In today’s digital age, a well-designed, informative website is a critical component of your marketing toolkit. A common mistake companies make with regard to their website is investing in the initial website design and development but neglecting to regularly update and tend to that investment.  Your website should not remain static. It should be tended to as if it were a living, breathing object. Here’s a look at why fresh content is critical for your website.

Fresh Content on Your Website Gives Prospects a Reason to Return

You would not open a retail store, stock it with merchandise once and then never restock your shelves. Your customers may shop with you when you open, but once they discover there is nothing new to bring them back in, they’ll abandon you. The same is true for your website. If you build it, invite prospects and customers to view it, but never update it with fresh content, your customers and prospects have no reason to return. As a result, you lose the opportunity to continue to engage with prospects, nurturing them into customers and giving your customers a reason to continue to engage with you.

Fresh Content Shows Search Engines (and Your Buyers) That Your Business is Alive

If your website remains static due to a lack of fresh content, search engines may view your site as a “dead entity” and not refer your site to web searchers. Relevance is key to earning the favor of search engines. If your site appears to be dated, lacking life and nothing new to offer, search engines will not promote you in its search returns.

Fresh content also tells your customers that your business is alive and thriving. If you visit a website and the latest blog was penned in 2008 or the homepage copy references a fad that’s no longer trending, what is your first thought about that company?  You likely wonder if they are still in business or if they are, if they are up to date and relevant.

Fresh Content Improves SEO

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a process of designing and maintaining your website in a way that makes it easy for search engines (like Google and Bing) to find your website and reference it in searches conducted by internet users.

Keywords are of high importance for search engine ranking and site indexing. When you frequently add content, optimize that content with keywords you know are of importance to the people you want to attract to your site.   The updates you make must provide value to your visitors. In other words, swapping a few words on existing pages or attempting to trick search engines by keyword stuffing on pages is not going to do the trick. (In fact, you may be penalized for this.) Create high value, informative content like case studies, informative articles, and downloads like white papers. Before creating a piece, ask yourself, “would a prospective customer find this to be helpful and useful?”.

If you are struggling to come up with topics, think back on frequently asked questions your customers ask about your products or services. Explain a complex topic related to your industry in a helpful way. Write an article teaching your current or prospective customers how to do something.