I’ve loved blogging ever since I discovered this world. I love reading blogs, I love writing blogs, I love sharing blogs – I love it all! It a fun and fast paced world. Each new post pushes your old posts further back It is like a newspaper that is sent out all the time – story after story! We are always pushing out new content but what about the old content? Too bad, so sad, lost in the internet world forever – unless, you revive it!
Bringing back old content may seem overwhelming, especially if you have been blogging for years. Not every old post in worth the repeat (believe me, I have my share of “why did I ever post that?!” posts!) but there are some gems out there that deserve some new life and new traction. You can make that old content work for you – here are some tips to start that process.
EDIT OLD POSTS
I’m talking photos, graphics, formatting, and content. I know I am not the only one who has grown and changed in their post and photography style. Some of the photos I originally posted and the graphics I attempted to create do not make the cut anymore. They are either not my work, not my current style, and/or not something I want a new reader to think my posts always look like. Make a goal to get a couple posts edited and updated a week (or more if you can!) Use Canva and create a new graphic (optimized for Pinterest) that best represents the post and read through your original writing. Feel free to edit out anything that may date the post or you no longer want to say. There is nothing wrong with rewriting a couple sentences or reformating a post into the way you do it now. It is fun to be able to look back on how you have changed but it is also important to create content that will benefit your readers. Be discerning but also give yourself freedom to make updates!
TIP: Start with some of your most popular posts – the ones with higher traffic or multiple repins on Pinterest. Those are the ones that people are finding you through so make sure they are saying what you want them to say!
RELATED: Creating Quality Content
ORGANIZE
Go back (way back) and look at 5-10 posts and make sure they have the correct labels to be archived and filed where you would like them. Maybe your first recipe posts you labeled “I like to Eat” but now you call them “Food & Drink.” Go ahead and delete the old tag and label it with the new one. That way if a new reader finds one of your Ice Cream Recipes on Pinterest they can click over to your “Food & Drink” label and see all your recipe posts (even those old ones!) Over the last 4+ years of blogging I have changed labels, themes, and directions multiple times. When I first started, I didn’t even label! It is worth it to comb through those old posts a little bit at a time and make sure they are organized.
LINK BACK
While you are editing and organizing those old posts, think about any other posts you may have written that can add to the post. Maybe you initially only had one post on marriage when you posted posts that will be helpful and encouraging to your readers. This keeps them engaged and clicking on more of your posts.
Also make sure to do this when you are writing your new posts! Think back to that old (maybe lost) content and link to it in your new post. Then when your readers see your new post, they can also find that old one!
SHARE IT
Time to hit up the social media. That post you just edited, added links, and made sure the labels were in order? Share it! I love to use Coscheudle to schedule posts this way because if you have WordPress you can schedule it right in the post you are editing. It is like killing two birds with one stone (which is a terribly sad analogy 🙁 ) I can schedule posts as far out as I would like so I can get a bunch lined up and let it shoot them out. Don’t forget about Pinterest as well – pin that updated photo and let Pinterest take care of the rest.
Related: Social Media Musts For a Growing Blog
DELETE IT
Finally, sometimes it is okay to delete old content or completely rework a post. I was afraid for a long time to do anything this drastic. When I started blogging it was an online journal that literally no one read. I posted random quotes, pictures that were not mine (without any kind of credit), and sometimes just had a little “my life is so hard” word vomit session. My blog has grown leaps and bounds since those days and some of those original posts do not need to be here anymore. Don’t worry, I still have left quite a few posts that I am embarrassed about but that is to show how I’ve grown and they still belong in this space. There are sometimes posts that have no room on your blog anymore – just delete them! If you need to clean up a bit but are afraid of deleting forever, just revert them to drafts so you still have them but they are not coming up in search results for you blog.
Do you ever go back and look at old blog posts? How do you keep them alive? Have you ever cleaned up, deleted, and reorganized old blog content? I would love to hear from you! Let me know if you have any questions about blogging/business/ whatever , you’re probably not the only one and I would love to answer it as part of my Blog Tips Series.
Photo by: Stellar Propeller Studios
yeah. I have this weird fear of deleting old ones because I don't want to feel like I am embarrassed of my past. but honestly, there are some old inspiration posts and guest posts and random youtube songs that really don't need to be there any more. and I'm finally okay with cleaning up a bit 😉
yes! so worth it!
Totally agree with this! Great tips, thanks for sharing! Love your blog, by the way! ~Ashlee Mae | http://www.sparklesbyashlee.com
I was told deleting old posts can cause problems especially if they are linked externally. They may not have value to you now but if they were linked to another site or social media (especially pinterest) it’s important to redirect to another link. Can you provide insight on what actually happens when old blog posts are deleted because that could be dangerous advice if it was popular externally.
Alison!
Great question! Yes, you don’t want to end up with a bunch of broken links so don’t go deleting everything but I think it all depends on your goals. Like if you have some old posts that have nothing to do with what you blog about anymore and you don’t really want anyone finding it – delete it! I had a lot of old boring posts or just way too random. Most were not pinned to pinterest (in fact, most didn’t even have images! haha) But I know other people (like Mel or the Nectar Collective) deleted some of her popular posts just because they were no longer related to her blog at all. She chose to lose some traffic to gain a more cohesive blog and grab traffic that actually liked the new content she was posting (not the old content) – if any of that makes sense! It just depends on your goals and what matters most to you. I’ve kept a large majority of my posts but I don’t need everyone that I have posted over the last 6 years! Does that kind of answer your question?
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