Noticing a slump in viewership with your blog? Not seeing the same kind of traffic, comments, 
and other engagement like you used to? While it can easy to blame outside factors such as Google's algorithm changes, Panda and Penguin, sometimes you need to look internally and at your own blog. Sometimes all a blog needs to shine once more is a little elbow grease and make-over, including all of that content you're publishing on it.
Content for blogs, contrary to popular belief, can age and become outdated. No matter how generic or "evergreen" you make the content, blog writing can fall down in rank on search engines as well as provide outdated information that will only turn away potential customers. Also, all of the new content you're putting on your blog might be using old tactics that no longer work. So, how can you figure out if your content needs an update? See the four signs below to stay relevant!
1. Block Content
When you look at the shape of your entire blog post (go ahead, try it out), does it form one giant block? If you see no bullets, lists, or broken up content with wide enough space for a break in-between all of those words, then you might need to start updating. People want brevity when they're reading online, so your content for blogs need short paragraphs and content broken up into lists to be easier to read.
2. Overstuffed Keywords
Go on, let your keywords breathe! Sometimes too much of a good thing can be bad and this is especially true with your high yield keywords. Instead of trying to put as many keywords into your blog post as possible, reel it back and only use it about three to five times. The same can be said about trying to write content around a keyword--do the opposite! Keywords need to fit into your content so they don't sound clunky and outdated.
3. More Business Than Casual
Nobody likes hearing about super business speak and sales pitches--unless they are already a business professional or owner themselves. A majority of people online want to be entertained while still finding the information they need and having a blog that is more sales pitch than actual content writing can seriously hurt your exposure and brand. Be able to be casual and write like a human, not a robot.
4. No Call To Action
When the reader is at the bottom of your blog post, do they feel compelled to find out more about your business? Content for blogs has a much greater purpose than trying to simply entertain and inform your reader. It is also there to entice and compel the reader to also become a potential customer with calls to action. Outdated blogs can have a simple lift with just a few more CTAs to get the lead generation really going.
This doesn't mean that blogs without any of this are sub-par or inferior quality. In fact, quite the opposite. Content for blogs need to be consistently updated and tweaked simply for the sake of the changing market and to remain a consistently high yield source of sales and leads for your business. Think of it as Spring Cleaning, but the cleaning can happen at any time of the year.
What are some other signs that show the age of blog content? Share your own indicators when blog content needs a refresh!
image 1: http://pixabay.com/en/blog-blogging-leave-share-with-96106/
image 2: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nightthree/300232474/
