Are there easy ways to promote your old blog posts, and should you feature them on your blog again?
Can old blog posts bring in more visitors, followers and comments?
The answer to both questions is YES.
If you’ve been regularly publishing blog posts, the archive of your blog will be a treasure trove of opportunities waiting for you to bring alive again.
Rather than leave these old blog posts idle, there are ways you can bring them back in front of your audience.
These old blog posts probably never got anywhere near as many views and comments as your recent blog posts do, but did you know that they could quickly bring you lots more views and comments?
My three quick and easy tips to bring these old blog posts alive again are easy to follow and will deliver results as soon as you implement them.
1. Display ‘related’ posts at the end of all your blog posts.
I’m always surprised by how many WordPress bloggers don’t have this feature switched on.
If you’re using the Classic editor, did you know that there are various settings for the ‘Related posts‘ feature?
Here’s a screenshot of the related posts that featured at the end of my recent blog post How To Use Excerpts To Get More Visitors To Read Your Blog Posts.
WordPress automatically chooses which of your posts to display.
If you’re not already showing related blog posts at the end of newly published blog posts, follow this guide.
- On the dashboard of your blog, click on Settings and Reading.
- On the Reading Settings page, look for Related Posts.
- Switch on ‘Show Related Content After Posts.’
- Choose which settings options you want to use.
- At the bottom of the screen, click on the Save Changes button.
- Future published posts will now display three related posts from your archives.
2. The ‘Blog Posts’ Block
For those using the Gutenberg block editor, there’s a terrific block I use that allows me to choose which of my previous blog posts to promote again on newly published posts. It’s called the ‘Blog Posts‘ block, and it’s easy to use.
- Insert the ‘Blog Posts‘ block in the place where you’d like to feature it on your upcoming new post. You’ll find the ‘Blog Posts‘ block under ‘Layout Elements.’
- It will default to show the last three blog posts you published, but this can be changed.
- You can leave it as it is, or there are several settings you can switch on.
- Today, I’m going to show you how to choose the blog posts you want to display.
- When you insert the block, on the righthand side of the page, a toolbar will open. Under Display Settings, look for Choose specific posts and slide the button to the ‘on’ position.
- In the ‘Posts‘ box, type in the title of a blog post you want to display. As you type, suggestions for blogs posts with the words you are using will appear.
- Select the blog post you want to feature.
- It will show as a tag in the Posts box.
- If you’re going to add more blog posts, search for them by typing in more words in the Posts box.
- I recommend that you add no more than three posts.
- The Blog Posts block has lots of other settings, which you can read about here.
3. Add pingbacks to previous blog posts.
If you’re not sure what a pingback is, or how to add them to blog posts, my post ‘How To Create A Pingback To A WordPress Blog‘ will help.
There’s nothing wrong with adding pingbacks and linking back to your previous blog posts.
In fact, I’d recommend that you have at least a couple of pingbacks in all your blog posts. However, you should always ensure that what you’re writing about is connected to the post you’re linking back too.
Did you know that pingbacks can be added to images, pictures and photos in all your blog posts?
Let’s say I want to add a pingback to my blog post How To Use Excerpts To Get More Visitors To Read Your Blog Posts.
Here’s the image I’m going to add to my new post, and which I want to add the pingback too.
- After adding the image or photo, click on it to open up a toolbar, and click on the ‘link‘ icon.
- Search for the blog post you want to link too by typing the title of the post in the search bar.
- Add the post (by clicking on it).
- Click on the small arrow to open up more settings, and slide the ‘open in a new tab‘ button to the ‘on‘ position.’ Now, when readers click on the image, the post will open up in a new window on their device.
- Click the ‘apply‘ button.
- Finally, add a caption informing readers to click on the image to be taken to the post.
- You can also create pingbacks in the caption you’ve added.
Conclusion
- The archives of your blog is a treasure trove of blog posts that can still bring in new visitors, comments and followers.
- Don’t allow old blog posts to remain idle and not work for you.
- New followers of your blog may not have read your previous blog posts. Put them in front of your new audience.
- People who may have read your older posts are often thankful for the opportunity to read them again, especially if the post includes tips and advice.
- Keep old blog posts up to date.
- On the Gutenberg block editor, WordPress has made available a number of blocks that help to promote old blog posts. The ‘Blog Posts‘ block is the one featured in this post.
- If you’re not already using the ‘Related Posts’ feature, consider switching it on.
- Remember that you can create pingbacks to old blog posts from any images or photos included in all your future blog posts.
What about you?
- Do you promote your old blog posts? If not, why not?
- How do you promote your old blog posts?
- What way(s) of promoting old blog posts has worked best for you?
- Do you have much success when promoting old blog posts?
Join the discussion by leaving me a comment that I can respond to with more than just a ‘thank you.’
Did you enjoy reading this post? Then you may also like…
How To Create A Pingback On A WordPress Blog
Did you known that pingbacks can help drive traffic to your website or blog? Not sure what a pingback is or how to create one? My blog post answers the questions and shows you how.
Why Every Blogger Should Have An About Me Page On Their Blog
The ‘About me’ page of a blog is one of the most visited pages of any blog. This is why every blogger should have one. But what information should it contain?
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Hugh's Views & News 
I’ve been experimenting with the “related posts” block as a result of reading your tip here Hugh. Problem I’m encountering is that the excerpt which appears includes the social media sharing buttons and the likes, so making that block very cluttered. I noticed that your related posts section is much cleaner. How do you manage to eliminate the social media buttons etc.
Hi Karen, I’ve had a look at the setting for ‘related posts’ and can’t see anything to do with how you’ve got your social media buttons and like buttons included. They certainly don’t show up on mine, and I can’t see how to add them. It could be related to a plugin you have installed on your blog or the theme you’re using. In talking with a Happiness Engineer about another problem, I mentioned that you’d somehow got sharing buttons and the like button included on your featured posts, and he/she were not sure how. Anyway, they said they were going to look into it and let me know why they’re showing on your featured posts and not mine. I’ll let you know what they say.
Thank you Hugh. I’m now most intrigued! Is there really a job called a “happiness engineer” !!!
If you work at WordPress, yes there is.
Well, it seems those sharing buttons and like button showing up on your related posts are not supposed to be there, Karen. WordPress says that one of the plugins you have installed on your blog has a bug which they are aware of. They didn’t say which one, but said this –
“I’ve taken a deeper look at this and can see that we have reported this to our developers for review and resolution. We cannot offer a timetable on if/when a fix will be deployed, but it is something we are actively working on. “
Thanks for persuing this Hugh, how frustrating that they don’t say which bug so I can fix it…. I’ll report it myself so they have a clear message it needs to be fixed
I don’t think it’s anything you could have fixed, Karen. It’ll be something the developers of the faulty plugin will need to address. However, it’s certainly worth reporting the problem to WordPress.
I do this quite a bit with my posts. I try to connect them together so readers have other information to go to 🙂
That’s great.
Your comment went straight to my WordPress spam folder. Not sure why, but it may be worth you checking that none of the other comments you’re leaving on other blog posts are doing the same thing. If they are, you’ll need to contact WordPress as they can fix it for you.
Oh that’s strange. Ok I’ll look into it
I missed reading some of your recent posts Hugh and am catching up on them today. I use pingbacks in my blog very rarely. I will make a conscious effort to it more often.
I have the related posts option turned on. So I do get some views to my old blog posts via the related posts.
I can only find related posts and recent posts options. i don’t see Blog Post Block under the layout elements. I wonder why!
Thank you for these tips Hugh. They are very useful and encouraging.
Hi Deepa, thank you so much for catching up on some of my recent posts. It’s a good time to do it because I’m taking a break from writing and publishing more blogging tips posts until the autumn.
WordPress has now moved the ‘Blog Posts’ block and placed it under ‘Widgets.’ So you’ll find it there. Better still, do a search for it on the search bar that comes up when looking for blocks.
I tried searching for it and it did not show up. Will try once again Hugh. I am not good at trying out various options. I will dedicate some time for it every now and then. I tend to stick to the tried and tested options. So I look forward to reading posts like yours and then I know exactly what to do..:-)
Earlier this year I started re-promoting older posts by changing them to the block editor, adding new content or tweaking the old one and improving the formatting (shortening paragraphs, adding sub headings). Then I re-publish with a new date. First time I did it I forgot to add a paragraph to explain it was a revised post and I had a few questions about that. So now I always add an explanatory note.
It works well because many of the people who follow me now were not doing so at the time the original post went live . So the post gets a new audience.
Great tip about the blog posts block – I just did this for my two most recent posts. Two frustrations – I can’t edit the extract to remove the “share this buttons” and even though I select 3 columns to display the posts, they will display only two alongside each other and a third underneath. I suspect its related to the theme I have and the width of the page.
Some of the people who have been following our blogs since the beginning will probably remember the posts we decide to update and republish again, although I see many bloggers not saying it’s a revamp. I think it depends on the blogger who is republishing the post and what the time frame is between when the post was originally published. Republishing them as a reason for converting them to the block editor is a fantastic way of doing this. It’s great to hear that you’re doing this. And those new to your blog will also be delighted to hear you’re updating and republishing older posts.
Have you tried using the ‘list’ option in the blog posts block rather than using the columns? I think the block defaults to displaying them as columns, but I sometimes find that the list option works far better. It would be worth you checking out all the different options in the toolbar of that particular block.
I’ve switched to the list display for the moment until I can find an answer to my problem. Thanks Hugh for the idea
You’re welcome. This may help too.
https://wordpress.com/support/wordpress-editor/blocks/blog-posts-block/
Don’t hesitate to ask if I can be of any help.
Good tips! Thanks so much for linking up with me at my #UnlimitedMonthlyLinkParty 14, open July 1 to 26. All party entries shared if social media buttons installed.
I’ve been doing this for a while. And at the moment I’m editing my early posts to add more information and link them to later posts on the site. It will hopefully keep people reading, gain more followers and give them a better experience when reading my blog
It sounds like you have ‘promoting’ your older posts covered. Our blog archives are full of treasure, much of which will not have been read by those who have only recently discovered our blogs. Keep up with the great work you’re doing on promoting your older posts.
What a treasure trove of information and advice. Thanks so much Hugh. I’ll be going back and looking at some of my older posts and maybe reinvigorating them.
Please do, Miriam. There’s hidden treasure in the archives of your blog.
Hi Hugh,
Is a ping back the same thing as when there is a link back to the post? I’m guessing it is? I don’t have a blog, yet.
I’m surprised when every so often I come across a blog with that doesn’t do this. For example I was at a quilt blog and they had the prettiest quilt, but not link back to their tutorial, and no tutorial tab. It’s rare that this happens, maybe they are so new they just don’t know yet these things yet.
Yes, that’s correct, Lea.
Unfortunately, some bloggers shy away from the technical stuff like creating and inserting pingbacks onto their blog posts. When you become a blogger, to have any chance of being successful and continuing to reach lots of people, you have to get involved in knowing the ins and outs of how building a blog works, as well as being prepared to market and promote your blog posts; otherwise, only a handful of people will ever see them. Now, some bloggers don’t mind that, but the majority want to attract a broad audience, and some will want to try and make a bit of money out of their blog, too.
Some bloggers treat their blogs as like having a Facebook page. Usually, their posts only ever reach the same people, most of whom are family members or close friends.
I see the same thing happen when it comes to social media or when anything changes in the blogging world. You have to be willing to take on a lot more than simply writing blog posts, and you certainly need to adapt to changes that occur instead of (as I see some doing) complaining about them.
Thank you Hugh for taking the time to explain so ,many details and answer my questions.
Very helpful! Thank you so much! Will defiantly be putting these tips to use Just started blogging again.
You’re welcome. Good luck on your blogging journey.
I always seem to find your posts timely to my needs as a newbie. I have been recycling some of my older, brand new blogger posts, for Senior Salon and Mid-Life Share the Love, as I try to balance my own writing with the need and desire to do due diligence and read other writers. I confess I was feeling a little guilty about doing that. One thing I am going to try to do, because I am more a handwriter than a tech person. I have a journal that I am using for blogging, with the idea that I can list the names of blogs and bloggers that I follow (trying to keep names correct in my mind) as well as pages where I am listing what posts I have shared with what party. Some of the people I follow participate in both. Anyway, perhaps that hint will help others like myself who do not keep track of everything online. I do use WordPress so my reader’s page is helpful, but I don’t automatically follow everyone I read so I don’t get overwhelmed. Interested in your thoughts on this. and thank you so much! Michele Somerville, The Beach Girl Chronicles
I’m pleased that my blogging tips posts are helping, Michele.
There’s no harm in recycling older blog posts. In fact, many new readers and followers to your site will never have seen those posts before. Those that have may enjoy reading them again.
And I’m pleased to see you making the most of the various bloggers’ linky parties. They’re a great source of gaining new readers and followers.
I stopped following everyone who followed my blog years ago. Like you said, it can get too overwhelming following too many blogs, and why follow a blog that you’re not really interested in and never going to visit again? I stick to following only the blogs that publish content that interests me. I think most bloggers get this.
Thank you Hugh. Another great think about the linking parties is feedback. Most folks, like yourself take commenting seriously. I love taht I have family and friends who read my writing (Even my husband, gracious sakes) but their comments are minimal. I appreciate their support, but it often feels like getting a birthday card from someone you love who only signs their name! Thanks and blessings, Michele
That’s a lovely way of describing it, Michele.
One thing I must say.
Only evergreen post can bring fresh views and comments.
For that I republish my older evergreen posts by changing their published date. And whatever you said.
If you wrote something about some trend on that time. Then you have no reason to bring it back to work.
It’s not only evergreen posts that can bring new views and comments. It can be done with any post, especially if it’s updated, recategorised and tags are updated. I’ve had success with this with several older posts that were not necessary evergreen. However, I do agree that evergreen posts are most likely to get fresh views if no updating is done.
The only downside I know of changing publication dates and times on a post is that links on previous social media posts and on reblogged posts may no longer work. Links normanally then show a 404 Not Found error.
I tried but didn’t get views in one of my old post. But when I started publishing evergreen post I found boom in views count.
But what you said is truly beneficial for me. I’ll surely try changing tags and recategorised it. Hope it’ll help me.
And for changing publication dates. I recommend try changing premalinks to show title of the post not dates. I can’t guarantee, but it may help. 🙂
And thanks for suggesting me.
Hugh, CONGRATULATIONS! Our Julie has chosen your helpful post to be FEATURED on the next Blogger’s Pit Stop.
Kathleen
That’s fantastic news. Thank you so much, Kathleen.
Wonderful tips 😊 the blog post block was very useful. I was having trouble figuring out how to display specific posts.
Thank you.
Unfortunately, your comment went straight to my WordPress spam folder. Not sure why, but it may be worth you checking if any of the other comments you’re leaving on other blogs are also ending up in spam. If they are, there’s a way out, but you have to contact WordPress. Most bloggers don’t know their comments are ending up in the spam folder unless somebody mentions it to then. Fortunately, I check my spam folder at least a couple of times a day.
Thanks Hugh 👍 I’ll check that one out.
Sadly, I use Blogger (and haven’t mustered the energy to change to a better platform). As far as I know, I can only do this the hard way, by sifting my posts for something related and creating a link. I do occasionally push old post with “flashbacks” where I repost something from an earlier time. I need to work on how to make that work better.
The only encounter I’ve had with Blogger is when I have attempted to leave some comments on some posts I’d read. It wasn’t an easy process, although I understand a lot of people use the platform. I’m not familiar with how it works as a blogging platform, but I’ve heard it’s been around for a long time. Good to hear you’re using pingbacks to your older posts on your blog though. It’s definitely worth doing.
Thanks so much, Hugh! Totally brilliant information on the blog posts block. I like the Gutenberg Editor and find it really helpful when it comes to promotion! Bravo for a great post. ❤
Same here, Colleen. The Gutenberg editor has some cool blocks, and I love the blog posts block because it’s so easy to use and helps put previous blog posts in front of your audience.
I’ll definitely be using your instructions and taking advantage of the blog posts block, Hugh. Thanks for sharing. You always share the good stuff. I haven’t told you, but you but we’ve received a little kitten from a neighbor. She’s very young but starting to fit into the family the best she can. It feels good to have a tiny one with us again. ❤
That’s fantastic news, Colleen. Many congratulations on the new arrival.
Thanks, Hugh. We’re having fun getting acquainted. Happy Summer Solstice. ❤
Thank you for the easy-to-follow tutorial. I tried it out in my post of today and it worked perfectly!
That’s fantastic to hear. Thank you for confirming how easy it was to follow my tutorial.