When it comes to SEO, most marketers believe that the key to ranking higher on Google is to constantly churn out fresh content. While producing new content regularly is important, there's another, often overlooked, strategy that can lead to results much faster: expanding your existing content.
Many marketers are under the impression that the more content they produce, the better their chances of ranking higher on Google. This approach makes sense at first glance - Google loves fresh content and new posts give you more opportunities to rank for different keywords. However, this strategy often leads to a content-heavy site with scattered SEO results.
What if there was a way to achieve better rankings without the relentless cycle of creating new posts? The answer lies in a different approach: focusing on enhancing the content you already have.
We analyzed thousands of websites that generate more than 100,000 visitors per month and discovered a surprising trend. On average, only 20%-25% of their content was responsible for around 70% of their SEO traffic. This means that the majority of their traffic was being driven by a small portion of their content.
Instead of spreading your efforts thin by producing more content, consider doubling down on the content that's already performing well. Expanding your most popular blog posts can lead to significant SEO gains, often much faster than creating new content from scratch.
Start by logging into Google Search Console. Here, you can analyze which of your blog posts are driving the most traffic and for which keywords they are ranking. Look for posts that are already performing well but have the potential for further optimization.
Once you've identified your top-performing posts, examine the keywords they rank for. Are there any related keywords that you're not yet targeting? Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to conduct a keyword gap analysis and identify opportunities to cover additional topics within your existing posts.
When expanding your content, it's crucial to focus on adding genuine value. This could involve providing more detailed explanations, incorporating new research, adding visuals like infographics or videos, or answering additional questions related to the topic. The key is to make the post more comprehensive and valuable for readers, rather than simply adding more words.
While it's important to target additional keywords, be cautious not to overdo it. Keyword stuffing - cramming too many keywords into your content - can lead to penalties from Google. Instead, focus on naturally integrating keywords in a way that enhances the readability and quality of your content.
After expanding your content, monitor its performance in Google Search Console and analytics tools. Look for improvements in rankings, traffic, and user engagement. Be prepared to make further adjustments if necessary, as SEO is an ongoing process.
Expanding existing content is a balancing act. On one hand, you want to enrich your posts with valuable information that addresses your readers' needs. On the other hand, you must avoid adding unnecessary fluff or compromising the quality of your content. The goal is to create posts that are both informative and engaging, while also optimizing them for search engines.
The reason this strategy works is simple: Google prioritizes content that provides value and thoroughly addresses search intent. When you take an already successful post and expand it to cover related topics in greater detail, you're signaling to Google that your content is comprehensive and deserves a higher ranking.
This approach also aligns with how users consume information. People prefer content that provides complete, in-depth answers to their questions rather than jumping between multiple sources. By expanding your best-performing content, you're making it more useful, which in turn improves engagement and ultimately, your SEO performance.
So, before you jump into publishing more blog posts, take a step back. Look at what's already working and consider how you can make it even better. Expanding your top posts could be the key to achieving those coveted first-page rankings.