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Deciphering Google’s Content Longevity Strategies

2 min read

Google advocates for managing outdated website content instead of outright deletion:

  1. Retain Historical Value: Rather than deleting old content, prioritize preserving its historical significance.
  2. Employ Clear Notifications: Inform readers about outdated content through clear notices, annotations, and transitional pages.
  3. Establish Auditing Processes: Implement systematic auditing processes to manage content freshness effectively.

 

 

In the most recent podcast episode, John Mueller and Lizzi Sassman, members of the Google Search Relations team, discussed managing “content decay” on websites.

The inevitability of outdated content is a common challenge for all websites as time passes, and Google has provided strategies beyond mere deletion of old pages.

While there are occasions when removing obsolete content becomes necessary, Google suggests adopting a deliberate, format-specific approach to address content decay.

 

Navigating Content Updates: Refreshing vs. Creating Anew

 

Regarding reference guides and authoritative content, Google advises updating information regularly to uphold accuracy and relevance.

However, in the case of archival content, significant updates may prompt the creation of a new piece rather than modifying the original.

Sassman elaborates:

It’s essential to preserve the original content for reference purposes. Instead of extensively editing or repurposing it, creating a new blog post might be more appropriate, especially if there’s substantial additional information to include.”

 

 

Addressing Potentially Harmful Content

 

When outdated information poses potential harm, Google advises removing the pages entirely.

Sassman illustrates this approach with a recent decision involving obsolete structured data documentation:

“We recently encountered a situation with our ‘How to Structure Data’ documentation page. After careful consideration, it seemed best to remove it entirely rather than leave it up for a period. Keeping it available could lead to confusion or even negative outcomes if users continued to add markup based on outdated guidance. Therefore, we deleted the page and redirected users to the changelog entry. This way, those seeking information would still be directed to the relevant update.”

 

Streamlining Internal Content Audits

 

Google recommends establishing internal auditing processes to ensure content remains up-to-date. Sassman emphasizes the importance of setting up automated alerts for pages that require review at regular intervals:

“We’ve implemented a system where automated reminders prompt us to revisit specific documentation pages after a set period. These reminders serve as a nudge to ensure that our content is continuously reviewed, links are updated, and the information remains fresh.”

 

The Importance of Context

 

Google emphasizes the significance of context when managing content decay.

To avoid confusion, ensuring visitors understand the context of outdated materials is crucial.

Google suggests implementing the following tactics:

  1. Prominent banners or notices indicating the outdated nature of a page.
  2. Listing original publish dates to provide temporal context.
  3. Providing inline annotations to explain how older references or screenshots may no longer be applicable.

 

Benefits of Implementing Google’s Recommendations

 

Adhering to Google’s suggestions for managing content decay offers several advantages:

  1. Enhanced User Experience: Clear explanations, transition guides, and redirects prevent visitors from encountering confusing or broken pages, leading to a smoother browsing experience.
  2. Upheld Trust and Credibility: Removing potentially harmful or inaccurate content and ensuring up-to-date information demonstrates your commitment to providing reliable resources and bolstering trust with your audience.
  3. Improved SEO Performance: Regularly auditing and updating pages can boost your website’s search rankings and visibility, enhancing its overall SEO performance.
  4. Archival Integrity: Creating new content instead of modifying older pieces allows for preserving a historical record of your website’s evolution over time.
  5. Streamlined Content Management: Implementing internal auditing processes facilitates identifying and resolving outdated or problematic pages, streamlining content management efforts.

By proactively addressing content decay, you maintain a valuable resource for your audience and enhance SEO, credibility, and content management efficiency on your website.

 

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Shilpi Mathur
navyya.shilpi@gmail.com