Content that longtails is the holy grail for content writers, and there’s no easier way to do this than write evergreen content. How? It’s pretty easy—we can walk you through it in five minutes.
What Is Evergreen Content?
Evergreen content is content that is always fresh and relevant, like an evergreen tree. Anytime people will always be interested in is evergreen. It’s the kind of content that search engines index, and then reward you with organic traffic for years to come.
Examples of Evergreen Content
Heath: 6 Tricks Towards Better Abs
Romance: Cleverest First Date Ideas
Career: How to Negotiate a Better Contract
Parenting: 5 Worst Excuses Parents Give (and 5 Better Choices)
Finance: Psychological Tricks to Save Money and Beat Temptation
What Evergreen Content is Not
Anything with an expiration date on its relevance is not evergreen. Some people mistake all online content for evergreen content, but nothing could be further from the truth. This article about John Kerry’s sartorial choices is certainly available online in near-perpetuity, but his 2004 presidential campaign isn’t relevant anymore, so this content isn’t evergreen, and as a result, probably won’t pop up in a search anytime soon. (His hair, however, has stood the test of time.)
Examples of What Evergreen Content is Not
News articles: Toronto Blue Jays Win World Series
Technological trends: 6 Tricks for Your New iPhone
Statistics: 95% of Canadians Eating Less Custard
Fashion: Fall Patterns & How to Pair Them
Pop Culture: What the Kardashians Are Doing Now, Part XXI
How to Make Evergreen Content Work for You
Men’s Health doesn’t put a headline about abs on their cover every couple of months because they’ve discovered important new facts about men’s favourite muscle group. It’s because, as an evergreen topic, those articles will always be popular. How do you get the same results?
Write for a broad audience. Experts don’t need your help—they’re experts, after all. It’s the layman who’ll be searching for 6 Tricks Towards Better Abs, so write with the layman in mind.
Narrow your idea down – it almost always makes it more interesting and perform better in search. 6 Tricks Towards Better Abs is certainly evergreen, but the headline isn’t that interesting. When it becomes 6 Abs Exercises You Can Do in Your Office, it’s more interesting.
Rehash your best evergreen content. When 6 Abs Exercises You Can Do in Your Office does well, it can become a slideshow, a video, an app, or a whole series of articles (6 Abs Exercises You Can Do While Holding a Toddler, 6 Abs Exercises You Can Do Waiting for the Bus, etc.)
