Google freshness update implemented within its algorithm has just opened up larger opportunities from websites to increase their rankings. Making slight adjustments to your blog and older content can have a huge benefit going forward. To encourage bloggers from constantly updating their information, they added this update, which I believe was genius. Information is always changing and the last thing you want showing up within search engines is older, washed up content. Google knows this and the importance to stay ahead of the trend. I think it’s an awesome way to keep content fresh for searchers while bloggers enjoy a reward for making the correct changes.
Content can be updated from different angles and I’ve decided to start this quick series so I can go deeper into each method. This is a “4†part series and I’ll discuss content freshness and the different ways it can be leveraged to increase rankings.
Freshness 1 – Creating New Pages
Google wants to reward bloggers who dedicate their time to creating content more frequently. This means they’ll score websites that create content regularly with higher rankings. If you have a regular posting schedule and publish content 2-3 times per week, you’ll score higher than someone publishing “1†a month. However, posting regularly is NOT the only factor that you should be paying attention to because you have to keep the other ranking factors in mind. For example, it’s important to ensure you create high quality content that increases engagement. You should use precise keywords and focus on providing value. A regular posting schedule with high quality content is the ultimate combination to increase SERP rankings.
For those of you NOT aware, the Google freshness update has several embedded perks. For example,
A blog that publishes content regularly tends to be indexed much more quickly. This means you’ll be able to hit the SERP’s for targeted keywords quicker than your competitors. The Google bots come equipped with a memory and know when to expect fresh content published. They then come back and index your pages.
Next,
Posting frequently is a great way to increase authority with your readers. The more you publish, the more content gets shared online by existing visitors. This is a great way to attract newbies to your blog and transform them into loyal readers. The newer the content, the more visitors you attract to your blog. Next, if you mix high quality, in-depth content to the mix, you’ve just increased your authority within your niche.
Here’s something else…
With more fresh content, you’ve also increased the chance of getting authority links pointing back to your website. Existing bloggers are always looking to provide their readers with external sources that update regularly. If they know you publish up-to-date content regularly that provides depth, you’re going to attract solid links that help boost your keyword rankings within the SERP. This will ultimately lead into my next point…
There are numerous studies that have outlined the connection between regular posting and higher search traffic. There are also several studies that point to higher traffic generated through social profiles. This all does make sense and here’s how…
First, here a cool study from HubSpot.com
Here’s a quick passage and chart from this case study…
“A study of 2,168 HubSpot customers shows that businesses that published at least 5 blog articles in the last 7 days draw 6.9 times more organic search traffic and 1.12 times more referral traffic than those who don’t blog at all.â€
You’ll notice the study tracks both organic and referral. Check how both send traffic to a blog that publishes regularly each week. Even though organic traffic has outshined referral, you can still see how both combined have increased traffic substantially.
Again, this can all be tied into the fact that a frequently publishing blog engages search engines more by constantly getting indexed at a high rate. However, this alone is NOT the main factor as mentioned before. Google rewards these websites in general with higher rankings so if you were on the 6th page for a given keyword, then a regular posting schedule can get you bumped up a few pages.
Publishing at this rate is very difficult and you do have several options available to you.
You can set a writing schedule that works well with your schedule. You don’t need to produce content daily, but weekly is a good start. Start by writing 500 words a day and by the end of the week, you have a good 2,000-2,500 words to publish. You have the option to hire someone relevant to your niche, if you have the budget. You can also open up guest blogging opportunities to give creative newbies in your niche a helping hand.