Evergreen content is powerful, and will take your website to new levels.
So how do you go about creating evergreen content? And really, what the hell is evergreen content for your website?
Common SEO Questions had a decent post explaining what evergreen content is just last month, while Search Engine Journal seems to have one of the definitive articles on evergreen content, written in 2013.
Basically, evergreen content is content the people will always be looking for, and that will never get old. Media Careers mentions health magazines and how they always have articles on abs exercises. “It's of as much interest to readers in say, November as it is in July,” the article states.
So how do you go about creating evergreen content? And really, what the hell is evergreen content for your website?
Common SEO Questions had a decent post explaining what evergreen content is just last month, while Search Engine Journal seems to have one of the definitive articles on evergreen content, written in 2013.
Basically, evergreen content is content the people will always be looking for, and that will never get old. Media Careers mentions health magazines and how they always have articles on abs exercises. “It's of as much interest to readers in say, November as it is in July,” the article states.
I have several articles on Big Sky Words that have achieved evergreen status, and I measure that the following ways:
That’s the key to evergreen content in my mind – they achieve results without effort.
Here’s a look at the most viewed articles on my site this month:
- They show up on the first page of Google’s SERP;
- They make my article Top 10 list several months in a row;
- They generate ad revenue each month without effort;
- They produce views each month without effort.
That’s the key to evergreen content in my mind – they achieve results without effort.
Here’s a look at the most viewed articles on my site this month:
Most popular website articles for evergreen content
I was happy to see that social media article take the #1 spot early this month, for a variety of reasons.
Hey, this is something I see each month, and it’s clear from my Weebly analytics:
- First, I was happy to see it get so many views so quickly, something I attribute to good sharing on Google+ and Twitter;
- Next, I know that within a week my evergreen content will knock it out of the #1 spot;
- Finally, within a few days of being knocked out of #1 it will fall out of the Top 3 entirely, and pretty much disappear from there. Then it’s the same ‘boring’ articles (to me at least) all month.
Hey, this is something I see each month, and it’s clear from my Weebly analytics:
The analytics of evergreen content
By tomorrow What Famous Celebrities Live in Montana? will have taken over the top spot, because that article gets about 100 views a day, on average.
After that it’s only a matter of time before the next two evergreen articles on this site – 25 Famous People from Montana You Might Not Know and Top 10 eBook Cover Design Sites – consume whatever feeble progress that social media article made.
Is that to say that 5 Social Media Marketing Gems from 2014 is a bad article? No, it’s just that it’s not evergreen content, and can in no way stand up against the direct and sustained traffic assaults that evergreen content delivers on a daily basis, pummeling whatever defenses your new articles possess.
Yes, evergreen content is indeed powerful.
After that it’s only a matter of time before the next two evergreen articles on this site – 25 Famous People from Montana You Might Not Know and Top 10 eBook Cover Design Sites – consume whatever feeble progress that social media article made.
Is that to say that 5 Social Media Marketing Gems from 2014 is a bad article? No, it’s just that it’s not evergreen content, and can in no way stand up against the direct and sustained traffic assaults that evergreen content delivers on a daily basis, pummeling whatever defenses your new articles possess.
Yes, evergreen content is indeed powerful.
Evergreen content is also powerful for your advertising revenues. Well, it’s not that powerful for mine, but for yours it might be:
Google Adsense revenue from evergreen content
Over the last 28 days I made about $20 or more from advertising, advertising revenue that came about directly or indirectly from that evergreen content. Folks, that’s free money right there, and if your site is bigger than mine, it could really pack a punch.
I have some other, smaller evergreens coming in on this site as well. Mainly, these are articles that were written some time ago, but continue to get sustained traffic each month, and through no effort of my own. These include 10 Great Mountain Man Fur Trapping Books and Nelson Story and the 1866 Montana Cattle Drive, just to name two.
You’ll notice that most of my evergreen content is also fulfilling another requirement – local SEO. Yes, my most popular content is for people interested in Montana, which is the state I live in.
Each of those articles came about because I wanted to write something helpful, and something that I was interested in. I was primarily concerned with helping my audience, and I sure seem to have done so – those articles are nearly two years old now!
That’s the thing with evergreen content – it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Try to gauge your audience wants and needs, and write some up. Evergreen content is typically longer than other content – my most popular articles are 2,000 to 5,000 words – and you usually just need your keyword analytics from Google or your web host to figure out what to focus on.
Give it a try on your site and realize the power of evergreen content firsthand!
You’ll notice that most of my evergreen content is also fulfilling another requirement – local SEO. Yes, my most popular content is for people interested in Montana, which is the state I live in.
Each of those articles came about because I wanted to write something helpful, and something that I was interested in. I was primarily concerned with helping my audience, and I sure seem to have done so – those articles are nearly two years old now!
That’s the thing with evergreen content – it’s the gift that keeps on giving. Try to gauge your audience wants and needs, and write some up. Evergreen content is typically longer than other content – my most popular articles are 2,000 to 5,000 words – and you usually just need your keyword analytics from Google or your web host to figure out what to focus on.
Give it a try on your site and realize the power of evergreen content firsthand!
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