There’s never a better time to give your website’s content a thorough cleanse. In this blog, we’ll explore the importance of keeping your online content up to date and relevant, and we’ll provide you with some top tips to help you achieve SEO success in the future. Let’s get started!
Why Spring Cleaning Your Content Matters
It’s no secret that Google continually updates its algorithms, which means what worked yesterday might not work today. The search giant has been focusing on delivering high-quality content to users, making it crucial for website owners to adapt. Let’s dive into some key strategies.
1. Evaluate Your Content with SEO Tools
The first step in your content spring cleaning process is to assess your website’s performance. Tools like Screaming Frog make this task a breeze. By adding the Google Search Console API, you can track clicks, impressions, and the average position of your pages, giving you insights into their visibility in search results. Additionally, integrate the Google Analytics API to gauge user engagement and conversion rates. Don’t forget to include the Majestic or AHRefs API to check for essential backlinks.
2. Analyse and Organise Data
Once you’ve collected your data, organize it in a spreadsheet. This step is crucial in understanding how well your content is performing in terms of visibility, traffic, engagement, and conversions.
3. Determine the Fate of Your Content
Now, the fun begins. Go through your list and add a column to classify each piece of content. Decide whether you want to keep, update, consolidate, or remove and redirect pages. Remember, Google rewards high-quality content, so merging similar pieces into one strong article can improve your website’s visibility.
4. Eliminate Irrelevant Content
Not everything on your website is worth keeping. Content that no one is searching for, such as company birthdays or the obligatory ‘Hello World’ WordPress post, can be safely removed and redirected to more relevant locations. Also, if you have a post that was popular in 2021 but has since declined, updating it to reflect the current year can work wonders.
5. Address Near-Duplicates
Review the report on near duplicates to identify highly similar content on your site that can be consolidated into a more robust, comprehensive post.
6. Revamp Your Main Navigation
While you’re spring cleaning, don’t forget to check your website’s main navigation. Ensure that the pages linked there align with your current content strategy, targeting the right keywords, and offering better traffic and conversions. Outdated items like old coronavirus policies should be removed.
7. Keyword Gap Analysis
Lastly, perform a keyword gap analysis. This will help you identify where your pages might be ranking for the wrong keywords or missing out on valuable terms. It’s a great way to ensure you’re catering to your target audience’s needs.
Spring cleaning your website’s content is an essential part of maintaining a strong online presence. By following these steps, you can keep your content up to date and in line with Google’s evolving criteria. Remember, quality is key, and by tidying up your content, you’re on the right track to SEO success in 2023.
Thank you for reading, and if you’re in need of SEO assistance, feel free to contact Dark Horse.
