Master evergreen content development

Times are changing, faster than ever before. It can be hard to keep up with creating content around timely, trending topics – but evergreen content can take the pressure off.

Content development that follows hot topics can make your audience keen to read more, but it’s not the only thing to focus on. There’s also a place in your content strategy for evergreen content – content that isn’t linked to seasonal trends and industry events. And creating it is both an art and a science, combining audience insights with data-driven strategies to develop content that stands the test of time.

Here’s how to master evergreen content development to deliver value long after you hit ‘publish’.

What is evergreen content?

Evergreen content is timeless. It stays relevant to your audience and continues to engage them over time. And unlike trending or news-based content, evergreen pieces maintain their value and searchability months or even years after publication.

The attributes of evergreen content include:

1. Timeless topics that address ongoing challenges or interests
2. Comprehensive, in-depth coverage of subjects
3. Enduring relevance for your target audience
4. Clear and accessible language
5. Potential for consistent traffic and engagement over time

Benefits of evergreen content development include long-term ROI, content that often ranks well in search results, establishing authority and less need for constant content creation.

How to use data in evergreen content development

A data-driven approach to content development is crucial for creating evergreen content with true, lasting impact. Creating content based on real audience needs helps you build trust and establish authority.

Here’s how to use data throughout the process:

1. Identify timeless topics using audience insights

There are several data sources you can use to uncover topics with long-term potential:

• Search trend analysis: Use tools like Google Trends to identify topics with consistent search volume over time. For example, we wrote an article for one of our clients on small business apps. The topic isn’t part of their core offering but it’s highly relevant for their audience and the piece was one of their highest performers!
• Keyword research: SEO tools can help you discover high-volume, low-competition keywords that indicate evergreen interest.
• Social listening: Monitor social media conversations to identify recurring themes and pain points in your industry. For example, content heavily shared on Reddit is highly likely to become evergreen.
• Customer feedback loop: Analyse support tickets, customer surveys, call centre queries and sales call notes to identify persistent questions and challenges.

2. Validate content ideas with data

Before investing resources in content development, validate your ideas:

• Competitive analysis: Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to analyse the performance of similar content from competitors.
• Historical performance: Review your own analytics to identify patterns and see which content performs well over time.
• A/B testing: Test content concepts through email subject lines or social media posts to determine initial audience interest.

3. Structure content based on user behaviour data

Once you’ve identified topics and content ideas, use audience insights to guide the structure and format of your evergreen content. Here’s how:

• Customer journey mapping: Analyse touchpoint data to understand where evergreen content fits in the customer journey. For example, let’s say your company sells a project management tool and your data reveals visitors from search engines spend more time reading your comparison-style blogs. You might decide to write a blog comparing the top 5 project management methodologies. A timeless (and relevant) topic that’s likely to keep appearing in search results.
• Content format preferences: Review engagement metrics across different content types (e.g. long-form articles, videos, infographics) to determine the most effective formats for your audience.
• Device usage data: Look into how your audience views your content and ensure it’s optimised for the devices they use most frequently.

How to develop high-impact evergreen content

 

With a data-driven foundation, apply these strategies to create evergreen content that resonates with your audience:

1. Focus on comprehensive, authoritative coverage

Develop content that serves as the definitive resource on a timeless topic:

• Create in-depth guides that cover all aspects of a subject.
• Include expert insights, statistics, and well-researched information.
• Structure content with clear headings and subheadings for easy navigation.

2. Address core problems and foundational concepts

Centre your content on fundamental issues and concepts in your industry:

• Tackle “how-to” topics that solve common, recurring problems.
• Explain basic concepts that form the foundation of more complex topics.
• Create glossaries or “101” guides for industry-specific terms and processes.

3. Incorporate timeless examples and case studies

Illustrate your points with examples that won’t quickly become dated:

• Use case studies that focus on strategies and outcomes rather than specific tools or technologies.
• Include diverse examples that appeal to a broad audience.
• When possible, use hypothetical scenarios that remain relevant over time.

4. Design to allow for updates

Create content with future updates in mind:

• Structure your content in a modular fashion, making it easy to add or revise sections.
• Use placeholder sections, like call-out boxes, for elements that may need frequent updating (e.g. statistics, tool recommendations).

5. Optimise for search engine visibility

Ensure your evergreen content is discoverable over the long term:

• Conduct thorough keyword research to target relevant, high-volume search terms.
• Implement on-page SEO best practices, including optimised meta descriptions and headers. A Generative AI tool can help you do this efficiently.
• Create a strong internal linking structure to boost the authority of your evergreen pages.

Measure and maintain evergreen content performance

The work doesn’t stop once your evergreen content is published. If you want to get results, you’ll need to measure and optimise your content on a regular basis. Here’s how.

1. Track long-term performance metrics

Keep track of the main indicators of evergreen success:

• Consistent traffic: Look for steady or increasing traffic over time rather than short-term spikes.
• Engagement metrics: Track time on page, scroll depth, and interaction rates.
• Conversion impact: Measure how evergreen content contributes to lead generation and sales over time.
• Backlink acquisition: Monitor the rate at which your content earns quality backlinks.

2. Implement a regular update schedule

Keep your evergreen content fresh and relevant:

• Set up calendar reminders for periodic content reviews.
• Update statistics, examples, and references to ensure ongoing accuracy.
• Refresh visuals and formatting to maintain a modern appearance.

3. Repurpose and remarkable successful evergreen content

Maximise the impact of your best-performing evergreen pieces:

• Adapt content into different formats (e.g. turn a guide into an infographic or video series).
• Regularly reshare evergreen content on social media platforms.
• Use evergreen content as the basis for email nurture campaigns or lead magnets.

Overcoming challenges in evergreen content development

When developing evergreen content, keep these common challenges in mind:

1. Balancing depth and accessibility: Create content that’s comprehensive without being overwhelming. Use clear language and structure to make complex topics digestible.
2. Staying current in rapidly evolving industries: In fast-changing fields, focus on foundational principles and regularly update specific details or examples.
3. Avoiding oversaturation: Use audience insights to identify unique angles or underserved topics within popular subject areas.
4. Maintaining consistency across updates: Establish clear guidelines for content updates to ensure consistency in tone, style, and quality over time. Having a   in place can help with this.

Data-driven evergreen content can have a lasting impact

Developing evergreen content is a strategic investment in your content marketing portfolio. Using audience insights and adopting a data-driven approach to content development can help you create resources that attract, engage, and convert your target audience for years to come.

The true power of evergreen content lies in its ability to provide consistent value over time. It’s a lot of work but well worth the effort to build a content foundation that supports your marketing objectives well into the future.

And if it all sounds too overwhelming, we’re here for you. Get free content marketing tips to your inbox or get in touch and we can help you make things happen with words.