Your guide to successful evergreen content.
Three years ago we produced an EHCP guide for our educational law client. At the time, a full campaign with outreach was out of scope, so we knew whatever we were going to create had to have the power to drive links naturally and hit the keywords we wanted to target. We got our brains together, pulled in some real human insights from forums like Reddit and Mumsnet, and voilà! We secured NHS (DR 87) and .Gov (DR 93) links (to name a few!) and coverage with ZERO outreach.
Are you launching campaigns, outreaching various angles for a few weeks and then letting them gather dust as you move onto the next? BIG mistake. Here’s our guide to creating evergreen content that delivers over and over again. In the words of Taylor Swift – it never goes out of style.🤨
What is evergreen content?
Evergreen content, refers to content that remains continually relevant and useful over an extended period, thus consistently attracting backlinks from various sources. Unlike fleeting trending topics that might generate a quick influx of links but then fade in relevance, evergreen content provides sustained value, ensuring that it continues to be a resource others want to link to.
Key characteristics of evergreen content for link building include:
- Timelessness: It is not tied to specific events, seasons, or trends that may become outdated. This ensures the content remains relevant and link-worthy for years.
- High Value: It typically offers comprehensive, in-depth information, answering common questions or providing useful insights into a topic. This quality makes it a go-to resource in its field.
- Broad Appeal: It appeals to a wide audience, ensuring a larger pool of potential linkers.
- Consistent Traffic: Due to its ongoing relevance, it drives steady traffic to a website, making it an attractive link target for other sites seeking to provide value to their readers.
- Regular Updates: While the core of evergreen content remains unchanged, it can be periodically updated to ensure accuracy and continued relevance.
How can I turn my data led campaigns into evergreen content?
Good question.
- Choose Timeless Topics: Start with data that has long-term relevance. Avoid always focusing on trends or time-sensitive data. Instead, select topics that will continue to interest and engage your audience.
- Deep Analysis: Go beyond surface-level data. Provide in-depth analysis and comprehensive insights. This approach not only adds value but also ensures that your content remains a go-to resource. Primary data is best for this wherever possible. Without stating the obvious – this means you’d be the most logical source for any other site to link to.
- Regular Updates with New Data: While the core insights from your original campaign may remain relevant, updating your content with fresh data can keep it current.
- Create Multiple Formats: Cross platform approaches are the way forward! Repurpose your data into various formats such as infographics, videos, blog posts, and whitepapers. Different formats can attract different audiences and can be shared across various platforms – again, if you do this, keep it updated!
- Gather Feedback and Iterate: Monitor how your audience interacts with your content and gather feedback. Use this information to make improvements or updates, ensuring your content remains relevant and valuable. Read the news, forums and social media! What are people asking for? What can’t they find?
