Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Content is king. With that in mind, you need to write material that attracts the reader while keeping them scrolling down the page. There are a lot of ways to do this, but an exceptionally effective method is by using evergreen content.
Instead of relying on short-lived news clicks, some articles can continue to drive an audience. Of course, this depends on the topic you plan on covering.
Some topics will simply decline based on trends, technology, or general interest.
Seriously, when’s the last time you took to Google to research what videos were available at Blockbuster?
What is Evergreen Content, and Why Should You Care?
Evergreen content is that which remains true and factual for long periods of time. In fact, some evergreen content will still appear in search engines more than 10 years after its initial publishing date.
This depends greatly on the topic and writing for SEO.
These pieces of content come in all forms from listicles to long-form articles. It really depends on who you’re writing for and why.
Continuous Traffic
Most types of evergreen articles can continue to drive traffic for several years. In fact, you’ve probably stumbled across a few pieces while searching Google that were written almost 10 years ago.
This is because search engines and visitors find great value in content that doesn’t change over the course of time. It’s possible that a good timeless piece could continue to drive traffic to your site far into the future.
Continuous Income
As evergreen content continues to drive traffic, it can also continue to provide income. For example, I have a review that was written three years ago that is still my highest-earning blog post in terms of AdSense.
That’s because the article is focused on something that doesn’t change often and still ranks high in Google search.
Think of an evergreen article as a way to deliver a continuous trickle of income for several years. As long as you keep the article current and relevant, it’ll keep earning you money.
Search Engine Optimization
Optimizing your site is the best way to get noticed in search engines. Factual and detailed evergreen information is one of the most ideal methods for boosting SEO performance.
All it takes is a bit of effort from yourself to write regular timeless pieces. For example, the “how to” and “review” materials for WriterSanctuary are the most popular pages on the site. This is increasing my position within search engines week after week.
And it’s not just centered around this website, either. In fact, my gaming and fitness blogs all see exceptional results by using evergreen content.
8 Ways to Write Evergreen Content
Writing evergreen content is relatively easy. It all centers around material that will be relevant in a couple of years. Ask yourself, “Will this be something useful three years from now?” If you answered yes, then you may be on the right track.
Here are some examples of how to write evergreen posts and articles.
1. Curating Material with Listicles
Content curation is quite a common practice. It’s something almost everyone does on some kind of level. For instance, I list websites that I verified to pay writers.
My health website covers apps and websites that help in fitness.
Creating a listicle is among the most common forms of creating good content on the Internet. Essentially, you’re taking the leg work out of searching the web for your visitors.
It can also contribute to establishing yourself as an expert in the industry over time.
Some evergreen content examples include:
- 7 Websites that Pay You to Write
- 5 Apps Every Health Nut Needs
- 20 Amazing Games that Are Free to Play
This is aside from how effective “listicles” are in terms of gaining visitors. Lists do very well on the Internet regardless of the industry.
The hardest part about this method is periodically going back and making sure every point in the list is still relevant. For example, who knows if those “amazing games” will still be free three years from now.
2. How To, Best Practices, and Tips
Sharing information can do wonders for your website. Out of all the content I create, it’s the “How To” materials that drive the most traffic.
Coincidentally, it’s also the primary content I create for my retaining client.
Since I love to share information with anyone willing to read it, this form of evergreen content writing is right up my alley. Just make sure you try to provide the most current and relevant information that can last for the next few years.
Here are some examples:
- 7 Marketing Tips to Enhance eCommerce Sites
- How to Cook a Vegetarian Spaghetti
- Best Practices to Lose Weight Within a Week
And like the method above, you’ll have to make sure that everything remains relevant over time. For instance, this morning, I had to fix my tutorial on installing sitemaps thanks to the recent changes in WordPress 5.5.
3. Answer Questions
Another one of the most effective articles on all my sites are those that answer questions. The question itself is the title while I explain the solution in the body.
On my health website, the Q&A posts rank very high in visitor interest. A lot of the time, I’ll be curious about something and write about what I learn.
You might be amazed by how often people will take to Google and Bing with the same specific questions as yourself. In fact, these types of articles have been the most influential for driving traffic to all my sites.
These examples can give you an idea of what I mean:
- Can Overeating Cause Diarrhea?
- How Much Money Can You Make as a Freelancer?
- Can Gaming Be Therapeutic?
Of course, linking to credible sites and statistics makes the article stand out even more. This is because it makes you look like a viable professional while letting Google know you hold accurate information highly.
4. Reviews
You can never go wrong with reviews, especially if you’re covering a popular product or service. In reality, about 88% of consumers will research products online before going into a store to buy them.
Writing an in-depth review can quickly engage those people all over the globe.
Case in point, that review I mentioned earlier on WriterSanctuary has been in the number one spot for its search term for three years.
Here are some examples:
- Reviews: Emerge Body Slenderizing Drink Mix
- What Can Textbroker Do for You as a Freelance Writer?
- A Gamer’s Review of H1Z1
5. Case Studies
Case studies are often popular as evergreen content. These are studies that are based on accumulating information and are fact-driven.
While these are usually more clinical when compared to other pieces, the facts alone could drive an incredible number of visitors. Especially if you can provide quantifiable evidence to support a claim.
People like facts, particularly if you conduct some of the case studies yourself.
Examples include:
- Calories Burned While Playing Xbox Kinect Case Study
- The Impact of Eating Too Much Sugar at Night
- Case Study: Gaming on the IQ Level of 16-Year-Old Males
6. Interviews
Interviews are exceptionally valuable to a blogger, especially if you can interview a popular individual. In many cases, his or her audience will check out your post about the individual.
One of the results is gaining a greater audience. This is why so many professionals collaborate with each other.
A few ideas could include:
- 10 Questions I Asked Megan Grant About Freelancing
- An Evening with Chris Desatoff: The Life of a Cartoonist
- Getting to Know Nat Nickelton and the Books She Writes
A collaboration can have some incredible benefits ranging from sharing audience members to setting up future projects. Not only do you get some viable evergreen content, but you’re also networking and growing your own presence online.
7. Personal Experiences
Most bloggers rely on personal experience to engage readers. Everything from fictional pieces to daily happenings can fuel traffic to your site. It’s this personal engagement that I try to incorporate in my posts.
By informing you how a certain thing affects me, you can form your own opinion. It’s also interesting to note that one of my fictional pieces was in the top 10 posts on this website for three months.
Things you could write include:
- How I Lost 16 Pounds in 13 Days
- How Much I Made Writing for Textbroker in 2015
- Why I Love to Play Subnautica
It’s all about engaging your audience and seeming more personable than just someone who writes all day. Interactions like these can solidify a relationship between yourself and your reader or viewer (if you make YouTube videos as well).
8. Unchanging Statistics
Statistics are on the fence when writing evergreen content. Some stats are subject to change rather quickly. It’s how you word these that will enforce whether they remain true several years from now.
However, some statistics will never change. Make sure you can verify stats before posting them on your website. You don’t want to develop a reputation for spreading misinformation.
Some examples are:
- 10 Statistics of Childhood Obesity Since 1980
- How Many Men Were Freelancers in 2015?
- The Impact of Mobile Gaming for Online Sales
Another thing to keep in mind is how well links to factual statistics improve search engine optimization. By citing your information, you’re showing both human and search engine bot visitors you’re basing the piece in fact.
I’ve seen it vastly improve search results, and most of my clients pay to include these as it boosts authority.
Writing Evergreen Content is Only Part of Its Success
Initially publishing an evergreen article gets the ball rolling. However, like most content on your site, you need to keep up on its maintenance. Especially if you want the content to keep driving traffic year-over-year.
The last thing you want is a high-performing article to start to slip because the information is no longer relevant or current to today’s standards.
Continue to Improve the Articles Over Time
It’s always a good idea to go back to older pieces and see what you can do to make improvements. This includes things like additional information, expanding on certain points, adding new stats, or even cleaning up some of your writing.
I come across all kinds of errors months after I publish an article. It’s difficult to edit your own work, sometimes.
Keep Apprised of Current and Relevant Information
Keeping up on trends and current industry events can help you keep evergreen content thriving on your site.
Remember my comment about Blockbuster? I highly doubt people today are wondering if they can rent a VHS tape of Avengers: End Game.
Schedule Improvements Every Six Months
This kind of goes along with the previous point. If you schedule your improvements and updates every six months, you can keep an article relatively current regardless of its primary topic.
To do this, I’ll schedule a “check-up” on an article by using Asana, as that’s the app I use to keep myself productive. Essentially, I take a look at the content and do a quick search in Google to see if anything has changed.
If things have changed, I then schedule a re-write or update for myself so I don’t forget.
Use Last Modified or Updated Plugins for WordPress (optional)
One of the things that can turn people off from reading your post is the publish date. If they see it is several years old, they may begin to form an opinion that the article is outdated.
Personally, I use a last-modified plugin that shows the most current date of when I made changes to a piece of evergreen content. You can see an example of what I mean at the top of this article.
Feel Free to Mix it Up
Not every article you write for your website needs to fall into the “evergreen” category. Sometimes it’s nice for your target audience to get a quick bit of news or your opinions on current events and trends.
In other words, you don’t need to completely rely on evergreen content to build a successful website. Just keep in mind how that type of content can affect the traffic, income, and interest of your site.
Keeping the Content Relevant
The most important factor to remember is to keep your content relevant to both your niche and future reference. Search engines focus more on material that is relevant to a search result and will penalize your content if it’s not.
Luckily, it’s not all that difficult to keep your writing centered around your industry and create the right pieces to drive traffic.
Evergreen content has done wonders for all of my websites. Although I may still offer something that is centered around specific events or times of the year, I will still fall back on writing something that can last throughout the ages.
Give your articles the ability to drive traffic for longer than a month. Create something that is timeless and discover for yourself if it’s a worthwhile process.
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