Evergreen vs Fresh Content: Which is Right for your Firm?

Should you be working on evergreen or fresh content for your firm’s website? What’s the difference anyway? Does it matter?

Let’s break it down.

Evergreen content is the kind that you can keep pushing. It can continue to get you traffic and potentially links and it will still be relevant for a long while after publication.

Fresh content is the type that’s relevant then and there – the type that can get you recognition in the moment.

So which kind will work better for your firm? And why?

What is evergreen content?

This is the kind of content that will still be relevant in weeks, months and years to come. There’s no expiry date on it – no deadline when it ceases being useful.

This means you’ll keep seeing traffic to these pieces, which can lead to a consistent online presence for your firm and, ultimately, continued growth.

It focuses on topics that are always going to be of interest to readers, rather than something that matters to people for just that moment in time. It’s the kind of topic that will always have high search volumes. And if you’re not sure whether your topic or keyword falls into this bracket, check it free on Google Trends. Sustained levels of interest generally mean you can create an evergreen piece on it.

Posting a piece of evergreen content means you can let it do its thing while you focus your immediate attentions on other matters. However, it’s important not to just set and forget your evergreen pieces. Keeping them up-to-date with statistics or other changing facts will help to ensure their relevancy and usefulness to readers.

Examples of evergreen content

Certain pieces of evergreen content are lower maintenance in that they won’t require too many updates or amendments if the world changes. A good example is the case study. Once you’ve detailed your client’s experience with you, there’s very little you’ll need to add in future.

The how-to guide is another strong piece of evergreen content. If you explain the process for how to do something – making a claim or buying a house, for example – you’ll only need to change your content if new rules or laws come into force. And people will always search for instructions, meaning that if your content is well optimised, you stand a good chance of driving traffic from that one page for the long term.

Evergreen content tips

The most important thing to do with evergreen content is ensure it’s optimised. There’s little point creating something that will still be relevant in a year’s time if people can’t find it. Do your keyword research and make sure you’re carrying out the right on-page SEO.

You should also make sure you’re using the appropriate language and tone of voice. If you’re targeting first-time homebuyers with a piece, you’ll need a different writing style than if you’re addressing a business owner looking into copyright laws.

What is fresh content?

This is the kind of content that focuses on a particular topic that’s relevant at the time. This can be based on an event in the news, a political situation or changing circumstances within your industry.

Capitalising on something that’s making headlines gives you the chance to gain coverage quickly. It can be useful if you’re looking for an instant boost to your brand awareness.

It also shows that you keep up-to-date with what’s happening around the industry, which can be beneficial if you’re looking to enhance your firm’s perceived credibility and authority.

The biggest downside of this type of content is that it stops being relevant when the external influence that inspired it fades out of the public consciousness. That means it won’t continue driving traffic or backlinks in the same way an evergreen piece might.

Examples of fresh content

A piece of content based around anything seasonal – such as Christmas or certain awareness days – will fall under the bracket of fresh content. It’s the kind of content that’s relevant for a day or maybe a month, but then doesn’t offer much value after that point.

This could include newsjacking, where you create a piece or commentary off the back of an event that’s making headlines. Fresh content is also anything that’s relevant for a specified period – for example, the chancellor’s furlough scheme, which will come to an end. Certain pieces of fresh content can be reworked into evergreen pieces, though. Think along the lines of ‘Your 2021 Guide to Stamp Duty’. This will feature the rules particular to this year’s holiday, but could be updated next year to reflect what’s happening then.

Fresh content tips

If you’re planning something for a certain period or event, it’s best to have your content prepared and ready to go ahead of time. Putting together an editorial calendar is always a good idea.

Rather than relying solely on the news to inspire your fresh content, take a look at social media and certain online forums. You’ll see what people are really talking about and you could gauge whether there’s any real audience for your planned piece.

Which type to use

If you’re questioning whether you need evergreen or fresh content, the answer is usually both. Focusing on both types will give you longevity in people’s minds – and the search engines – as well as the immediate impact that can boost brand recognition and awareness.

It can come in just about any form – text pieces, infographics or video. The same rules apply regardless of the format of your piece of content. Just make sure you’re optimising appropriately for your chosen piece.

A lot of your content can be planned ahead of time – including all your evergreen pieces and a significant amount of fresh ones – so invest some time in putting together a solid plan.

But don’t forget to leave some capacity for reacting quickly to something that you might not be expecting – this can often bring you some valuable publicity in that moment.