Don’t Delete Your Dead Content Just Update

Watch out Plumbing & HVAC companies, that bloodthirsty bear indigenous to south central China is about to prowl the Web again, as Google is said to release the 4.2 Panda algorithm update in the next few months! It’s been relatively 10 months since the last one and for those penalized for poor, spammy content this could actually be good news…that is if you got off your butts and fixed what was wrong. When Google puts you in timeout it takes a quite a while to get in their good graces again, but for some people that time is now. However, those of you that feel a tad uneasy the best advice is to listen to your gut (even if you are just being paranoid) and reevaluate the content on your website.
The question is why does someone create content that is not worth viewers’ time? To get a link or a fast ranking? This is actually still the tactic of some crooked SEO companies who are starting to lose client after client because the results simply don’t stick and end up costing businesses more than they could have initially imagined.

Revaluate your dead content

For the honest, hardworking webmasters out there it is time to start scouring your pages. Is there anything you missed? Have you been evaluating your content consistently? Is Google going to get you?
I’m sorry to say that the truth is you likely have some dead content, not on its way out but cold to the touch, so instead of mourning over its casket it is time for a revival!
What is dead content? Basically it is now irrelevant information that you have on your site, where once it was applicable now it no longer coincides with new technologies, facts, or tasks that have become easier to accomplish in some other way. If there is a more advanced way to do things and you don’t speak about it your content is dead.

Save time and make changes to your current content

Instead of creating brand new content and a different URL to house it, simple update the information that you already have. You don’t want to create a number of different pages, as it could slow down your website while Panda moseys around looking for mistakes taking focus off of the more important aspects of your site.
Also, once you have updated your content you are going to want to examine your keywords as well, search engine optimization is ever changing so if potential customers are searching for your products or services in different ways it is good to stay abreast of this and act accordingly. Additionally, new content is great but you do not want to go overboard because it can detract from the material on the site that is working and may only hurt you in the long run.
Once everything is optimized you may want to opt for a stronger or more pertinent call to action, something that really drives your visitors to convert into paying customers. And once you feel absolutely confident (I know some of you will never feel totally confident, but give it your best shot and disregard that fear) it is time to push out your optimized material. Social media networks like Facebook and Twitter are great ways to promote your new and improved content, and email blasts will surely get the message across. If the content is really valuable you may want to even put some of it up on your home page to truly make it stand out.
If you would like to learn how Plumbing & HVAC SEO can help with your content marketing campaign and more, click here to schedule a time to talk with us or call us directly at 866-610-4647.
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