the now. Unlike evergreen content that continues to be timely, perishable content becomes quickly outdated.
The most common types of perishable content are based around current events, product releases, news headlines, or recent research findings. Perishable content is typically data-driven and covers a topic in great depth. It’s primarily concerned with what’s new to educate and inform consumers in a news-like capacity, which is what makes it so appealing to readers. Perishable content like timely workarounds, rankings, comparisons, and trends can quickly go viral, bringing in a flood of readers.
Creating a steady stream of perishable content is time-consuming and difficult, which is why many organizations learn toward evergreen content. However, with enough resources, pursuing a perishable content strategy can establish industry thought leadership, strengthening brand perception and providing a competitive advantage.
All About Evergreen Content
Evergreen content remains relevant over time by focusing on ongoing best practices, offering broader advice, and compiling topical guides for different experience levels. This content provides the kind of support that consumers will always need to get educated and inform subsequent purchase decisions.
Evergreen content provides undeniable value because the time investment required to create it continues to pay dividends steadily over time. This sustained payoff makes it ideal for smaller organizations or solopreneurs. However, an evergreen content strategy should not be a “set it and forget it” type of approach either. Evergreen content still requires periodic promotion and updating.
Finding Balance
A balanced content strategy is both timely and timeless.
Winning content strategies cannot be focused solely on perishable content or evergreen content. The best content strategies have a balance between both – leaning on perishable content when appropriate and using evergreen content to fill in the gaps. Creating multiple types of content establishes a company as an industry thought leader and go-to source for time-sensitive information. The result is a more engaged readership and a sustained pipeline of leads.
Going (Ever)Green
Evergreen content does not have to be intimidating. Companies of all sizes can generate evergreen content from scratch or synthesize it from existing content.
Where possible, update old content to make it more universal and expend its lifespan. Then, deprioritize perishable content once it has “expired” to make room for these timeless resources.
When creating new content, use evergreen keywords to give it the best chance of remaining popular over time. Use a keyword tool to find keyword terms with sustained search volume and compare them to previous pieces of evergreen content to find your most promising keyword ranking opportunities. Continue to publish articles that utilize these keywords in order to build an informational library for readers. Establishing authority will provide a boost in rankings and help to retain readers.
Once evergreen content has been generated, promote it occasionally to keep it popular. Do not leave its ongoing popularity strictly in the hands of the search engines. Rely on social media platforms, newsletters, and other channels to keep readers interested.
Need help writing evergreen content? Contact us today! We’d love to develop a content strategy for you to fulfill your online marketing needs and generate the ongoing content needed to sustain it.
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Business Blogging and Web Copywriting. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and two children and enjoys cooking, watching sports, and spending time together as a family. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about current marketing trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
Content with a short shelf-life, or “perishable content,” is firmly anchored in the now. Unlike evergreen content that continues to be timely, perishable content becomes quickly outdated.
The most common types of perishable content are based around current events, product releases, news headlines, or recent research findings. Perishable content is typically data-driven and covers a topic in great depth. It’s primarily concerned with what’s new to educate and inform consumers in a news-like capacity, which is what makes it so appealing to readers. Perishable content like timely workarounds, rankings, comparisons, and trends can quickly go viral, bringing in a flood of readers.
Creating a steady stream of perishable content is time-consuming and difficult, which is why many organizations learn toward evergreen content. However, with enough resources, pursuing a perishable content strategy can establish industry thought leadership, strengthening brand perception and providing a competitive advantage.
All About Evergreen Content
Evergreen content remains relevant over time by focusing on ongoing best practices, offering broader advice, and compiling topical guides for different experience levels. This content provides the kind of support that consumers will always need to get educated and inform subsequent purchase decisions.
Evergreen content provides undeniable value because the time investment required to create it continues to pay dividends steadily over time. This sustained payoff makes it ideal for smaller organizations or solopreneurs. However, an evergreen content strategy should not be a “set it and forget it” type of approach either. Evergreen content still requires periodic promotion and updating.
Finding Balance
A balanced content strategy is both timely and timeless.
Winning content strategies cannot be focused solely on perishable content or evergreen content. The best content strategies have a balance between both – leaning on perishable content when appropriate and using evergreen content to fill in the gaps. Creating multiple types of content establishes a company as an industry thought leader and go-to source for time-sensitive information. The result is a more engaged readership and a sustained pipeline of leads.
Going (Ever)Green
Evergreen content does not have to be intimidating. Companies of all sizes can generate evergreen content from scratch or synthesize it from existing content.
Where possible, update old content to make it more universal and expend its lifespan. Then, deprioritize perishable content once it has “expired” to make room for these timeless resources.
When creating new content, use evergreen keywords to give it the best chance of remaining popular over time. Use a keyword tool to find keyword terms with sustained search volume and compare them to previous pieces of evergreen content to find your most promising keyword ranking opportunities. Continue to publish articles that utilize these keywords in order to build an informational library for readers. Establishing authority will provide a boost in rankings and help to retain readers.
Once evergreen content has been generated, promote it occasionally to keep it popular. Do not leave its ongoing popularity strictly in the hands of the search engines. Rely on social media platforms, newsletters, and other channels to keep readers interested.
Need help writing evergreen content? Contact us today! We’d love to develop a content strategy for you to fulfill your online marketing needs and generate the ongoing content needed to sustain it.
Kate Pierce is the owner of LionShark Digital Marketing LLC, a West Michigan internet marketing company. Her areas of expertise include Paid Search, Search Engine Optimization, Business Blogging and Web Copywriting. She lives in the Grand Rapids area with her husband and two children and enjoys cooking, watching sports, and spending time together as a family. Like a true digital marketing expert (i.e. geek), she loves talking about current marketing trends… so don’t say you weren’t warned!
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