FreeGoogle Search ConsoleAbout 45 min
Update What You Have Before Adding More
Before you write a new post, check if an old page can be made better. Updating a page that already has a little traffic is cheaper than starting from zero.
Why This Matters
The worst mistake is editing an old copy of a page. We once deployed from a stale copy of a site and wiped a day of work. Last deploy wins. So you always edit the copy that is live. The second mistake is changing the date without changing the page. Google warns against that.
✓ How To Do It
- Open Search Console, go to Performance, and compare the last three months to the three months before. The setup is in Verify Your Site in Search Console. The method is in Refresh Pages That Are Slipping.
- Sort pages into three piles. Pile one is pages that sit at positions 4 to 20. Update these first. Pile two is pages that dropped. Pile three is pages with two copies on the same topic.
- For pile one and two, search the main question and read the top five again. Write down what they now cover that you do not.
- Before you touch a file, pull the live page. Download it or view the source from the real address. Edit that, not the copy on your laptop.
- Update the numbers through the claims sheet. Add a new section from your newest jobs. Swap one old photo for a new real one.
- Add a visible Last updated line. Change the date in your page data only when the change is real. The visible date and the data date must match.
- For pile three, pick the stronger page. Move the best parts into it. Send the weaker page to it with a permanent redirect. Update internal links.
- Delete a page only when it has no traffic, no links and no use. If there is a close match, redirect to that page.
- Write the change in a log. Check the page again in four weeks.
Done WhenA log with three pages updated, the date of each change, and the live addresses to recheck in four weeks.
Reference List
Tips & Pitfalls
- Do not change a date to look fresh. Google says to update dates when a page is significantly updated, and not to fake it.
- Redirects need checking. Open the old address and confirm it lands where you meant.
- Two good updates a month often beat one new post.
