We all have some old blog posts sitting on our blog that can use some refreshing. One of the easiest ways to get more page views is to refresh old blog posts.
Today I am sharing some tips on how to refresh old blog posts to get more page views in 5 easy steps.
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First, things first- never delete your old blog posts
The one thing I regret is deleting old blog posts that I was embarrassed by.
If you are a blogger like me and have been blogging for many years I am sure your style has changed a lot.
Over the years I have grown a lot as a blogger and writer.
My style has changed. The vision of my blog has changed.
With these changes over the years, I have re-read old blog posts and trashed many of them that no longer fit my style.
If this sounds like you… I am here to warn you to not delete your old blog posts.
Instead, I will guide you on how you can refresh old blog posts to get more page views.
So, let’s get to it.
How deleting your old blog posts can impact your blog
Deleting old blog posts is bad for your blog.
Some ways that deleting old blog posts can impact your blog include:
- Interference with your sitemaps on google: deleting a page and removing it from search results can hurt your SEO
- Deleting a page will also cause your site to have broken links. If you have a blog post- I am sure the link has been shared somewhere on one of your pages. Deleting a page will now create a error page if someone finds your link and click on it.
You may not think the impact of deleting your old blog posts seems major. I am here to tell you that it is!
Each blog post that you write is hard work. Hard work that you should not toss into the trash.
Once you create content, it’s yours to nurture. As your writing and blogging skills improve spend time working on your old blog posts so you can edit your content to get more page views.
5 Ways you can refresh old blog posts to get more page views
I currently have about 79 published blog posts. All of which I have worked on to make sure they are optimized for SEO.
I highly encourage you to review all of your blog posts and if you find a blog post that is not optimized for SEO or the post needs to be updated, change it to private. Do not delete the blog post.
Marking your blog post as private will allow you to skill keep your content until you have time to follow these 5 ways you can refresh your old blog posts to get more page views.
1. Commit to a structured style for your blog posts
Consistency is key! The best bloggers follow a structured style for their blog posts.
I have found that committing to a structured style for each blog post is beneficial when creating content. Committing to a structured style for your blog posts will not only make your posts easier to read and follow. But it will also help your content appeal to new readers.
Are you struggling to write structured content? If you want to learn more about how you can write blog posts worth reading, check out my blog post below:
This post covers all of the basics, including why a well-structured blog post can improve your SEO and potentially rank your blog post higher in search engines compared to other content.
2. Create backlinks to older and related posts
From the moment you decided to become a blogger, I am sure you have created some pretty amazing content.
Far too often bloggers spend hours of planning and writing content, only to publish and never link to that content again.
Why not keep that content refreshed?
Creating backlinks to older and related posts is the best way you can keep your content alive on your website. This also helps support your expertise on the topic since you have several posts on the same topic.
We never want to stop sharing those older posts or stop attracting new readers to them.
Better yet there are some other great benefits to refreshing old blog posts to get more page views, such as linking to outside websites.
Including links to outside websites or blogs help build links to other credible and trustworthy sites.
When I review my older blog posts I consider the content of other bloggers. To help build the domain authority (DA) score of others within the blogging community I will include a link to their content if it is relevant to my post.
Not only does this help other blogs grow their DA score but it also provides your readers with more helpful information.
3. Update your blog posts to ensure the information within it is relevant and current
Information is always changing.
As a blogger, strategizes and social media metrics are forever changing.
This is why it is important that you update your blog posts to ensure the information you are sharing with your readers is relevant and current.
If you find that the information within your blog post is no longer relevant and current, consider the topic and refresh it to apply to what is relevant today.
Blogging Tip: Always check to ensure your shared links are still active. If you discover broken links within your post, always make it a priority to update those links.
- I currently use Semrush to check for broken links on my blog posts.
Updating your blog posts to ensure the information within them is relevant and current will ensure you are sharing the best content with your readers.
4. Refresh old blog posts by creating and adding new email opt-ins
One of my blogging goals this year was to create at least 1 new email opt-in monthly.
ConvertKit is the email marketing platform that I use for all of my sites. It is the simplest platform out there and I have been using it for about 2 years now and I have not had 1 issue at all.
Beyond using ConvertKit to manage my email subscribers, I also use ConvertKit to create cool landing pages and email opt-ins. There are so many options available with ConvertKit and customizing email opt-ins is so simple.
- If you want to give ConvertKit a try for your creative needs, you can sign up through my link and unlock 1,000 subscribers for FREE. Sign up here.
Refreshing old blog posts by creating and adding new email opt-ins is a quick and easy way to attract new readers and increase your page views.
Readers want to gain information and creating or adding a new email opt-in will provide your readers with something valuable to take away from visiting your blog.
Freebies through email opt-ins is always a great strategy to use in order to gain new subscribers and increase your page views.
I promise that email opt-ins are the #1 lead magnet that all bloggers should be taking advantage of in order to grow their blog.
5. Update your social media and blog graphics
Something as simple as updating your social media and blog graphics is a easy way to refresh your old blog posts to get more page views.
A few items to be sure to update:
- Your blog post featured image
- Pinterest graphics (create 2-3 for sharing)
- Twitter graphic – sharing
- Header graphics
Basically, any and all images.
Updating your social media and blog graphics will give your blog post an immediate facelift and to your existing readers, the new graphics will attract them to check out your blog post again.
With return visits to your blog, it will allow your reader to potentially discover something new (new information or a new email opt-in).
This will prompt more sharing of your content across social media which ultimately will help you gain more page views.
The ULTIMATE benefit of following these 5 easy steps
Well, of course, one of the real reasons why you clicked on this post is because you have old blog posts that aren’t driving enough traffic back to your blog and you hope to get get more page views.
However, the ultimate benefit of following these 5 easy steps is trial and error.
Blogging is a trial and error hobby for most, and a job for many. There is no perfect instruction manual on how to be the best blogger. While there are many resources available to you that can help guide you along your blogging journey. There is no secret that can help you be a successful blogger.
Through my years of experience (trial and error), the ultimate benefit that I have gained from refreshing my old blog posts is the learning experience.
By refreshing your old blog posts it allows you to assess what’s working and what’s not. Whether it’s your writing format, Pinterest images, or social media management.
The most enjoyable part of being a blogger for me is that there is always something new to learn and I personally like to use my past blog posts as a training tool to grow in my writing and blogging career.
I hope you found this blog post insightful. Please don’t forget to comment, like, and share.
Until next time,
a Life on a Dime
This is great advice! I changed my format a bit after changing themes last summer and I’m still going back through my older posts, updating the graphics, and making sure my links are correct. It is a lot of work! The posts that I spend the most time on I usually try to promote more too. I’m hoping this hard work pays off! I made the mistake of deleting pages when I tried to streamline my site the first time. I had so many sitemap issues!
bloglifewitherica
Keep working on those older posts. As you update each one, promote it. Don’t let that content go to waste. 🙂
Pinecanvasblog
Very well written and informative. I am a new blogger, so I don’t have old posts yet (unless 6 months is old…). But I love gathering tips and know-hows for future
bloglifewitherica
I am so happy you found this post to be helpful.
xo Erica
Shell-Shell's🐚tipsandtricks
This is great information! Thank you!
~Michelle
https://michellescrazybusylife.net
mindbeautysimplicity
this was such an informative post! i’ve been revamping old blog posts recent. i change up the writing style, fix grammar or add backlinks. i rarely delete entire posts anymore because i know i can always just edit the old ones to my liking. these were such great tips!