What Is Evergreen Content?
In essence, evergreen content refers to proficiently composed material on subjects that remain relevant over a prolonged period of time, or are at least not subject to becoming outdated easily.
The name evergreen content appropriately represents the freshness and sustainability of website articles. Typically, it contains fundamental details on a specific subject that can be enhanced by crafting the text to fit your niche.
Evergreen content includes informative articles such as lists, tips, reviews, and other content that doesn’t have a limited lifespan.
So Why Is It Called “Evergreen”?
The word “evergreen” is recognizable even to those not in the marketing field due to the common use of evergreen trees, typically pine or fir, for holiday decorations. These trees symbolize ongoing life as they do not shed their leaves throughout the year. Similar to these trees, evergreen content is viewed as enduring and sustainable.
You may be considering that all online content is sustainable and articles or blog posts never vanish. However, when referring to content as “evergreen,” it denotes that the content remains relevant even long after it was published, hence attracting more traffic gradually.
To define “evergreen” writing more clearly, we can identify the types of writing that do not fall under this category.
What Evergreen Content is Not:
- News articles
- Statistics or numerical reports that are likely to change and go out of date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
Content that is evergreen in nature remains valuable for a long time, with no fixed expiry date. Information related to a current issue, like the ongoing presidential election, will not meet this criterion since it will lose its relevance in six months and relevant keywords might get lost in the vastness of the internet.
Common Evergreen Formats
Consider these popular evergreen formats to create content with long-term relevance.
- Lists
- Top Tips
- Instructional “How To” Tutorials
- Encyclopedia-esque Entries
- Product Reviews
- Videos
Using these formats does not guarantee that your content will be evergreen, but they are typically successful for evergreen writing. When explaining how to do something, such as frosting a cupcake or applying grout to a bathtub, videos are particularly beneficial. If videos are not feasible, utilizing a sequence of visuals like photos, illustrations, or diagrams can be advantageous.
Evergreen Article Ideas
Certain topics never lose their relevance! Here are some timeless article concepts that have been with humanity since the beginning of time:
- Love and Romance
- Food
- Finance/Saving Money
- Parenting
- Weight Loss
- Jobs and Careers
- Pet Care
It is crucial to focus on evergreen subjects that are pertinent to your company. For instance, if you specialize in selling office supplies, evergreen subjects that could be appropriate include “how to maintain an organized desk” or “different types of pens and their ideal uses.” Similarly, if you intend to attract potential clients for your landscaping business, an article about the types of plants that thrive in your local climate would make an excellent evergreen topic.
It can be challenging to come up with evergreen ideas that are truly original because it seems like the most popular topics have already been extensively explored. Nonetheless, one potential solution is to offer a distinct perspective on a well-known topic or to delve deeper and offer more comprehensive information. It’s a wise idea to seek out long-tail keywords that have a considerable amount of traffic but limited competition. If your niche market is quite small, you may find that there is a dearth of online content addressing your topic, which makes your evergreen content all the more valuable.
Examples of Evergreen Content
The following are particular instances of articles that would fall under the category of evergreen content.
- How to Build a Dog House – Clear, concise tutorials with attractive photos make great evergreen pieces.
- 10 Ways to Enjoy Bacon – Can you imagine a future where people don’t like bacon? I sure can’t.
- Top Tips to Soothe Crying Babies – There’s always a regenerating population of new parents, and those with screaming babies are probably pretty desperate for advice. A quick “best tips” will hold its value for years and new parents can share the list with their panicky peers.
The topics covered in these pieces of content will remain pertinent in the foreseeable future, thereby categorizing them as evergreen.
Examples of Evergreen Sites
The production of evergreen content is significant on these websites.
- about.com
- wikipedia.com
- answers.com
- imdb.com
- ehow.com
Large numbers of evergreen articles covering diverse subjects are featured on these websites. Wikipedia is a prime example, appearing on the first page of nearly 50% of all Google searches! Nonetheless, due to their focus on quantity, some of these evergreen sites may create subpar pieces. Apart from observing outstanding evergreen content, it is worthwhile to explore how some of these websites fall short and to determine how you can enhance them.
Evergreen SEO: Combining Sustainable Content with Popular Keywords
When crafting a content marketing plan for the web, incorporating SEO techniques to your evergreen content can amplify its effectiveness. To ensure your evergreen pieces have value, select keywords that align with your desired site ranking. However, even long-lasting content won’t yield results if it’s not relevant to your business or what people are searching for, so conduct thorough research on potential keywords.
Ensure that you adhere to fundamental SEO tactics such as optimizing your keywords on your webpage without excessively using them, adding alt text to your images, and integrating social media sharing buttons. By improving the searchability of your enduring article, it can be viewed, shared, and linked to more frequently, generating traffic for an extended period, potentially years.
Tips for Writing Evergreen Content
Avoid Writing for Experts – At times, you may have an inclination to create content that exhibits your knowledge of a particular subject. However, this could prove to be detrimental. Established authorities are less inclined to seek assistance – focusing on beginners is key. It is essential that you produce content that appeals to your audience.
When creating content for beginners, it is important to refrain from using excessively technical vocabulary as it may intimidate them. Instead, it is recommended to utilize more basic language.
To avoid losing the attention of novice readers, it is advisable to limit the scope of your writing by focusing on specific topics rather than opting for broader ones. This is because writing about broad subjects, which are usually head terms with a lot of competition, makes the piece longer than necessary. Additionally, it is more challenging for the writer to produce content that encompasses all aspects of a broad topic. Therefore, it is better to choose straightforward and precise topics like “How to Execute a Roundhouse Kick” instead of a piece titled “Guide to Effective Kicking Techniques.” Such specific topics are more captivating and engaging.
Connect Posts in a Chain – When creating an in-depth manual about a subject, like “Full Guide on Bike Maintenance,” break down the general theme into focused, distinct elements such as “Steps to Grease Your Bike Brakes” and “Procedure to Swap a Bike Tire,” subsequently, connect and associate these pieces. This approach is beneficial for improving search engine optimization and permits viewers to address a particular requirement while simultaneously highlighting other pertinent articles.
Find New Uses for Your Top Content – Once you’ve produced a valuable piece of content that will last a long time, seek out ways to transform it into various forms. Here are several exceptional suggestions for reusing content.
What Are The Advantages Of Writing Evergreen Content?
There are several advantages to incorporating timeless content on your website.
It Gives You Authority
Merely possessing knowledge on how to carry out a task and disseminating it over the internet heightens the likelihood of becoming a primary source in your area of expertise, even if your insights are rudimentary. It is essential to offer information that caters to the needs of your peers within the sector. Becoming an expert in your field takes time and requires a persistent effort to generate top-notch content.
It Sustains Your Website
The aim of producing this type of material is to retain its usefulness over time. For example, articles that provide “How To…” guidance remain relevant in the future as someone is bound to require such assistance at some point. Additionally, evergreen content does not require frequent updates like seasonal or news-related articles, unless new information arises.
It Helps Increase Traffic On Your Website
Content that has an evergreen quality does not expire easily, allowing it to continue to drive traffic even without sales. Increased organic traffic on your website leads to a higher ranking on search engine results pages, which can establish your website’s reputation as a trusted source for quality content.
How To Write Evergreen Content
Having gained an understanding of evergreen content and its benefits, it is now time to acquire the skill of crafting such content.
1. Make Your Topics Timeless
To produce timeless content, refrain from creating articles that suggest a specific time frame. While an article profiling a thriving startup that was founded in the current year may attract attention, its information will become obsolete in the future or in the event that a different startup emulates its success.
Therefore, steer clear of articles centered around happenings, news, patterns, figures or accounts, and the most recent crazes in mass media. Preferably, generate subject matter that follows the format of instructional manuals, guides, recommendations, or appraisals of products.
Have a look at some suggested blog post ideas to get some inspiration.
2. Narrow Your Topics Down
After determining an umbrella topic, like online content writing, refine it to a more precise subject, such as composing evergreen content. Although expansive topics hold significance, numerous writers will address them, making it difficult for your content to stand out. Alternatively, specific themes are more compelling in retaining and engaging your audience.
3. Write For Your Readers, Not For Experts
It is common for evergreen content to address fundamental subjects in a particular area. Consequently, authors may assume that their readers are well-versed in the subject matter and may feel compelled to write for a more advanced audience. However, it is important to refrain from making such assumptions.
When creating timeless content, it is essential to consider your audience as novices. Although you may be an expert on a particular subject, it is unreasonable to assume that your readers possess the same level of expertise. Deliver factual information in a clear and concise manner without losing your authoritative tone. Remember that your priority as a content creator, whether online or offline, is to prioritize your readers’ needs.
4. Avoid Being Too Technical
A hurdle to having expertise in a subject is the inclination to convey specialized jargon. Even though these terms are significant, it’s advisable to limit their use, particularly in novice-oriented articles. If you have a need to incorporate a multitude of technical terms, an option is to create a separate article expounding on those terms with a link to the evergreen content you are publishing.
5. Link Related Posts
It is advisable to link evergreen content articles either as related posts or by mentioning them within the articles, as they cover various topics from a broader perspective.
By doing this, you can ensure that your website will contain all the relevant information your audience may require on a specific subject, eliminating the need for them to visit other sites.
By interconnecting posts, you will increase the amount of traffic that your website generates, as well as improving its rankings. Additionally, your website will be classified as a reputable content provider.
6. Ask For Feedback
Receiving feedback from readers is highly significant as it provides insight into how your audience perceives your work, whether they found the subject matter worthwhile, and if you effectively conveyed your message. Additionally, this feedback can assist in generating more topic ideas since you will have a better understanding of their preferences.
Encourage your readers to comment on what they think of a specific article. You can also encourage them to suggest topics they would like to be covered in the future. When you continue to publish valuable evergreen content, chances are, they will share it to their networks, which would then enable you to tap into a wider set of audience.
