When & Why to Repurpose Existing Content

Keeping content fresh and relevant isn’t something new when it comes to influencing search performance, but we know from Google and its 2024 leaked documents that the algorithm places greater importance on ‘fresh content’ and will more readily serve up recently updated information to its users. 

The 2024 leaked document stated, “freshness matters” and that Google actively looks at dates in the byline, URL and within the on-page content. This tells us that the search engine is making sure that the content it delivers to users is current, so it’s important to make sure your content is always as ‘fresh’ as it can be. 

Not all content ages well. Your evergreen piece is there to remain relevant and useful over a long period of time – they’re not reliant on dates or trends. It is sustainable and forever fresh to different people at different times. For example, “how to tie a tie” or “what is content marketing” will always be relevant. You can tweak these pieces and update them here or there, but the core knowledge they are built on stays the same. They are your workhorse pieces of SEO. They slowly build more and more traffic over time, increasing their value. 

Time sensitive content on the other hand is often tied to a deadline, piece of news, or current trend, and so has a natural expiry date built into it. The relevance, and therefore traffic, peaks and then falls away. You’ll often see this with annualised content is “2024 products to watch” or a simple news piece. As you move into a new year or newscycle, they can become obsolete quickly, seeing sharp drops in traffic.

We know that Google likes fresh content, but this is not a signal to start updating every single piece ever published on your website. Some evergreen content might require a refresh if some new information becomes available and adds value to the piece, but your time-sensitive pieces serve their purpose and then should be retired. Knowing when to leave content alone is just as important as knowing what to update. Google values value-added updates. So, it is so important that the intent and relevance of the piece is maintained. If you are looking at updating content, you should ask yourself the following questions:

•     Is the traffic declining?
•     Has the information changes?
•     Can I add new links, stats or perspectives that add value without changing the intent of the piece?

If the answer is no to some or all of the above, it might be best not to try updating just for the sake of it.

When the huge Google Doc leak happened back in June 2024 it pretty much confirmed what most SEOs knew already – high quality news, site authority, local links and freshness matter.  When it came to the importance of fresh content, it was right there in black and white. It showed that the sourceType attribute linked from freshly published content as higher quality than older content. 

Here are some key signals Google is likely to use to determine content freshness:

• New publishing date: Republishing or adding a new publish date can signal freshness, especially if combined with real content updates. However, changing the date alone without meaningful updates is unlikely to have much impact.
• Substantial content changes: Meaningful edits, such as rewriting sections, updating facts, or reorganizing the structure. These signal that the page has been actively maintained and improved.
• Newly added multimedia, stats, or links: Adding current data, recent stats, fresh external/internal links, images, or videos shows the content has been enhanced with relevant, up-to-date information.

However, the importance of freshness varies depending on the topic or industry or market. For news, press releases, financial markets, tech launches, or health updates, freshness is critical. Google prioritises the most current and relevant information to serve searchers who want the latest updates. But in legal, historical, educational, or industrial B2B niches, content remains relevant for longer periods. Updates are still important for accuracy and UX, but they don’t need to be as frequent or real-time.

Refreshing your content isn’t just about changing the words on the page. Updating the metadata and tags create signals that help Google and readers know your content is fresh.

Some quick wins on how to do this include: 

• Making the date a piece was published and updated visible. Having this clearly at the top or the bottom of a page builds trust with readers and shows that the content is being maintained.
• Make sure you update your XML sitemap (<lastmod> tag). This tells Google when a page was last changed. If you make big updates, make sure your sitemap reflects it, so Google knows to come back and re-crawl it. Use structured data (dateModified).
• Schema markup can also Google understand when a page was updated. But don’t fake it! Only change the date if you’ve made real improvements, not small tweaks. 
• Check your metadata and technical tags such as <meta name=”last-modified”> in your HTML or server-level headers like Last-Modified. These help Google understand changes. If your page appears in places like “Recently Updated” lists, RSS feeds, or category pages, make sure those reflect any updates too.

All these updates tell Google your content is fresh and worth re-ranking. They give users confidence that they’re reading up-to-date information, which builds trust. It is key that your updates are meaningful and honest. Updating the date with no changes can damage trust and hurt performance.

Updating existing content to reflect current trends, news, or cultural moments can be a high-impact SEO and brand awareness strategy if you do it well. It can make your brand part of wider conversations and attract fresh traffic. But done badly, it can feel opportunistic or tone deaf.

Start by identifying natural overlaps between trending topics and your existing content. This is where content audits and social listening work together. If a subject you’ve written about in the past suddenly becomes newsworthy or widely discussed, it’s a prime opportunity to update it and re-share. 

Being able to spot timely repurposing opportunities requires a mix of tools and awareness. Use Google Alerts, Twitter/X trends, or Google Trends to track rising interest in your niche. Look at SEO data too. If you see an old post getting more traffic, it might be riding a current trend that you haven’t spotted. Getting your content calendar up to date is key. If you know an industry regulation is about to drop, prep your content in advance so you can push it out fast when the moment hits.

Trending conversations move fast, so aim to refresh and re-share while the topic is still hot. Maintain a shortlist of evergreen posts that could become timely again and have ideas ready. This helps you react quickly and stay ahead of your competitors.

When updating content, make sure you add clear value and context. Reference the current event in your intro, update your stats, and include a new section addressing what’s changed. Only align with trends where your content has real relevance. Forcing a connection will just damage trust.

After republishing, remember to promote your refreshed content widely. Share it on social, include it in newsletters, and get your Digital PR team involved. If your post includes useful insights, it may earn media links and shares.

Trend-based repurposing blends timing, relevance, and value. It’s not about jumping on every trend, it’s about updating the right content for your audience and sharing it in a way that genuinely helps them. When done with care, it’s a smart way to stay visible, timely, and trusted.

Some content has a built-in expiry date. Think: “Best Tools for 2024” or “State of the Industry in 2023.” These are annualised pieces designed to be refreshed regularly to stay relevant. They offer great opportunities for repurposing, but only if updated properly. Simply swapping the year in the headline and hitting publish isn’t going to cut it. 

Revisit any old pieces thoroughly. What’s new in the market? What no longer applies? Update stats, revise recommendations, and add fresh examples or screenshots. Aim to change at least 30% of the content so it’s genuinely different and more useful than last year’s version.

A common question is whether to keep the same URL or create a new one for each year. In most cases, keeping the same URL is better. You retain backlinks, ranking history, and page authority. Just make sure all visible elements (title, headings, schema) reflect the new year. This can turn one evergreen URL into a trusted, annually updated authority page.

This is where your content planner comes into its own again. Annual content updates shouldn’t be rushed. Plan your refreshes. If people start searching for “2026 tools” in December 2025, your update should go live before the new year and not in mid-January, so you need to be ready. 

Keep a rolling list of notes throughout the year to help you create this when the time comes. Save new data, tools, quotes, or product updates to include. You can even draft reusable sections like “What’s new this year?” to speed up the process. Brands that start 4–6 months ahead tend to see the best results during peak interest.

Sometimes, not much changes. If your 2026 version would be nearly identical to 2025, don’t force it. Consider shifting to a more evergreen format like “Best Tools for X (Updated 2025),” and only make minor edits. Add a note that the content was reviewed for accuracy. This keeps things honest and saves time for where bigger updates are needed.

Updating content is great, but one of the most powerful ways to extend its life is by repurposing it into different formats. A high-performing blog post doesn’t need to stay just a blog post, it can become a video, infographic, podcast, social series, email feature, or downloadable guide. This helps you reach new audiences and get more value from content you’ve already created.

People consume content in different ways. Some prefer short videos, others like visuals, and some only check social media or email. Repurposing lets you reach them all by reshaping your original piece to fit different formats and platforms.

Do you know if you’re appearing in AI Overviews, or know what to do if you’re not? Taking up the most valuable piece of real estate on SERP, it’s important to get your brand recognised in this space. If you need help understanding how to achieve that? Speak to our SEO team today.