What is evergreen content and why is it important?

Evergreen content is non-time-sensitive, search-optimised content that remains relevant to readers long after its initial publication date. It can be an incredibly valuable tool for businesses, continuing to attract search traffic and drive long-term, sustainable engagement with your organisation or brand, as well as building trust with your audience and solidifying your position as an expert in your field.

That’s not to say that timely content isn’t important too. Breaking news, of-the-moment content focusing on current trends or pop culture, seasonal features, and topical statistics or reports are all valuable because they can boost interest in your brand and drive traffic spikes over a short period of time. This type of content is an ideal tool for short-term campaigns where the aim is to create a flurry of activity and lead generation.

Evergreen topics, on the other hand, can maintain consistent reader interest over time. The video below on bedtime yoga, for example, was published back in 2015 but still ranks right at the top on Google when searching for ‘yoga for sleep’. It remains pertinent to readers searching for information on that subject; essentially continuing to drive organic traffic nine years after publication.

In short, the best content marketing strategy for driving optimum results should ideally include a combination of both evergreen and more of-the-moment, topical articles.

Six reasons to create evergreen content:

• Improves your Google search engine rankings.
• Continually drives traffic to your site / product / service.
• Strategically amplifies your brand message.
• Drives prospective business to your sales funnel.
• Positions your brand and its people as industry leaders and experts in their field.
• Builds relationships with your targeted audience.

Tips for creating and managing evergreen content

Now that we’ve ascertained what evergreen content is and how it can add value to your business, let’s explore how to craft and manage it for maximum impact.

Where possible, put your own unique spin on your expertise to help your content stand out to your target audience. Use clear and concise language rather than technical jargon - we recommend writing as though you’re writing for beginners in order to appeal to the widest possible audience base.

Keywords define your content: they’re the words or phrases that potential readers type into search engines to find content on a particular subject. Do your research by using Google Trends, a search tool like Answer the Public, or a marketing agency (like our good selves at Hop&Co!) to identify keywords that rank highly in search results for best on-page optimisation and to position your content higher up the rankings. Long-tail keywords are, as the name suggests, longer and more specific search terms that consumers often use when they’re ready to buy - for instance, ‘women’s running trainers with cushioned soles’ as opposed to simply ‘women’s trainers’. Using long-tail keywords is a solid SEO strategy as they tend to have less competition and a higher conversion rate. Adding alt text to your images and hyperlinks to other relevant content are also great ways to help improve your SEO rankings.

Recycling your content into different formats and redistributing it onto different platforms can effectively expand the reach of your piece to different audiences – think repurposing your original blog post into newsletters, tutorials, LinkedIn carousels, Instagram reels, TikTok videos, and podcast episodes for instance.

In addition to resharing, try to get into the habit of refreshing your content every once in a while. Whilst evergreen content, by nature, remains relevant, that’s not to say you shouldn’t keep it accurate and up to date with new developments, statistics, or links where appropriate.

With the right evergreen approach, carefully crafted content can be a keystone of your marketing strategy.

Some evergreen content ideas to try:

• Listicles: articles structured in list format with each list item typically including additional text to inform, educate, or inspire your target audience.
• Top tips: a great way to share knowledge and skills in a simple, easy-to-follow format. We advise drafting your content before deciding on a definitive number. It’s better to have five genuinely useful tips than five good and the rest mediocre just because you’ve already decided to write ‘Seven Tips On…’
• ‘How-to’ guides: tutorial-type features that walk the reader through the necessary steps to learn a new skill or complete a specific task.
• Product reviews: critiques that describe the features and functionality of products to help consumers make informed decisions when purchasing.
• ‘Best-of’ round-ups: features that spotlight the best products or services in a specific category.
• FAQs: a series of quick answers to questions that are typically asked by your customers or clients.
• Case studies: evidence-based, in-depth examinations that demonstrate how a customer solved a problem using your service or product in a real-world context.
• Infographics: visual representations with minimal text that communicate information to the reader quickly and clearly.
• Expert interviews: conversations with industry experts that position them as leaders in their field.