I get this question a lot. You probably keep hearing the terms “fresh content,” “new pages” and “updated copy.” How do you know when it’s time to revamp your site? There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question. Best thing to do is look at your analytics. You’ll find clues in there that may suggest it’s time for new content.
1. Sales are dropping: generally speaking, when your sales start trending downward, it may be time to refresh your content. If everything else remains equal (seasonal fluctuations, for example) and your competition continues to thrive, the first thing I like to look at is the content on the page (or pages) that have stopped performing well.
2. Bounce rates are increasing: every day millions of people are searching for information online. When was the last time you wrote something helpful and interesting? You may have decent rankings in the SERP, and you might even be getting decent click-thrus. But if you don’t provide up-to-date, helpful information, users bounce right out and end up at your competition’s site.
3. Rankings are slipping: when you look at your ranking reports, do you see a pattern? Are there groups of keyword, or themes, that seem to be losing traction in the SERPs? If your once stellar rankings are losing ground, it may be time to breathe new life into your pages. Using ranking reports are a great way to uncover new content opportunities as well. Look for keywords that are ranking on page 5 or 6 of Google, for instance. Some fresh new content could boost those keywords straight to page 1.
As long as you have something interesting to share, there’s never a bad time to produce new content. As for older pages, use your analytics to determine which pages are performing well and which ones need some TLC. On the topic of analytics, which tool (or suite of tools) do you use? Personally, I like to use good old Google Analytics and Webmaster Tools. I also like to use Raven to track my rankings. What are some of your favourites?
~Aimee
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