If you’ve had a website for more than five minutes, you’ve probably got a few blog posts you haven’t looked at in years. They sit quietly in the back of your content archive like forgotten gym equipment. They still exist, they once had potential, but nobody’s touched them since that burst of motivation you had a long time ago.
Here’s the truth: those old posts might be the biggest missed SEO opportunity on your site.
At Strottner Designs, we’ve seen refreshed content outperform brand new posts again and again. Why? Because aging content carries authority, backlinks, and history that Google already trusts. When you update it the right way, it’s like giving a seasoned employee new training. They already know the job, they just need a little sharpening.
If you want to squeeze real SEO power out of the content you already have, here’s the process we use every day for clients.
Search engines love freshness, accuracy, and depth. If your old post has decent bones but outdated information, you’re leaving organic traffic on the table. Updating a post often works faster than writing something new because you’re improving a page that Google already knows exists.
Think of it like remodeling an older home. The structure is good, the foundation is solid, and you don’t need to rebuild. You’re simply making it relevant to today’s needs.
Start by pulling every blog post into a list. Don’t overthink the tool. Google Sheets works fine.
Sort your posts into three buckets:
1. High traffic, outdated content
These are your low hanging fruit. They already get visitors, but they’re old enough to need a tune up.
2. Low traffic, high potential content
Great topics. Weak execution. A simple update can flip these around.
3. Content you’d never show anyone
Maybe it’s outdated. Maybe the writing makes you cringe. Maybe the topic doesn’t even fit your brand anymore. Those need either a major rewrite or retirement.
This gives you a clear, manageable update plan.
Search intent changes all the time. What users wanted three years ago may not be what they’re searching for today.
Google your primary keyword, which in this case is update old blog posts for SEO, and look closely at the top ranking pages. Notice:
If your older post isn’t answering the current version of the question, there’s no chance it’ll outrank the pages that are.
Match what’s working now, not what worked when you originally wrote it.
Now comes the real work. Take your outdated post and rewrite it in a way that feels clean, useful, and alive.
Focus on:
A stronger intro:
Grab the reader quickly. No long warm ups.
Simpler structure:
Shorter paragraphs. Clear subheads. Smooth pacing.
Updated details:
Old stats, dead tools, and outdated advice kill credibility fast.
More personality:
Readers want a human, not a marketing robot.
More value:
If someone finishes the article and says “that helped,” you’ve nailed it.
Google favors posts that feel complete.
Ask yourself:
Thin content is almost impossible to rank. Add what’s missing.
Don’t stuff. Don’t repeat the phrase so often it sounds like you’re chanting it in your sleep.
Instead, weave variations in naturally:
Use them in headers, intros, and image alt text where appropriate. Let them blend into the writing.
Most websites forget this step. It’s simple but powerful.
Add links to:
Then go back to other posts on your site and link them to the refreshed content as well.
This creates a healthy internal web that tells Google your content is connected and updated.
Visuals age faster than text. Screenshots become ancient in a year. Tools change. Interfaces change. Logos change.
Update images, diagrams, thumbnails, and graphics. Make sure everything looks current, clean, and helpful.
This step is quick but essential.
Metadata shapes how your content appears in search results. If it’s boring, outdated, or vague, fewer people click.
Older posts often slow down over time because of heavy images or messy code.
Do a quick check:
Google won’t reward a slow page no matter how good the content is.
Once your update is finished:
Treat it like a new piece of content. You didn’t spend all that time polishing it just to hide it again.
Most business owners don’t. That’s reality. You’re busy running a business, not babysitting old blog posts.
That’s exactly why Strottner Designs handles content refresh projects from top to bottom.
We can:
We’ve built and managed content for hundreds of clients, and our SEO team knows exactly how to take old posts and bring them back to life.
If you don’t have the bandwidth for this, hand it to us. We’ll turn forgotten content into fresh traffic and leads.
Interested in a new site and SEO, or just a new site? Visit Home of the Free Website to learn how we can build you a free or affordable site.
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