Inbound Marketing Insights

Everything old is new again - especially if visitors view dated information online.  Thanks to blogs and scanned documents, 1990's information is available online.  This information is in the minds of visitors who believe the answers are accurate.  Repurposing content helps companies refresh information to fit current times.  However, there is a process to republishing. Here are 8 tips for effectively optimizing your published content:

1. Make a Selection:  Check traffic statistics, inbound links, social media sharing numbers and other analytics for every article and single out the highest rated ones.  Take time to look at the date and read the article to see if the information pertains to today's way of thinking.  The ones that don't are the ones that need repurposing.

2. Not Applicable:  Search the internet for current topics and trends that will fit nicely into the article.  Your writing style may have evolved too so be sure to incorporate that into the article.  Cut out outdated information and add fresh examples to back up new facts.  Add new video, photos and audio to reflect the update.  Choose from rewriting the whole document or adding updates to the current article.

3. Time and Place:  There is a time and a place for everything, and your content must align with today's frame of mind.  What worked in year 2000 will not work now.  Write about current and future information.  Make it evergreen so it will work for today and still be good information years from now.  Be sure to update contact information.

4. Demographics:  Look at demographics to see if the same type of people is still viewing the page.  If not, the new article needs a refresher for the new audience.

5. Meta Description: The 50-plus word description listed underneath links on search engine result pages need to reflect the new article.  Be sure to keep the same keywords that made the page popular.

6. The Social Network:  No one could have predicted that MySpace and Friendster would lend a hand to an online world where sharing knowledge, uploading photos/videos and honest opinions are a way of life.  This is a large demographic that marketing companies cannot ignore. Take the repurposed information to social media platforms for extra exposure, quality links and develop a following.  Engage with social media followers to get personal, honest feedback as well.

7. Analytics:  Even with repurposed content, analytics still matter.  Make sure the new information is getting out there.  Check statistics to make sure the same traffic, clicks, links and more remain level or rise from the previous article.  Tweak or adjust if it dips below standard. 

8. Consistency:  The foundation is the URL, keywords, tags, title and page location, and it must stay the same.  Otherwise, the views and promotion will start back at one.

Hopefully these tips will help you with optimizing your published content going forward, but what is your number one content optimization tip? Let us know in the comment section below.

Interested in learning more about how inbound marketing can enhance your marketing efforts? Download our 10-step checklist to see what you should continue with your inbound plan, and maybe even ways you can enhance it!