If you’ve been creating quality content for some time now, you might have come to a point where you’re wondering if there’s a way to rinse and repeat some of your best-performing pieces. Thankfully, there is – and it’s called republishing.
Republishing content simply means taking an old piece of content, polishing it up, and publishing it anew. This tactic can help you extend the lifespan of your content, reach new audiences, and improve your site’s overall search engine optimization (SEO) efforts. Here’s a complete guide on how to do it:
1. Identify the Right Content to Republish
The first step to republishing content for SEO success is to identify which pieces are worth the effort. But how do you know if something is worth republishing? Here are a few key indicators:
– Evergreen content: If a blog post or article still contains valuable information and insights, it’s likely worth republishing. Evergreen content doesn’t go out of date, and it can still resonate with audiences even if it was initially published years ago.
– High-performing content: Analyze your website’s analytics to see which pieces of content have been most popular with your audience. These often make great candidates for republishing.
– Outdated content: If you’ve been in the content creation game for a while, you might have some old pieces of content that are no longer relevant. However, with some fresh updates and edits, they could be brought back to life.
2. Refresh and Update Your Content
Once you’ve identified which piece(s) to republish, it’s essential to give it a good refresh. This includes:
– Updating information: Make sure any stats, data points, and information in the post are accurate and up-to-date. If anything is now incorrect, replace it with the latest information.
– Refreshing images: If the piece includes images, make sure they’re still relevant and visually appealing. Replace any outdated and low-quality images with fresh, high-quality ones.
– Adding new insights: You can sprinkle in some new thoughts or insights that you have since the content was initially published. This will help make it fresh and relevant to readers.
3. Change the Title and Meta-Description
To signal to search engines that this is a new piece of content and to encourage visitors to click, you’ll want to update the title and meta-description. Having a compelling title and meta-description can help your piece stand out in search results and increase click-through rates.
4. Choose the Right Republishing Platform
After you’ve done all the heavy lifting, it’s time to decide where to republish the content. Here are a few options:
– Your own website: Restart the page’s “publish date” to give it a new life on your site.
– Medium: Medium is a popular platform for republishing content. The platform is known for high-quality articles and also allows you to reach a new audience.
– Industry publications: If your piece is relevant to your industry, there might be industry publications that are open to republishing it. This will allow you to tap into other audiences that might be interested in what you have to say.
5. Promote Your Republished Content
Now that the republished content is live, it’s time to promote it. This can include:
– Emailing your subscribers: Let your subscribers know about the republished piece of content.
– Social media: Share the piece across your social media channels, and encourage your followers to engage with it.
– Your website: Promote the piece on your homepage or across other pages of your site.
Conclusion
Republishing content can help breathe new life into old pieces, drive traffic, and improve your SEO efforts. By identifying the right piece of content, refreshing it, changing the title, and sharing it on the right platforms, you can extend the lifespan of your content and grow your audience.