You’ve probably heard of the term ‘evergreen content’, but what does it really mean and how do you make the most of it? Evergreen content is basically content that keeps on giving. It is something that remains relevant over a long period of time (so is not time-sensitive), has good search engine optimisation, and continues to drive traffic long after it’s first posted.

Though all of your blogs and other online content aren’t likely to disappear after posting, evergreen content is content that people will always need, want and search for. Typically lists, industry resources, how-to guides, top tips and product reviews lend themselves well to evergreen content, but ultimately to make content that’s ‘evergreen’ you must ensure it remains fresh and of interest to your target readers.

Why?

Now you know what evergreen content is you might be asking why it matters. Here are some important reasons why you absolutely need it:

1. Time-sensitive and ‘trendy’ content will usually lead to a temporary spike in website traffic but evergreen content maintains and increases traffic.
2. You don’t have to rely on having newsworthy content in the moment or worry about racing against a competitor.
3. Part of creating good evergreen content is that you update it regularly. It’s content that can easily be updated and repurposed into something new without you having to start from scratch.
4. It content keeps your business on people’s radar without making you seem outdated or left behind.

Evergreen content ultimately saves time and energy while still achieving great results. It is a necessary part of maintaining website traffic and coverage views.

Despite what you may think, even the biggest and best publications rely on this content and not the splashy, fleeting news headline.

How?

Now let’s talk about how to write evergreen content and how to make that content work hard for your business:

1. When choosing your content topics, think about your FAQs – What are people actively searching? What are people looking for? What problem can you provide a solution to in your industry? There are plenty of lists online with ideas and prompts for evergreen content.
2. Make actionable content – think about creating content that helps someone in the short term. Perhaps it’s developing a skill or teaching the reader something new.
3. Update your content regularly – as mentioned above, evergreen content lasts a long time but to make it last longer you have to ensure you keep it fresh and up to date with the latest information and guidance you have.
4. Don’t just post and forget about it – be sure to share your content across your social platforms. You also don’t need to be afraid of sharing content that is older if it’s evergreen. If the information is still relevant make sure you’re getting it out the right people.
5. Use different forms of media – combine images, text and maybe even video as often as you can to create varied and engaging content.
6. Think about adding downloadable extras – we all like free stuff! Consider adding some printables or visual PDFs to your content for readers to take with them.

Get to writing up your evergreen content now and save yourself a lot of stress and energy later. Go forth and provide constant value to your reader, while your evergreen content provides constant value to your business.

About Carnsight Communications

At Carnsight Communications we create strategies and campaigns to showcase our clients’ brilliant work through PR, content and social media. We help them get noticed by the right audience, at the right time. We specialise in creative agency PR.