Should You Delete, Update, or Republish Your Old Blog Posts?
As a blogger, you likely know that maintaining high-quality content is crucial for your blog’s success. One of the key aspects is dealing with old blog posts. What should we do with them? Give them a new lease of life? Delete them? Should we allow them to rot away in our archives, where nobody sees them anymore?
Many blogging experts agree that outdated articles can harm your blog, especially its SEO (search engine optimisation) rating. Even if you are regularly publishing fresh content, any remaining outdated information can diminish your efforts and lower the rankings of your new posts.
Search engines favour accurate, up-to-date information and often direct readers to sites that provide it. That’s one reason I recommend updating your ‘About Me‘ page every six to nine months (I update mine every three months). This also applies to all posts on your blog—outdated content is pointless and can deter readers. Imagine you’re an author and have new visitors to your blog reading out-of-date information. Are they likely to buy any of your books?
I make it a point to clear out old blog posts at least once a year, usually in December, when the blogging scene tends to slow down.
Before you hit delete: Things to consider
Before deleting old posts, take a moment to assess each one. Should bloggers update, rewrite, or simply delete older posts?
If a post remains relevant, provides valuable information, and includes evergreen content, it is advisable to update it. This is especially true if it contains valid pingbacks to other live posts on your blog, other blogs, or reputable external sites.
If a post continues to receive traffic, it may be worth updating. Did you know that you can check how much recent traffic every one of your blog posts has had? On the ‘Posts’ page of your blog’s dashboard, look for the ‘Stats’ column, and check the numbers.
Also, check for incoming pingbacks from other blogs that are still valid; you’ll find them in the comments section of your posts. For example, I recently had to remove several pingbacks to one of my posts because the original content on other blogs was deleted. Broken links can harm your SEO—too many of them, and readers are likely not to return to your site because links don’t work or lead to a ‘404 Content Not Found’ page.
When is it time to rewrite?
If you have an old post with outdated or low-quality content (including low-resolution images) that you believe still holds value, then it’s time for a rewrite. Just remember to delete the older version before publishing the new one.
While rewriting, consider creating a new title that encourages your readers to learn more. A captivating title can significantly boost your click-through rates.
If a post is irrelevant and can only be salvaged through a thorough rewrite, do it! Your audience will value fresh and engaging content, and many of them will never have read the original post.
This post is a rewrite of a popular post from 2022.
Checking for broken links
After deleting any old posts, take a moment to check your blog for broken links. Using a free broken link checker, such as Brokenlinkcheck.com, can assist you with this. However, if it’s your first time, the initial results may seem overwhelming. I recommend pausing the report after identifying about 20 broken links, fixing them, and then running another check.
WordPress also offers a broken link plugin, available depending on your plan or if you’re self-hosted.
Once you’ve finished a broken link check, I recommend doing it at least monthly or whenever old posts are deleted. Also, remember to remove any pingbacks on posts you’re about to delete, as well as delete any images or photos from your media library that are on the post. This helps free up library space.
Is it worth reading old blog posts?
It depends, but if you hear someone celebrating their 5000th blog post, it’s hard to ignore that many of those posts are likely outdated and probably never received any traffic a few days after publication. They may be keeping them for a reason, but don’t hold your breath for any real engagement on them. Many of the comments will also be outdated and probably from readers who no longer have profiles.
If you have posts you want to keep, consider moving them from your blog to a secure location (such as a memory stick).
Can rewritten blog posts be successful?
Absolutely!
I’ve rewritten and republished several of my earlier blog post tips. Initially, these posts had low views and lacked depth, but I revitalised them with improved procedures and high-quality images. I also added links to some of my most successful posts for context.
Many of these revamped pieces have since become top performers on my blog.
Are there any blogs that don’t require regular updating?
No! Every blog needs to be updated. Although some blogs, such as photography blogs, may not require frequent updates to posts, and some blog owners may not prioritise SEO rankings, the ‘About’ page will always need to be updated and links checked to ensure they still work.
Conclusion:
- Delete any old blog posts that contain outdated information that cannot be salvaged.
- Before deleting, deactivate any incoming and outgoing pingbacks associated with the post.
- Delete images from your blog’s media library from posts you are about to delete to free up space.
- Conduct a broken link report on your blog at least once a month or following the deletion of old posts.
- SEO benefits rely on your blog’s capacity to provide updated information; lack of it can hurt your new posts.
- If a post remains relevant and useful with evergreen content, be sure to update it, especially if it contains valid links to other relevant content and continues to receive traffic.
- Rewrite posts that feature outdated or poor-quality content but still hold some relevance and give them a fresh title.
- Always remove older versions of rewritten posts before going live with the new content.
- Every blog needs regular updates, especially the ‘About’ page and a check for broken links.
What criteria do you use when deciding whether to update or delete an old blog post? Have you ever resurrected an old post? What changes did you make to breathe new life into it? How often do you check your blog for broken links, and what tools do you find most effective? Have you ever regretted deleting a post? What would you have done differently?
Layout, content, settings, and format might differ on self-hosted blogs.
The featured image in this blog post is taken from Pixabay. AI checked spelling and grammar mistakes.
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