Is the Answer Always, “Create More Content?”

By Justine Daley

Content, content, content; the need for it will never go away, but is there such a thing as too much? Is creating more of it always the answer?

Recently, I thought a lot about this as I sat and listened to a presentation put on by the Cincinnati American Marketing Association. The speaker, Mike Corak, was talking about content, and how it is expensive and time-consuming, yet incredibly pertinent to every marketing strategy, from big brands to medium sized law firms.

But Mike then went on to ask a question that I think that we all ignore in the hustle and bustle of constantly creating new content: what do you do with old content that isn’t performing?

He went on to compare R.O.T. vs. Evergreen content, and the answer became clearer.

Evergreen is something that can stand the test of time; it is a piece of content that is applicable today, tomorrow, and for years to come—but only with some maintenance and optimization.

R.O.T. is any website page that is redundant (R), outdated (O), or trivial (T).

Every website that has been around for 2 to 3 plus years has this kind of content, and it can weigh the site down. I like to think about Google as a person who is looking for a good piece of clothing in a second hand store. Google is looking for a quality, relevant piece of content, but has to sort through all of this junk to find it.

And unfortunately, Google doesn’t have as much perseverance as a thrift store shopper. We need to clean up the R.O.T. to pave a clear and easy path toward the high quality, conversion oriented, relevant content.

This is easier said than done, but this is just another reason why you cannot set and forget your strategies. You constantly need to look at strategies you implemented even years ago to create the right strategy for the future. This could mean putting some old pieces of content in the trash, or it could mean taking a few strategic steps to make it better.

So yes, the answer isn’t always create more content. Sometimes, it is delete old content or optimize it, and maybe you can make it 10 times better.