The internet is constantly evolving, and so are search engines. The main purpose of a search engine is to offer the most relevant information based on user-provided search queries.
In order to help search engines better understand what people find relevant, Google employs a so-called freshness factor, an algorithm that prioritizes new, frequently updated content over old and outdated web pages. Why? Because nobody likes stale content, and certainly not Google.
Google is smart. It knows exactly what pages of your website were updated and when. And if you think that adding a new headline or a photo to your homepage will do the trick, you are wrong.
So let’s talk about the importance of fresh content and how it can help your website rank higher in search engines.
What is Fresh Content?
Fresh content is new content. Simple enough, right? Adding new pages to your website and updating the existing content is the first step in helping Google rank your website higher. However, putting out new content without considering your target audience would be just as useless as not updating your website at all. This is where relevance factor comes into play. You should always consider what your ideal customer or web visitor finds relevant and cater your content to her interests, needs and pain points.
Fresh content is timely content. It should be centered around trending topics, news and events. If you have an important update or exciting news to share, share it with the rest of the world!
Remember though, not all websites need fresh content to rank high in Google search results. There are websites that don’t get updated often, yet they get listed at the top of search engine results page. These are authority websites that took time to build their reputation with Google. As long as these domains exist, they will maintain their dominance until someone else provides information that is more relevant to a specific search query. Shoot for building domain authority by publishing relevant content that’s been optimized for search engines.
How Do You Maintain Fresh Content?
Give your website visitors what they are looking for. Write helpful, informative and clear copy. Write engaging pages that accurately describe your topic and how your offerings can help people fulfill their needs. Think about the words that your target user would type to find your website and optimize your pages around those keywords.
Make Sure Other Websites are Linked to Yours
Links help Google crawlers find your website. Think about links as a way for one website to vote for another. If a high-authority website lists a link to your website on its page, Google will see your website as a relevant domain and will be more willing to display your pages first.
Make Your Content Keyword-centric
Search Engine Optimization is a science. If you want to dominate Google search results, optimize every page of your website for a relevant keyword, but don’t repeat the exact keywords over and over again. Your content should sound natural with organically integrated keywords.
Focus on Providing User-friendly Content
At the end of the day, if your website doesn’t provide value to the end users, they won’t read your content nor will they do business with you. Content that attracts, engages and delights will make a world of difference.
The importance of fresh content can be very powerful when leveraged correctly. Regularly updating your website with fresh content will not only help you gain trust and loyalty from your visitors but will also gain authority with Google.
**Our blog is a resource guide for educational and informational purposes. (And sometimes venting about topics such as sub-par experiences and/or individuals who wear Vibram Five Fingers to dinner parties. You know–the usual.) To write our articles, we use our experiences, the experiences of others and various other resources including but not limited to the wild wild web, the Encyclopedia Britannica (what? you didn’t buy the extended library collection of 1989?) and/or The Magic 8-ball. (Kidding. But maybe not.) That said, our advice doesn’t come with any guarantees. By visiting this site, you’re essentially signing a contract that says that you understand that we make no guarantees, and you won’t try to sue us or report us to your cousin, who just got his/her law degree and could use the practice. Because that would be awkward and not cool. ????
