{"id":20512,"date":"2024-01-16T06:37:08","date_gmt":"2024-01-16T06:37:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/?p=20512"},"modified":"2024-02-05T09:22:26","modified_gmt":"2024-02-05T09:22:26","slug":"content-optimization","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/content-optimization\/","title":{"rendered":"Content Optimization: Refreshes, Revisions, and Best Practices"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most marketers treat their content as \u201cone and done.\u201d They post it online, and move on to the next thing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve learned you can get much more mileage out of your content if you think about <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">continuously optimizing your best performers.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We know this from experience: we\u2019ve worked with over 500 clients to develop 100,000 pieces of content, and consistently our best-performing content are the posts and pages that we <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">continually work to optimize.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this guide, we\u2019re revealing how we deliver such incredible results for our clients: continuously optimizing content, even after it&#8217;s been published. Here\u2019s our secret sauce.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What Is Content Optimization?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Content optimization is an ongoing process of <\/span><b>continually making your content better<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Even when you publish your best effort, you don\u2019t know how it will land with your target audience until the content goes live and starts getting \u201ccustomer feedback\u201d \u2013 in the form of bounce rate, time on site, and SEO rankings.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We find our best performers, then refine and adjust the content \u2014 text, visuals, or structure \u2014 to improve it, based on what seems to be working.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Optimization isn\u2019t just an exercise to keep busy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.orbitmedia.com\/blog\/blogging-statistics\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to Orbit Media<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, blogs can experience a nearly 3x increase in performance from refreshed blog posts regularly.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/lp.semrush.com\/rs\/519-IIY-869\/images\/StateofContentMarketing2023.pdf?_ga=2.150247094.1652920636.1680158569-54732968.1678874730&amp;_gl=1*ycqv2c*_ga*NTQ3MzI5NjguMTY3ODg3NDczMA..*_ga_HYWKMHR981*MTY4MDE1ODU2OC41LjEuMTY4MDE1ODU4NS40My4wLjA.*_ga_BPNLXP3JQG*MTY4MDE1ODU2OC41LjEuMTY4MDE1ODU4NS40My4wLjA.\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a survey from Semrush<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> notes that 93% of surveyed marketers state that regularly updating content leads to effective campaigns.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/referralrock.com\/blog\/content-repurposing-tips-from-experts\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">survey from Referral Rock<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, 67% of respondents claimed that updated or repurposed content was the best-generated lead. In comparison, a full 98% stated that these approaches were the most cost-effective marketing tactic.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s another benefit to optimizing content: by republishing with a more recent date, it signals to Google (and your readers) that it\u2019s fresh. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.wordstream.com\/blog\/ws\/2021\/09\/29\/fresh-content-google-ranking-factor\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Freshness is a factor<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>A Note on Content vs. SEO Optimization<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most people see SEO as something you do <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">before <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the content is published. While we want to make our pisces as SEO-friendly as we can from the get-go, the real SEO gains come <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">after <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">publishing, as we see which keywords we\u2019re ranking on, and optimize our content around that.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Optimizing Specific Types of Content<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Each piece of marketing content requires a unique optimization approach, but there are basic principles that apply to each type.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Blogs:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Update outdated information and statistics. Improve SEO by revising keywords and meta descriptions. Enhance readability with new formatting or visuals, and restructure content with tables of contents and internal links. Update the publish date!<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Whitepapers<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Incorporate recent research or case studies. Update any references to align with current industry standards. Refresh the design for a more modern look. Derive different forms of content (infographics, social media posts) to refresh advertising efforts).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Ebooks:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Revise content to reflect the latest trends and data. Enhance interactivity with embedded links or multimedia. Update the cover and layout for a fresh appearance.\u00a0 Derive different forms of content (infographics, social media posts) to re-promote it across social media..\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Social Media Posts<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: Revisit and update successful posts with current data or trends. Refresh visuals or graphics to maintain engagement. Modify hashtags to align with current trending topics.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Infographics:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Update data points and statistics to keep them current. Redesign with new color schemes or layouts. Update the publish date!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Best Practices for Content Optimization Strategies<\/h2>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-20514 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/expert-explains-best-practices-for-content-optimization.jpg\" alt=\"expert explains best practices for content optimization\" width=\"780\" height=\"437\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/expert-explains-best-practices-for-content-optimization.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/expert-explains-best-practices-for-content-optimization-300x168.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/expert-explains-best-practices-for-content-optimization-1024x574.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/expert-explains-best-practices-for-content-optimization-768x431.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/expert-explains-best-practices-for-content-optimization-1536x861.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some of the tactics that we use when optimizing a specific piece of content for a client..\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Include Current Topics and Trends: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Old content may get a spritz by just working in new topics that are top of mind. Industry trends are always popular, especially around the start of the new year.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Bolster Top-Performing Content: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Conversely, if you have content that performs well, you might consider putting it on a regular optimization schedule. (Update annually for trends, monthly for pricing updates, etc.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Thin Out Unnecessary Content: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a saying in fiction writing: Don\u2019t be afraid to kill your babies. The same is true in marketing\u2013if it isn\u2019t performing or getting Google love, it\u2019s OK to unpublish it. (Your SEO rankings may benefit.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Incorporate Visuals and Multimedia: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Enhance text with relevant images, videos, infographics, and interactive media. A good YouTube video is free to add, and it can increase time on page and boost SEO rankings.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Repurposing Content: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Old content can become new again when you spin it off into other forms of content. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/garyvaynerchuk.com\/how-to-create-64-pieces-of-content-in-a-day\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gary Vee is an expert in this<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, promoting the idea that each piece of content is actually several.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Refreshing for SEO: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">SEO keywords change over time, but older content can follow suit by long-tail keyword targeting and refreshing structure for linking and navigability. Adding FAQs specific to your page topic is one easy way of working in long-tail keywords.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Leveraging Data Analytics:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Data is always good, and data viz is even better. Expand your content with charts, graphs, and other visualizations to make it scannable and skimmable for your audience.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>How Often Should You Update Content?<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all strategy for content optimization. But, there are a few guidelines:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Annual content works well for thought leadership. <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, the \u201cAnnual Guide to X\u201d or the \u201cY Report for 2024\u201d can make a piece of regularly updated content very attractive from a thought leadership perspective.<\/span><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b><\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Weekly updates work well for content that includes rapidly changing data.<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Our sister site, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.bitcoinmarketjournal.com\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bitcoin Market Journal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, regularly publishes weekly updates and articles on rates and fees for different cryptocurrency and DeFi investments.<\/span><b><br \/>\n<\/b><b><\/b><\/li>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Quarterly or biannual updates are great for top-performing content that draws significant traffic,<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> mainly if that content revolves around reviews, industry assessments, or product lists (\u201cThe Top Ten X for Busy Marketers,\u201d for example).\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Case Study: Our Content Optimization at Media Shower<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Not only do we recommend content optimization to our clients, we do it ourselves. One of our most significant projects is our push into generative AI, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/content-brief-generator\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">specifically through our series of dedicated landing pages<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>AI Landing Pages and Optimizing For User Experiences<\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Initially, we started producing informative articles to help busy marketers use AI (usually something like ChatGPT) to build out essential documents or blueprints for their work. For example, we might publish an article on marketing plan templates that included prompts we tested and knew would produce good results.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There was a bit of urgency with our publishing schedule in that we wanted to get good and helpful content in front of our audience. However, we were OK with this urgency because we knew these would evolve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first versions of these pages were relatively short, and they would include some basic information:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A set-up prompt that would allow the reader to use ChatGPT (even the free version) to build a marketing profile for their business or brand.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A series of questions that, when the user answers them, helps the AI build out a template for a given piece of content.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-20515\" src=\"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/writing-SEO-blog-posts-using-AI-prompts.jpg\" alt=\"writing SEO blog posts using AI prompts\" width=\"780\" height=\"499\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/writing-SEO-blog-posts-using-AI-prompts.jpg 1065w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/writing-SEO-blog-posts-using-AI-prompts-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/writing-SEO-blog-posts-using-AI-prompts-1024x655.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/writing-SEO-blog-posts-using-AI-prompts-768x491.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This core was put into a basic article format so the reader could find it, copy and paste the prompts, and follow the instructions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As time went on, however, there was more to the topic than that. Even as pages started getting search traffic, we wanted to expand them. So, we switched gears in our production process, adding some additional sections:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reader could use a series of additional prompts to refine the results they received.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A list of best practices to help them further develop the output of the AI.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A set of FAQs to help position the article as a go-to resource on that topic.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-20516\" src=\"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/prompts-for-affiliate-blog-posts.jpg\" alt=\"prompts for affiliate blog posts\" width=\"780\" height=\"481\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/prompts-for-affiliate-blog-posts.jpg 1148w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/prompts-for-affiliate-blog-posts-300x185.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/prompts-for-affiliate-blog-posts-1024x632.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/prompts-for-affiliate-blog-posts-768x474.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This involved changing how we created new content and strategically moving back through older content to expand what we had (if we felt the article warranted that attention).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now, the articles weren\u2019t just a contextless prompt but a tool our audience could use to create a document or template and make something more with it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We saw a lot of success with this approach\u2026 but wanted to take these articles to the next level. This involved adding interactivity to draw in the reader and involve them in a process without leaving the site. This is where our AI chatbots came into being.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this round of optimization, we added two key features:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our AI chatbot interface.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Several examples of document templates are produced from prompts used by the chatbot.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-20517\" src=\"http:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5.png\" alt=\"customer journey map generator\" width=\"780\" height=\"602\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5.png 995w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-300x232.png 300w, https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/01\/5-768x593.png 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Over time, these articles have evolved into something much different than they started, and as such, we\u2019ve seen significant boosts in conversions and search placement\u2013we feature these extensively in our Media Shower Newsletter. We have thousands of new keyword rankings, including <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/mediashower.com\/blog\/ai-customer-persona\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the first page of Google<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Media Shower: Making Content Better<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like software development, content optimization is an ongoing cycle of development, release, and maintenance. This process, however, can be extremely rewarding because it keeps your content driving ever-better marketing results.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you looking to develop content you can keep making better? Try working with the experts at Media Shower <\/span><\/i><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/content-marketing-services.html\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">with a free demo<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Discover how to unlock your content&#8217;s potential through effective refreshing and optimization strategies for modern audiences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":20513,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[459],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20512"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20512"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20512\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20820,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20512\/revisions\/20820"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20513"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20512"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20512"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mediashower.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20512"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}