Evergreen Content 101: How To Create Content That Lasts

What is Evergreen Content?

While the name may seem self-explanatory, there are certain things to remember when creating content that will last on the ever-changing worldwide web.

• High Quality: When creating content, the quality of your work will determine the consumer opinion of your entire site. If your content is sloppy and full of mistakes, potential clients will find other sources and your Google rankings will drop. If there’s one thing we’ve learned from all the recent Google algorithm updates, it’s that high quality content should be your focus.
• Valuable: As you strive for quality, you also have to be sure what you’re writing has value to your readers. You can write the most beautiful piece in the world, but if it doesn’t benefit your readers, it’s likely to be ignored and sink to the bottom of the search results. Engaging content that benefits your reader will also encourage them to spend more time on your page and make your site look better to Google.
• Timeless: One of the most important aspects of evergreen content is that it doesn’t become useless over time. While you can always return and adjust parts that need changing, true lasting content leaves out details that may be subject to change.
• Canonical: This type of content is often focused on a single topic, making it easy to canonize and find by search engines.
• Optimized: As search engine results are one of your greatest concerns, optimizing your content with keywords will make it searchable for a longer period of time, gradually moving your site up the search engine results list.

How to Create Evergreen Content

Most people understand the importance of building lasting content, but far fewer know how to create it. Developing content that won’t become outdated requires a few simple steps.

1. Decide on a Format

Before you do anything else, make a decision about what type of post you’re going to do. This will affect what you research and how you organize your findings. Whether you’re going to create a list, how-to post, content roundup or one of many other post formats, you need to be sure that the information you present will retain its value over time.

2. Research

Since most evergreen pieces are also long-form, you need to perform extensive research. Don’t pad the article with fillers, include relevant, riveting information that will draw readers to the piece. Also, do keyword research to be sure you’ll be found in organic searches relevant to your business.

3. Make it Readable

Once you’ve prepared, you’re ready to write. Remember to make your content readable. Using headers, bullets and images will break up the text and make it more attractive to viewers. Write simply using easily understood terms and relatable subjects.

Why Evergreen Content Matters

The more times your page is viewed, the higher your ranking will be, but if your content is dated, you’ll quickly lose readers and your page will eventually become obsolete. Your content will be more likely to rise to the top of the list over time as more dated pages decline if you continue to promote it and draw viewers in. There are several reasons to do this.

• It can be shareable. Social networks often prove the most fertile ground for sharing information. By using eye-catching headlines and pulling out a few interesting sentences to grab reader’s attention, you’ll be able to keep your evergreen content circling social circles rather than only being read by your followers after the initial posting.
• It continues to generate leads. Because timeless content attracts viewers for a longer period of time than trendy articles, its capacity for lead generation is much higher than other pieces.This means your traffic and rankings will continue to grow instead of decreasing with time.
• Your site will become more credible. The more relevant, lasting information your site contains, the more visits it will garner over time and the better it looks to search engines. All of the previously discussed benefits add up to a more credible, established website that can gradually become a leading resource in the industry.

In summary, the reason why evergreen content is one of the top forms of content marketing is because it can continue to promote your business long after it was written. Including lasting content can bring timeless benefits to your site now and for years to come.