You’ve probably got posts sitting on your blog that used to get traffic but don’t anymore. Happens to everyone. Search engines change what they prioritize, competitors publish newer stuff, and your once-great article starts slipping down the rankings.
Here’s the thing: You don’t need to write new content from scratch. Most of the time, refreshing what you’ve already got works better—and it’s way faster.
We’re going to walk you through finding those underperforming posts, figuring out what needs updating, and making changes that actually move the needle. You’ll see how to prioritize which articles to tackle first, what specific improvements matter most, and how to track whether your updates worked.
Prerequisites
Before we dive in, you’ll need:
- Access to your Badass Network blog dashboard
- Some published posts that have been live for at least 3-6 months (newer posts haven’t had enough time to establish rankings)
- Basic familiarity with editing posts in WordPress
- Ideally, access to Google Search Console or similar analytics (not required, but helpful for finding which posts to update)
Why Updating Old Posts Works Better Than You’d Think
Google doesn’t just rank content once and forget about it. When you update an article—especially if you’re adding genuinely useful information—search engines notice. They recrawl the page, reassess its relevance, and often bump it back up in rankings.
Most people see improvements within 2-4 weeks after updating. Sometimes faster, depends on how competitive the topic is.
Finding Which Posts Need Updating
You can’t update everything at once, so start with posts that’ll give you the biggest return.
Check your analytics first
Look for posts that:
- Used to get consistent traffic but dropped off in the last 6-12 months
- Rank on page 2 of Google (positions 11-20)—these are SO close to getting real traffic
- Cover topics that are still relevant to your audience
- Already have some backlinks or social shares
If you’ve got Google Search Console connected, filter by impressions and click-through rate. Posts with high impressions but low clicks usually just need better titles or meta descriptions. Posts with declining impressions need content updates.
Don’t have analytics?
No problem. Just look through your older posts and ask yourself:
- Is this information still accurate?
- Would I publish this exact same post today, or would I add more?
- Does this answer the question better than competing articles?
Yeah, it’s more subjective, but honestly, you probably already know which posts feel outdated.
What Actually Needs Updating (And What Doesn’t)
Here’s where people usually waste time: They rewrite perfectly good sections that didn’t need touching.
Focus on these specific areas:
1. Outdated Information
This one’s obvious but easy to miss. Check dates, software versions, statistics, examples, screenshots—anything that makes your post look old. If you wrote “In 2022, most bloggers…” and we’re now in 2025, that’s a red flag to readers AND search engines.
2. Thin Content Sections
Look for places where you explained something in two sentences that could’ve been two paragraphs. Most older posts were written when “short and sweet” was the SEO advice. Now, thoroughness wins. If there’s a section that feels rushed or incomplete, expand it with actual useful detail.
3. Missing Context
When you first published, you probably assumed readers knew certain things. They don’t. Add quick explanations for terms, concepts, or steps that you glossed over originally.
4. Weak Headlines and Subheadings
Your H2 and H3 headings should tell readers exactly what they’re about to learn. If your heading says “Getting Started” instead of “How to Set Up Your First Email Campaign,” you’re not being clear enough. Specificity helps readers AND helps Google understand what your content covers.
5. Better Examples
Generic examples age poorly. “Use a catchy headline” doesn’t help anyone. “Instead of ‘My Blog Post,’ try ‘How I Tripled Traffic in 30 Days Using One Simple Change'” shows exactly what you mean. Replace vague advice with concrete examples.
6. Internal Links to Newer Content
If you’ve published related articles since this post went live, link to them. It helps readers find more of your content and spreads link equity across your site. Win-win.
7. Meta Descriptions
Check if you even wrote one. A lot of older posts don’t have custom meta descriptions, so Google just pulls the first 160 characters of your post. That rarely reads well. Write a compelling summary that includes your target keyword and makes people want to click.
- Publish dates (keep the original date—don’t try to game it)
- Perfectly good writing just for the sake of change
- Formatting that already works
- Images that are still relevant (unless quality is poor)
Step-by-Step: How We Update Old Posts
Here’s our actual process. You can adapt this to fit your workflow, but this is what works for us.
Open the post in your WordPress editor
Go to Posts > All Posts, find the article you’re updating, and click Edit. You’ll see the Block Editor with your existing content.
Read the entire post like you’re seeing it for the first time
Yeah, this takes a few minutes, but you can’t fix what you don’t remember writing. Make notes as you go about what feels dated, confusing, or incomplete. I usually just keep a scratch doc open and jot down section numbers or keywords so I know where to come back to.
Update factual information first
Fix dates, stats, software versions, broken examples—anything objectively wrong. This is non-negotiable. Outdated facts kill trust.
Expand thin sections
Find spots where you could add 2-3 more sentences of actual value. Don’t just pad for word count—add information that genuinely helps. If you wrote “Make sure to optimize images,” expand that into HOW to optimize images, why it matters, and what specifically to do.
Improve your title if needed
Does your current title include your target keyword? Is it clear what the post teaches? Does it make someone want to click? If you’re unsure, test it: Would YOU click this title in search results?
Rewrite or add a better introduction
Your intro should hook readers immediately and promise a clear payoff. If your current intro is three paragraphs of background before getting to the point, trim it. Get to the value within the first 2-3 sentences.
Add internal links
As you’re reading through, look for opportunities to link to other relevant posts on your blog. Aim for 2-4 links total—don’t overdo it, but don’t skip this. It helps readers and helps your overall site SEO. Use natural anchor text. Instead of “click here,” use “learn how to optimize your blog posts” as the clickable text.
Write or improve your meta description
Scroll down to the SEO section (or Yoast/Rank Math if you’ve got those active on Badass Network). Write a compelling 150-160 character description that includes your target keyword and tells readers exactly what they’ll learn. Don’t just summarize—sell the click. “Discover how to update old blog posts to improve search rankings. Step-by-step guide with real examples.” That’s specific and actionable.
Update the “last modified” note (optional)
Some people like to add a quick note at the top: “Updated November 2025 with new examples and expanded troubleshooting.” Depends on your preference. It can build trust by showing you keep content current, but it’s not required.
Hit Update
You’re not publishing a new post—you’re updating an existing one. Click the Update button (where Publish used to be). Your changes go live immediately.
After You Update: What to Do Next
Don’t just hit Update and disappear. There are a couple of quick things you can do to speed up the impact.
Request a recrawl in Google Search Console
If you’ve got Search Console set up, go to URL Inspection, paste your updated post’s URL, and click “Request Indexing.” This tells Google to come check out your changes sooner rather than waiting for the next scheduled crawl. Usually takes a few days to a week.
Reshare on social media or email
If the post is significantly better now, let people know. You don’t need to announce “HEY I UPDATED THIS POST”—just share it like you would any valuable content. “Here’s our guide on improving old blog posts—just refreshed with new examples.”
Monitor the results
Check back in 2-4 weeks. Look at traffic, rankings, and engagement. Not every update will be a home run, but you should see some improvement on most posts. If you don’t, that’s useful information too—maybe that topic isn’t worth focusing on anymore, or maybe the competition is just too strong.
Common Situations When Updating Content
Check your title and meta description. You’re probably getting impressions but not clicks. Rewrite those to be more compelling. Don’t change the content if it’s already working—just improve the “packaging.”
Honestly? Sometimes it’s better to write a new post. If the original advice is 80% wrong now, updating feels forced. Publish a fresh take and redirect the old URL to the new one (or just link between them and let both exist).
This can happen, though it’s rare. Usually means you removed something Google was using to rank you, or you accidentally de-optimized for the target keyword. Check what you changed—did you remove the keyword from the title or headings? Did you delete a section that was actually valuable? You can always revert if needed.
Depends on the topic. Evergreen content? Maybe once a year. Time-sensitive stuff? Every few months. Don’t update just to update—only when there’s a meaningful reason.
You CAN, but I wouldn’t recommend it unless the old URL is really bad. Changing URLs means you lose any backlinks pointing to the old one (unless you set up a redirect, which is more technical). Usually not worth the hassle.
What You’ve Done
You’ve just learned how to identify which old posts are worth updating, what specific changes make the biggest difference, and how to execute those updates without wasting time on stuff that doesn’t matter.
This isn’t a one-time thing—make this part of your regular content strategy. Every few months, revisit your older posts and see what needs refreshing. It’s way more efficient than constantly creating brand new content, and it compounds over time.
Next: Start with your top 3 underperforming posts. Block out an hour, make the updates, and track what happens over the next month. You’ll quickly figure out what works for your specific audience and niche.
Related Resources
- Writing SEO-Friendly Blog Titles — Learn how to craft titles that rank and get clicks
- Optimizing Your Blog for Search Engines — Broader SEO strategies beyond just updating content
- Using Keywords Effectively — How to naturally include keywords without sounding robotic
- Internal Linking Best Practices — Maximize the SEO value of linking between your posts
Need Help?
If you’re not seeing improvements after updating, or you’re unsure which posts to prioritize:
- Contact Badass Network support
- Let us know what you’ve tried so far
- Share your blog URL so we can take a quick look