Blogs thrive on new content.
Readers want timely updates to stay abreast of the latest news.
But bloggers need to refresh old content to remain relevant.
Content published last year may not be accurate now. Tactics change. Websites shut down. Links die with each deleted post and terminated website.
Which strategy should take precedence?
Should you publish new blog posts or update old posts?
Do you need to choose?
You and I live in abundance. Choose both strategies. Never limit yourself or your blog.
Now you can only choose to do one thing. But later you can choose to do something different. Now you can write and publish a new blog post. Later you can update and re-publish an old post. Why not enjoy the best of both blogging worlds?
Which is the smart choice for you right now? Which is the better strategy for bloggers? Do both. Choose both. Do one of ’em now. Do the other thing later. Benefit from following a well-rounded blogging strategy. Nobody holds a cyber gun to your head guys. Do both but at different times.
For whatever reason, bloggers subscribe to a “one or the other theory.” The mental block dissolves the moment you choose to follow both tactics.
Leave your scarcity mindset behind. Never be intimidated by your blogging workload. Stretch out timelines. Do what it takes to maximize organic blog traffic.
Publish new content. Update old content. Make everything count on your blog. Whip all posts into tip top shape.
Capitalize on a Thorough Strategy
Enjoy the benefits of driving organic traffic through new content and old, refreshed content. Google loves updated content. But updated content was once a new blog post. Every new post that you refuse to write robs you of the opportunity to update and re-publish an old post down the road. From my perspective, this leaves a heavy volume of Google traffic on the table. Write the new post. You will regret being short sighted down the road.
Updating old content is important. Never bury your blogging head in the sand by churning out new content while neglecting old content. Updated blog posts are similar to aged cheese or a fine wine. Google loves the aged permalink. Now prove the post once again by stripping dated content and links. Replace with relevant content and links.
Readers Want Relevant Content
Readers desire the latest tips to solve niche specific problems.
Publishing new content keeps readers current. Updating old content keeps readers current. Following both strategies makes Google happy too. Updated content tends to rank well. New content honors the news-like nature of blogging.
The world wants a well-rounded approach. Make all content relevant. Run a tight blogging ship. Publish new content to cover the latest developments in your blogging niche.
Cover Current Strategies
I updated a blog post from 2023 recently. AI citations have become an important ranking factor since then. I fired up my blog to publish a few new posts to cover the timely topic.
Imagine if I spent months updating old blog posts without covering the importance of getting cited by AI? I’d be doing my readers a disservice.
Nailing down AI citations is a big thing now. Covering the topic thoroughly is critical to help you drive page 1 traffic from Google.
Dozens of new developments arise in the blogging tips niche each month. I publish new blog posts consistently to relay news to bloggers who follow me closely. Sometimes I publish posts daily if the hits keep on coming. Other times I publish weekly posts if the news seems quiet.
Keep your ear to the cyber street.
Publish new blog posts to develop strong topical authority.
Blogging is not a race yet the quick stick around while the dead disappear just as quickly.
Either you keep readers current or disappear in irrelevance.
Dead Links Galore
Imagine if I only published new blog posts without updating old content? My old posts would become either irrelevant or littered with dead links. Readers – and Google – judge a blog as a full body of work.
Life always changes. Old strategies become irrelevant. Dead links surface as bloggers delete inaccurate content.
Update old posts. Keep your blog in tip top shape.
Beware Prioritizing
New bloggers do not need to worry about updating old content because everything is new.
Established bloggers err in prioritizing one strategy over the other for the long term. Choosing one not the other leaves traffic on the table. Never mind your blog becoming irrelevant as a negative side effect.
Prioritizing new content makes old posts dated. Prioritizing old posts means missing the boat on new content. Blogging From Paradise readers need fresh content across the board whether I publish new posts or update old posts.
Follow a Practical Strategy
Publish one new blog post weekly.
Update one old blog post every day for a few months, depending on your blog post volume.
Follow this strategy consistently. Cover new topics. Refresh old content to give readers accurate information.
Republish updated posts if you replaced a majority of content. Delete old posts that you cannot salvage. I trash topical content that no longer serves its purpose for our readers.
Conclusion
Open your blogging mind.
Publish new blog posts to offer readers the latest important niche developments.
Update old blog posts to replace dated content with relevant guidance.
Drive organic traffic with an abundant blogging approach.
Ryan Biddulph is the owner and creator of Blogging From Paradise Dot Com.