Keeping Your Content Fresh

This blog post was written by Bobby Gaglini, who works on the external marketing team at Vistaprint, and specializes in search marketing.

Frequently updating your website with new, interesting content is one of the best things you can possibly do for your business, and your website. Why? For starters, it shows both potential and existing customers that you’re enthusiastic about your work, and it also proves to search engines that you’re working hard to give  customers good content. Because of this, sites like Google and Bing are likely to rank you higher for certain search terms.

Imagine content this way: You open a restaurant serving three mouthwatering entrées. For the first few weeks, people love those dishes, but after a little while, some of your customers grow restless…they want something different. So, you add a few spices to the old dishes, and create entirely new ones. Your customers are ecstatic. Sure, there are a few people who like the original dishes, but the majority want something a little different. The same goes for your content. Keeping your old content (or spicing it up with changes) while adding completely new content will keep both your customers, and the search engines satisfied.

Here are five tips to help you keep your website’s content fresh:

1. Know What “Content” Means: Often times, the word “content” is thrown around without much context to it. In general terms, when it comes to your site, anything read, looked at, shared, etc. by a visitor is considered content. No matter how big or small your piece of content is, be it a short quote, or a longer video with captions, it can be invaluable for your website’s rankings — and customers’ impressions of your business.
2. On-Site Blogging: Much like “content,” you can turn blogging into almost anything you want. It can be a 1,000 word article or a simple photo with a caption. Any time you have a thought, a piece of information regarding your company, or just something generally awesome that relates to your business, get into the habit of posting it on your blog and encouraging customers comment on it.
3. User Generated Content (UGC): Sometimes the best way to add content to your site is to do, well, almost nothing at all! Writing a thought-provoking or unique blog post can have your customers replying and engaging in conversation with you and one another. Apart from blog comments, think about adding customer testimonials to your home page or product page…it’s a great way to get terrific marketing content, straight from your customers.
4. A Picture Says 1,000 Words: If your business is visual, or involves something you think people would enjoy viewing, post it to your site. Whether you place the photo in the blog section or right on your home page, pictures typically grab people’s attention faster than the written word. For example, if you’re a landscaper, it can be much more powerful to someone visiting your site if you post a photo of a project you just finished along with a caption of what the design process was like, instead of just a verbal description.
5. Think Holistically: While you might be able to update your blog more often than the rest of your site, don’t let those areas grow stale. New, refreshed content should exist across your entire site. One way to make this happen? Make manageable goals for your site. For instance, maybe make it a priority to change your “About Us” page once every four months, or your product pages once every six months. Adding new content across your website will let the search engines know you’re focusing on your site as a whole for the customer, and not just one page.

The most important advice of all is to never stop producing content on your site. Remember that the same meal over and over can grow stale…spice it up, take some risks, and always think of what the customer would like to view, watch and read.