How to write evergreen content

Whereas timely content is relevant for a limited time, evergreen content has enduring relevance. We’ll cover how evergreen content is defined and how you can create it. 

What is evergreen content? 

Evergreen is what the name suggests – content that will continue to blossom rather than only being useful for a short time. 

The Digital Marketing Institute defines evergreen content as “search-optimized content that is continually relevant and stays “fresh” for readers over a long period of time […] it continues to be relevant long past its publication date, with search traffic growth over time.” 

Of course, there are several requirements of a writer and marketer to make viable evergreen content. This will ensure your article will carry value over time. 

Choose your content type

Evergreen content types that tend to get the most engagement include in-depth guides, lists, and answering common questions. These are resources that serve the user. When writing your evergreen content, it goes without saying that you must put yourself in your user’s shoes and consider what kind of content would be the most useful for their needs. This will also bolster your brand reputation. If you write the most in-depth and informative guide on a topic, your users will be more likely to follow your CTAs and consider your product or service. 

Choose your topics wisely 

The best way to pick topics for your evergreen content is to conduct keyword research. Pick a handful of keywords relevant to your product or service and your industry. Then, look at high-ranking articles related to your keywords. Pay attention to what has been well-covered on the subject and, more importantly, what hasn’t. This is called content gap analysis. Being aware of what hasn’t been adequately covered will allow you to move in and speak with your authority on the topic. 

You should also note that short-tail keywords in your industry may be too competitive. It’s wise to also look for long-tail keywords that are not included in as much pre-existing content. 

Research, research, research

We mentioned having authority on the topic. Maybe you have this already and feel confident that you can write an authoritative article. However, even if this is true, you will need to conduct further research to cover all bases. 

In addition, just your own opinion, however well-informed, won’t stand up as a perennial piece with no references. Well-researched articles appear more authoritative and inspire more respect. 

You also want to make sure the research you include in your article, if not perennial itself, is updated regularly for relevance. 

Keep your brand in mind

It looks disingenuous to write an article that will be gain traction, yet doesn’t make sense for your brand. It will also attract irrelevant traffic. 

This goes back to picking your topics wisely. If you write evergreen content that is within your niche, you will attract the right audience. You want to focus on growing your brand – general traffic isn’t everything. It needs to be well-targeted. 

Stay updated

Ideally, if you’ve put the time in to create a truly timeless piece, it will be pretty low-maintenance. However, there will be times when there is information that needs to be regularly updated for your post to be relevant. 

It would be prudent to make a list of your evergreen resources and when they were last updated so that you can routinely audit them for outdated content. 

Add the right images 

For evergreen resources, you need images that add value to your content. This means it shouldn’t be merely decorative. Adding visual interest is a good idea, but as with all the other pointers, make sure the images are relevant. In addition, make sure the image metadata is optimised for image search. 

Consider content length 

It’s a good idea to consider the average content length of popular articles for getting the most engagement out of your well-researched piece. Some content marketing tools such as Buzzsumo have a feature for this built into their keyword research functionality. 

Here is an example of Buzzsumo’s insights telling you what length of content on a certain topic gains the most engagement.