For those in the SEO know, you’ve no doubt heard the phrase “evergreen content”. For the uninitiated, you’ve no doubt been told that your site needs to have it. So what is and why are evergreen articles good for SEO?
1. Evergreen content definition
Evergreen content is SEO content that is continually relevant and stays “fresh” for readers.
2. Why is it Called “Evergreen”?
It’s quite simple. Evergreen trees, unlike deciduous trees stay green all year-round. It doesn’t die off. Like the trees, evergreen content is considered sustainable and lasting.
But doesn’t all content stay around on the internet? Well yes, but it doesn’t all stay ‘relevant’ ongoing.
It might help to understand what is NOT evergreen.
• News articles
• Statistics or reports that change and go out of date
• Pieces about a specific holiday or season
• Articles focused on a current trend or pop culture fad
• Latest clothing and fashion trends
Evergreen web content has (virtually) no expiration date and ideally will retain its value over the long-term.
Common Evergreen Formats
Below are some common evergreen formats you might consider in generating lasting content.
• Lists
• Top Tips
• Instructional “How to” Tutorials
• Encyclopedia-type Entries
• Product Reviews
• Videos
Writing in these formats does not automatically make your piece evergreen, but these structures tend to work well with evergreen writing. Videos are especially effective when you need to illustrate how to do something. You could also consider using a series of images.
3. Examples of Evergreen Content
Here are some specific examples of what would be considered evergreen articles.
• How to Build a Rabbit Hutch – Clear, concise tutorials with attractive photos make great evergreen pieces.
• 10 Ways to Meditate – Can you imagine a future where people don’t like to relax? You get the idea.
Some content doesn’t go out of date. Informational sites are examples of this.
These sites are major producers of evergreen content:
• about.com
• wikipedia.com
• answers.com
• imdb.com
• ehow.com
Wikipedia, for example, ranks on the first page for almost half of all Google searches!
Evergreen SEO: Combining Sustainable Content with Popular Keywords
Now imagine if Google always ranked your content & site as relevant, then the keywords used within your site would get ranked and stay ranked! Of course, the keywords need to be researched to ensure they are the words and phrases being searched by users.
4. Tips for Writing Evergreen Content
Don’t Write for the Experts – your audience is primarily beginners, and you want to generate content aimed at them.
Avoid Overly Technical Language – Because most of your content is for beginners, complicated, technical language could scare them off, so stick with more simple rhetoric. Look up Flesch Readability Score to help you understand about ease of read for users.
Narrow Your Topic –Simple, specific topics are more grabbing
Link Posts Together – Once an interested reader finds a relevant article, they will more than likely read the other articles in the series. This is great for SEO, and lets readers solve a specific need while also guiding them to additional relevant articles.
Of course always use a mixture of evergreen and current content is a good way to cover all bases.
