3 Steps to Republishing Content

Tips for Republishing Old Content

Every online marketing expert can vouch for the value of a steady stream of content. At some point, however, business and website owners might feel like they’ve exhausted all sources or simply don’t have the same publishing capacity. As such, it’s easy to look at the massive tome of old blog posts, articles, ebooks, and other content and decide to republish some of it.

While republishing old content isn’t exactly a trap, it can often become one. At Saba, Inc., a leading San Diego SEO company, we recommend business follow these 3 steps to ensure your content continues to bring in traffic no matter when it was originally written.

1. Pick Only the Best

There are more than a few business owners who’ve republished entire years’ worth of content in one fell swoop, then patted themselves on the back for their ingenuity. This approach is barely worth the time spent, and can often have negative effects on readership. Whether the blog selection is done subjectively or based on traffic data, San Diego SEM companies suggest choosing the content that ranks highest.

2. Update and Repackage

This is the crucial step. Content that is republished without so much as a proofread is not going to bring in results. Even better than editing is revising. Most businesses with an online presence change rapidly, and content can go outdated in a matter of months.

This usually doesn’t mean the entire article is unsalvageable. Rather, a few corrections and updates are all that is needed to bring the content to the present day.

3. Don’t Hide the Age

Republishing old content is fine, so long as the publisher doesn’t pretend it’s brand new. This is deceptive and can quickly erode trust among readers. Additionally, by going with a title that includes words like “Updated from 2014” or “Added content for 2015”, readers will note that the content within is sage, long-standing wisdom, and not something that can easily be ignored. That is, an updated older post is clearly not just fluff.

Old content isn’t exactly a gold mine. There’s more refining that needs to be done than simply digging it back up and republishing it. Still, if owners are willing to put in the necessary effort, they can reap great rewards from previously published material.

Need help managing your content marketing? Call Saba, Inc. at (858) 277-1717. We’re a full-service SEM company in San Diego, specializing in AdWords management, social media, SEO, and website design and development. We also offer free website audits and consultations!