What is Content Decay in SEO and How to Fix it

In SEO, a silent killer of growth manifests in a sudden drop in search engine rankings and website traffic, eventually reducing conversion rates. Known as content decay among SEO professionals, it is a gradual and subtle decline of content’s relevance, usually occurring over a period of six to eight months wherein a high-performing SEO article falls in Search engine ranking.

The change is so slow and inconspicuous that most SEOs do not notice it until the rankings are wiped out. However, there is nothing to panic about, as this is a normal occurrence and is bound to happen. For fixing, it’s important to understand that content decay is less concerned with content being good or bad and more with its failure to adapt to changing search engine algorithms.

This blog will give you an overview of why content decay occurs and what you can do to prevent and fix it.

Search Engine Algorithms

Most search engines are designed to give a seamless and enriching experience to users and by default are programmed to give more priority to recent and complex content. Moreover, search engine algorithms keep on updating themselves, meaning the strategies employed in content making in the past will invariably lose relevance.

Users Expectations and Changing Search Intent

Context gives meaning to words, and over time, the meaning changes with ever-evolving context. In simple words, content which was once relevant to the visitors might no longer meet the expectations and objectives. This eventually reduces time spent on page and increases bounce rates. Additionally, users expect the most recent data available and older content cannot satiate that demand.

Competition Uploading Fresh Content

If your competition is constantly uploading new content with data that applies to the current scenarios, the search engine algorithm will favour that and push your content further down. Needless to say, up-to-date content increases user trust and engagement and therefore gets priority.

Combating Content Decay

Content decay can be fixed and even prevented if you have a comprehensive strategy for  SEO in digital marketing in place.

Routine Audits and Edits

Publishing and forgetting is not the ideal way to go for SEO in digital marketing. You should keep checking the traffic of your top-performing pages at least once a month, or depending on the pace of your industry. Keep reviewing keywords and the relevance of presented data to keep content fresh.

Optimise Metadata

Research the top-ranking pages that pushed down your blog post. Analyse their metadata and headings to see what you can do better to refine your descriptions.

Align With Search Intent

Recent times have seen a dramatic shift in search intent for several keywords. Information-based keywords have evolved into commercial ones. Reformatting content and changing keywords can revive the website traffic in such cases.

Bottom Line

To remain on top, content on a page needs to remain fresh. A blog post that discusses ways of thriving in the industry during lockdown is no longer relevant, no matter how high quality the information is. It cannot bring meaningful traffic to you and thus, needs to be modified. If you want to focus on building your business and get the best out of your SEO, contact The Yellow Coin communication, the best SEO agency in Delhi, to maximise your efforts.

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