How to Write Content that Won't Expire

THE GUIDE:

HOW TO WRITE
CONTENT

THAT WON’T EXPIRE

The Guide:

HOW TO WRITE CONTENT
THAT WON’T EXPIRE

© 2016 Adviatech Corp.

E vergreen content stands out from the vast forest of
indistinguishable, stale content because it continues to gain search
engine traffic and readers well past its publication date.

Relevant content that remains fresh for all of a firm’s website visitors is known
as “evergreen content.” Like a pine tree that is consistently green, this kind of
content is sustainable, and it lasts.

The analogy is useful because the component parts of the term “evergreen”
are evocative of their goal. The color green is associated with things that are
new and fresh, while the word “ever” implies something that is perpetual.
Evergreen content stands out from the vast forest of indistinguishable, stale
content because it continues to gain search engine traffic and readers well past
its publication date. Evergreen content is also likely to retain its marketing
value over the long haul.

By contrast, other material fades in relevance or even becomes obsolete. Some
types of news articles, reports based on statistics that are likely to change
frequently, and highly topical commentary are all examples. What may have
been relevant in 2014 may very well be tired and unworthy of attention
by 2015.

There is a sequential cause-and-effect process involved in the growth of
evergreen content. Evergreen content first becomes evergreen when search
engines index it and return it in search results; once that content establishes
itself as evergreen to search engines, it becomes evident to searchers.

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In order to understand how search engines promote evergreen content, it is
useful to become familiar with the mechanics of rankings. Google and other
search engines deploy “spiders” or bots that crawl around the internet looking
for website changes — or more precisely, how frequently websites are changed.
The less frequently a website is changed through additional content or
updates, the less often it will entice web crawls. It will appear inactive and
drop in rankings.

In addition, Google rewards websites and content that qualify for the
so-called “freshness factor.” When a page is brand new, it scores its highest for
freshness, but that score dwindles over time. However, Google confers bonuses
when websites consistently add new or updated content, particularly to websites
with a higher proportion of new or spritzed-up content over a period of time.

While evergreen content is invaluable for its search-engine boosting and
readership-luring strengths, it is not necessary for your firm to populate its
website solely with evergreen content. Just as a healthy forest is a mix of
various ecological elements, so too, is it useful for websites to have a judicious
sampling of timely, topical pieces among long-lasting evergreen pieces. The
topical items will help direct immediate, short-term traffic to the website,
a benefit that is complemented by the longer-term drawing power of
evergreen pieces.

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The evergreens of the plant kingdom range from the foot-high pygmy pine to
the stately redwood. Similarly, evergreen content comes in a variety of forms.

i Conventional wisdom says that whatever appears online will

remain online forever. But that assumption does not mean
that its relevance survives very long. For your firm’s search
engine optimization, content marketing and any other forms
of web marketing, relevance and freshness is essential. 

Case Studies and Reports:
Often presented in PDF form, case studies are among the most-viewed and,
very importantly, most-cited forms of content. Both case studies and reports
usually reference a specific timeframe but remain valid thereafter (and thus
retain their research value). Researchers frequently cite, as well as link to, case
studies and reports, which serves as a major path for traffic and link building.

Glossaries, Definitions, Explanations and FAQs:
People use the internet to obtain information, and the search process behind
this objective usually begins with a question that asks, “What?” “Where?”
“When?” “Who?” “Why?” or “How?” The answers to these questions almost
never fall out of interest, and Google will promote the most relevant examples.

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How-To Guides, Tutorials, Testimonials and Tips:
Web users often seek more than the direct answers to their questions. When
the answer has a practical application to those asking, they want to know how
other people have achieved the best results or enjoyed the best experience.
Relevant, practical how-to features are superb because users can relate to them
on a personal level. And Google lets them linger in a prominent position for
long periods of time.

Lists: People love lists. Typically, a person who encounters new information
tries to process it as effortlessly as possible, a goal for which lists are ideal.
They are easy to read and skim, they can be revisited whenever a person
wishes, and, from your perspective, they are easy to write.

A firm should generously represent these types of evergreen content and
augment them on a regular, frequent basis with quality in mind. A cardinal rule
of writing is that you should craft pieces for your targeted audience. For law
firms, the targeted audience is potential clients, not other law firms or legal
professionals. It serves no marketing purpose to produce content that employs
overly technical or rarely used terms. They may make sense to an expert in
the field, but they will be lost on the much larger group of newcomers who are
trying to learn about the basics.

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Informative content should be written in a breezy, approachable style. And it
is better to write a piece with a narrowly focused topic instead of one with too
broad a scope; the former is more likely to retain the interest of a reader. It is
far better to write several narrowly focused but related pieces, and then to link
them together. You are more likely to keep readers onboard, and this tactic is
great for SEO.

Evergreen content is not restricted to written material. Videos and infographics
are both popular and easy on the eyes. When your firm experiments with
multiple kinds of evergreen content, your website becomes more interesting.
And an interesting website will stand out.

Evergreen content is a fundamentally important part of online marketing, so
present it in the most engaging way possible. Tending to and freshening that
evergreen content over time involves some effort, but the work spent will give
the content a high-profile, enduring position that pays off in the long run.

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The Guide:

HOW TO WRITE CONTENT THAT WON’T EXPIRE

Author: James Ambroff-Tahan

This book is published by Custom Legal Marketing through an exclusive license
with the Bigger Law Firm magazine. This publication may not be distributed or

sold without written consent.

© 2016 Adviatech Corp.