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Top Ten Tips for Making the Most out of your Old Posts

By on January 25, 2013

One of the many benefits of owning a somewhat aged blog is that you’re likely to have amassed quite a collection of posts. While many bloggers fail to take advantage of their archives, it’s actually surprisingly easy to keep old content, shiny and new. Here are ten simple tips for keeping the cobwebs out of your archives.

Revamp Your Categories

If you want to encourage visitors to read your old posts, effective categorisation is essential. Come up with as many descriptive categories as you can think of and assign each post to one or more categories. Include links to all categories along the side of your homepage but always stick to your sidebar etiquette. Avoid categorising your posts according to the date when they were written, your readers are unlikely to care.socail_media

Include an Effective Search Function

Regardless of how good of a writer you consider yourself to be, it’s important to accept that most visitors to your blog are looking for specific information. If you want them to actually find it, an effective search function is essential. Quality archives aren’t worth much if your readers can’t find the specific posts that they’re looking for.

Install a Popular Post Plug-in

If you’re going to direct traffic to your archives, the best posts to highlight are obviously going to be those that have proven the most popular in the past. This can be achieved pretty effortlessly by simply installing one of WordPresses many popular post plug-ins. Such plug-ins simply select your archives most popular posts and display links to them in your blogs sidebar.

Interlink Your Old Posts WordPress

Every time you write a new post, try to link to at least two old posts. Provided you spend most of your time blogging about the same topics, it shouldn’t be difficult to find relevant posts to link to. Use clearly marked textual links i.e. underlined text. Linking to old posts will not only ensure that more people read them, over time, it should greatly reduce your blogs bounce rate.

This is important to help with SEO also and is called internal linking. But not many mention that you should go back to the old posts in WordPress and add more links on them. This weaves them in with the newer related content.

Revamp the Titles

The title of a post is arguably its most important sentence. The title can make or break a post, and at times, it can even be the reason that a post goes viral. Coming up with excellent titles takes patience, it also takes a certain amount of creativity. Unfortunately, even the best bloggers aren’t creative twenty fours a day. Get into the habit of regularly brainstorming new title ideas for your old posts.

Remove/Update Inaccurate Information

Depending on your niche, chances are that as time passes, previously accurate information can become outdated and inaccurate. Take a look through your old post titles and try to determine where inaccuracies might have crept in. Updating old posts in this fashion doesn’t take long but it can make the difference between old content that’s valuable and old content that questions your credibility.

Improve Readability

If you feel that your standard of writing has increased over time, take a look back through your old posts and try to improve them.

  • Break up big blocks of text.

  • Convert regular posts into lists.

  • Add sub headings and/or bullet points.

  • Find and correct any and all spelling mistakes/typos.

Add Photos

Most experts suggest including at least one photo in every post you publish. Photos make posts look more attractive, they can also greatly reduce bounce rates. If you’ve failed to include photos in your old posts, take the time to slowly incorporate them. Choose attention grabbing, stylish photos that are relevant to each posts subject matter.

Write “Best Of” Posts

If you frequently post about the same topics, writing a “Best Of” post can be an excellent way to direct traffic to your archives. For example, if you own a blog about cats, you might write a post titled “Five Best Posts About Kitten Training”. The idea is to simply group together your best posts about individual topics, thus making them easier to browse.

Write Follow Up Posts

Finally, if you really want to draw attention to an old post, the easiest way of doing so is to write a follow up. Use your blogs traffic statistics to determine which of your past posts were the most popular. Provided you feel that you can say more on the subject, writing a follow up can prove highly beneficial. After all, you’ll be giving your readers more of what they like.

Edward Rodriguez teaches his readers simple website design tricks to make their site look more professional. He is a pro when it comes to web designing and development.

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49 Comments

  1. Sigal Zoldan

    April 15, 2013 at 6:51 am

    Thank you for this post Mitz. I was wondering if you can elaborate on “Effective Search Function”. Are there search buttons that are not effective? I have a search button on my blog, but I do not know how to make it effective. If you have a blog that that speaks specifically about that I’d love to read it.
    Thanks. I must say that I am very impressed by the content you are sharing, very rich and valuable.

    Thanks you :-)
    Sigal Zoldan.
    Holistic Healing
    Sigal Zoldan recently posted..How To Program Your Mind To Solve Your Problems While Sleeping

    Reply

    • mitz

      April 15, 2013 at 8:53 pm

      Hi Sigal
      An effective search function:
      –actually works and delivers the best results (I would choose Google search over WordPress)
      –does not distract from content but is there available for your visitor easy to find
      –has a clear search button..not one that just requires pressing enter

      (Google adsense search function delivers fantastic results and has suggestions for spelling etc… WordPress brings up junk and if you don’t spell it right you can’t find it.
      mitz recently posted..How To Blog – 79 Ultimate Blogging Tips and Counting (dofollow)

      Reply

  2. Preet

    February 6, 2013 at 6:09 pm

    I like your idea of interlinking between new and old posts . Its very clever idea :) Nice information very helpful .
    Preet recently posted..Ideas On Simple Nail Art Designs For Women

    Reply

  3. Riki

    February 6, 2013 at 5:12 am

    Yes, I agree with that. I always add an interesting photo with a large size on my old post, and the results are very helpful for my old post be better and greatly reduce the bounce rate of my blog.
    Riki recently posted..Graco Car Seats

    Reply

  4. anthony pietersena

    February 5, 2013 at 8:38 am

    Be in touch with the old comments too as from that so many of the useful information can deduce which in turn helpful for longer run

    Reply

  5. Veronica

    February 5, 2013 at 5:20 am

    Great article! I actually think making a compilation of your ‘Best of’ posts is ideal when you want to make the most out of your older posts. You may not call it recycling, but revamping. A little touch up will also go a long way, especially if you are aware that some of your older posts have inaccurate information in it.

    Reply

  6. Calra

    February 4, 2013 at 6:41 am

    It’s not necessarily termed recycling when you decide to make the most and the best out of your older blog posts. Let’s call it reliving, or revamping.Like giving a new life to an otherwise dull post.

    Reply

  7. Calra

    February 4, 2013 at 6:38 am

    I am impressed with yoour article, sincerely. And speaking of social networking s ites, yes I agree that they are all about people. So when you try to sell something like marketing conten, be sure that it should talk about your audience, not about you.

    Reply

  8. Julia Spencer

    February 3, 2013 at 2:43 pm

    I like the idea of reminding readers about your previous posts or the old ones. It can be quite useful for your new readers as well as for the old ones. Installing a plugin that will show the most popular posts, or the ones that are connected with the one that site visitors are reading, or the old posts can be quite effective

    Julia Spencer’s recent post.. Catchy Facebook Pages of Top World-Known Brands

    Reply

  9. Aayna

    February 3, 2013 at 7:32 am

    Old posts are indeed treasures!! But many of us gets the feeling of what to do, with such posts. You have surely provided with the greatest of the ways for improvising the old posts. Revamping the categories will surely give a new breath to the old posts. Thanks for the share.

    Reply

  10. saqib razzaq

    February 3, 2013 at 5:23 am

    Its been quite sometime since I last tried to make something out of my old posts. My total focus was on new ones. Looking forward now to think differently. Thanks for your guidance.
    saqib razzaq recently posted..14 Unusual Ways to Get New Blog Post Ideas

    Reply

  11. Plaban Manna

    February 2, 2013 at 2:20 pm

    Improving old posts and then interlinking them in new related posts is a good idea. Shareing old posts on social channels can bring some traffic also.
    Plaban Manna recently posted..HTC M4 and HTC G2 could launch alongside HTC M7, specs leak

    Reply

  12. shane watson

    February 2, 2013 at 5:52 am

    the concept of interlinking which is more often know as deep link or reference is the best way to update the users from old post to new and vice versa
    shane watson recently posted..KENNEDY HEALTH CARE IS IN FULL BLOOM

    Reply

  13. Fatima

    February 1, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    Having an interactive search function and interlinking the posts can work wonders for you. Great share.
    Fatima recently posted..Using Live Tiles in Windows 8

    Reply

  14. Disha Sharma

    February 1, 2013 at 9:56 am

    Great explanation, I’m agree with all these points of these Blog’s. I’m mostly like “Revamp the Titles” & I’m agree with this point. Revamp for title is require. Which attract to readers.
    Disha Sharma recently posted..Tips To Enjoy Holiday More Joyfully

    Reply

  15. Tom

    January 31, 2013 at 6:17 am

    I used to link newer articles to older. I will add link from older to newer. Increasing internal links always give good results. Thanks for sharing those tips
    Tom recently posted..Le vrai secret d’un Repas équilibré pour maigrir !

    Reply

  16. Emilia

    January 31, 2013 at 12:34 am

    Thanks for sharing great tips and information. It’s like doing repairs and recycling. Updating and doing some changes may get your old posts readable again to new set of readers or audience. Really useful post.

    Reply

  17. Joy

    January 30, 2013 at 2:51 pm

    You have no idea how happy I am that I read your post! I was reading all my posts just the other day and was thinking what to do with them. I know now what to do with them and I have you to thank. :)

    Reply

  18. Shane

    January 29, 2013 at 8:08 pm

    I like to update old posts with current information when I get blocked, it allows me to keep my site current and get through the blockage.
    Shane recently posted..Why keyword negatives are important

    Reply

  19. marilyn cada

    January 29, 2013 at 10:38 am

    hello mitz. nice article and thank you for the info. however, my site is not that old. though the information provided could be useful once my blog started to aged.

    i also add photos to my articles from sites that gives free images—copyright infringement free
    marilyn cada recently posted..Earn Money By Writing Essays and Articles

    Reply

  20. Lancia

    January 29, 2013 at 10:17 am

    Thanks! The article sound interesting and provided many useful inputs will surely make use of these tips and advices. I loved your point of installing a popular post plug-in and revamping the titles. Excellent analysis done by you, mitz!

    Reply

  21. tressa knight

    January 29, 2013 at 7:38 am

    appreciate your points regular updates,changes via suggestions increase the chance of readability from several users
    tressa knight recently posted..GiftBasket.com Leader in Amazing Gift Baskets

    Reply

  22. geoge

    January 29, 2013 at 5:37 am

    Hey mitz, you have mentioned about changing titles, updating information in old articles. As one of my old articles ranks very high in search query and If I make some changes as you mentioned, are there any chances that google might penalize me for bringing changes to the article which is already ranking high?
    geoge recently posted..Physical Therapist Assistant-job description, salary, career

    Reply

    • mitz

      January 29, 2013 at 8:58 am

      For a Newbie blogger: If it is ranking high then you really do not need to touch it…when it starts to drop down in rankings you can try a few changes like refreshing the content and so on. If you are an experienced blogger: you would optimize that post before it drops to concrete the position. once you have done this kind of thing a few times and seen some positive results it makes you enthusiastic to do other posts too.. :)

      Reply

  23. Vehicle Shipping Service

    January 28, 2013 at 10:11 pm

    Old posts are good as new if their content is still valid. I have a car shipping blog and since I write on many topics, I do notice that I get more hits on old posts than the new ones.

    Good article!!
    Vehicle Shipping Service recently posted..By: Car Transport and shipping anywhere in the USA – Chrysler Forum – Chrysler Enthusiast Forums

    Reply

  24. Tumsehi.com

    January 28, 2013 at 3:56 pm

    Greta analysis, and i found something which i didn’t know about. One interesting things about Bloglines numbers.. I think they’re skewed towards a blog’s age. If a blog was popular before Google Reader they’ll have more Bloglines subscribers.

    Reply

  25. Mohiy

    January 28, 2013 at 11:19 am

    you are right every one in this world is get attracted by freebies and by doing this we are recycling our old articles. :) :)

    Reply

  26. Yasir Khan

    January 28, 2013 at 1:02 am

    I absolutely agree with this sentence “The title of a post is arguably its most important sentence” because in order to draw the attention of the target audience and visitors you have to have a catchy headline, something that is worth interesting to know and of course compelling.

    Reply

  27. Owen

    January 27, 2013 at 11:17 pm

    Thanks for sharing this. Bloggers will have tons of old content hidden away in categories that will require updating and re-posting, for sure.
    Owen recently posted..Internet Business Opportunities Are Varied And In Plenty

    Reply

  28. aman

    January 27, 2013 at 4:44 pm

    These tips really help me a lot.I never thought to revamp my old post but from now onwards i will do it.

    Reply

  29. shane watson

    January 27, 2013 at 12:52 pm

    You have mentioned some of the best points a perfect notes of old post lead to newer ways
    shane watson recently posted..banner2

    Reply

  30. bhavesh

    January 26, 2013 at 1:51 pm

    it really a nice article,all the tips are really awesome,thanks for sharing such a nice article.
    bhavesh recently posted..Top 5 Best Smartphones Under 10000 And Their Specification

    Reply

  31. Prakash

    January 26, 2013 at 1:26 pm

    Promoting the old post is so necessary. Using social media for promoting post is a good way. Using wordpress plugins is also a nice way for promoting the old posts. Nice post, thanks for sharing it.
    Prakash recently posted..Bluehost Webhosting 2013 Review :: Best webhosting company

    Reply

  32. Anna

    January 26, 2013 at 12:43 pm

    hi,
    thanks for these tips. I like to do follow up posts, so my readers get up to date information and see the development things went under. I am struggling a little with the interlinking part, but I agree, that this is a good method to get traffic to those older posts as well.
    Anna recently posted..Badschnellheizer

    Reply

    • mitz

      January 28, 2013 at 10:02 am

      I always create a new post but link to an older post to share the traffic around the blog. The more people see the more likely they are to find something they like.
      mitz recently posted..20 Often Forgotten Website Traffic Tips (dofollow)

      Reply

  33. Soren Sjogren

    January 26, 2013 at 12:14 pm

    Thanks for the tricks. I always link from newer articles to older but also the other way around: If I write a new port on a topic that has been covered I go back to the old article and remember to make a link to the newest.Interlinking both ways will give the reader a better experience and will promote all the content of my sige.

    Reply

  34. Sagar nandwani

    January 26, 2013 at 8:43 am

    good one linking the older post’s with new one is good strategy to get the traffic to those posts also..

    Reply

  35. Rahul

    January 25, 2013 at 1:20 pm

    Heyy Dear…
    thanks for the tips..enjoyed reading your post…surely implement them for my readers…keep posting..!!!
    Rahul recently posted..Blogging Goals of 2013 to Make More Money

    Reply

  36. Pankaj

    January 25, 2013 at 11:15 am

    I too like to read “Best of” posts as it gives you more details knowledge about any specific topic. It’s really great way of building trust among your audience.
    Pankaj recently posted..MLM Software India

    Reply

  37. Mohiy

    January 25, 2013 at 11:12 am

    We can make a E-Book of our old posts and can give it for free to our visitors.
    Mohiy recently posted..Temple Run 2 Hits Android Market

    Reply

  38. Jane

    January 25, 2013 at 10:44 am

    Interlinking is crucial for attracting attention to older posts. And adding plugins that will show relative older articles is also effective.

    Reply

  39. Steven Jude

    January 25, 2013 at 9:31 am

    These are some very good tips that could come in handy when i want to revamp my old blog posts. Thanks Mitz
    Steven Jude recently posted..Making Money Online + How to Deal with Gambling Addiction

    Reply

  40. candice michelle

    January 25, 2013 at 9:03 am

    Thanks for the list, I’ve got a few new additions to my reader and some new folks to follow!
    candice michelle recently posted..Coldwater Lake inn 2864 WEIDMAN

    Reply

  41. David

    January 25, 2013 at 6:46 am

    Hello,
    i really like your post, its just like modification of post.
    “Revamp Your Categories”, “Revamp the Titles” and “Improve Readability” these points are totally depend on our writing skill, what you think about it?

    Reply

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