How to revive your old blog posts without upsetting Google SEO

Would you like to revive old blog posts or keep old posts alive? Have you written some great blog posts in the past that you’d like people to see today? Did you write an old post that could be updated and reshared?

I’m going to tell you how to revive your old blog posts without upsetting Google and your existing SEO (search engine optimization)!

Why?

Because I’ve been seeing a lot of INCORRECT information being told on forums and stated by individuals on periscopes and/or Facebook Live videos. And I want YOU to be aware that there are right ways and there are wrong ways.

Here’s a recent question and the INCORRECT answers I read:

Question: Can I republish my old posts, especially the popular ones, since many of my new readers might not have seen them?

Answer 1: Yes, you can duplicate your old content by cutting and pasting the old content into a new post.

BFF Answer: Google does not like duplicate content, they like fresh content on your site. DO NOT DUPLICATE WORD FOR WORD YOUR EXISTING OLD CONTENT!

Answer 2: Change the date stamp on the existing blog post. For instance, say you published a popular post back in October 2013. You could edit that post and simply change the time stamp to today. The result is that the post would now show up on your homepage or most recent blog post and the permalink would still be the same, so there would be no duplicate content.

BFF Answer: If you change the date stamp on an existing blog post, your permalink changes too. DO NO CHANGE YOUR DATE STAMP!  For instance, if your original post was https://yourmarketingbff.com/2013/10/how-to-create-a-personal-brand-inspiration-board/ and you simply changed the date stamp, the permalink would no longer be this one above, it would be: https://yourmarketingbff.com/2016/5/how-to-create-a-personal-brand-inspiration-board/.

By changing the date stamp, all those people that shared your original post and images on say Pinterest would link to the old post permalink, which is now no longer there. Google doesn’t like broken links!

So—

What can you do to revive your old blog posts without upsetting Google SEO?

1. Compile the most popular posts in a single post, putting only a personalized excerpt and an introduction to what the post is about. Example: My 2015 Reader Favorites.

2. You can write a follow up post that includes the latest information/trends, along with a short summary and then link to the old post.
3. You could write a post mentioning a compilation of posts and link to the old ones. Example:  7 Marketing Mistakes Your Business Must Avoid…Before It’s Too Late!
4. This is similar to #3 above, except compile old posts into a new post topic. For example Pinch of Yum has done a compilation of older recipes under a new post topic of “12 Easy Recipes You Can Make In A Slow Cooker”  or “10 Meals You Should Make For Your Friends With New Babies“.
5. Create a resource page and include a list of old posts.
6. Create a list on your sidebar that showcases old posts that you don’t want new readers to miss. Example: See my BEST POSTS side bar area below

7. Rework the old post as a new one, so there’s no duplicate content.

I’m all about being smart and strategic with your blog post writing!

Heck, I’ve written quite a few blog posts over the years, I’m talking about really good ones that new(er) readers would find valuable. And I’m sure you have too!

I’ve shown you several of the RIGHT WAYS to republish old blog posts to new readers. So now you can easily start reviving some of your old blog posts, without upsetting Google SEO.  Happy blogging my friends!

 

Cover photo via Deborah Zoe Photography