What is evergreen content? The foundation of lasting SEO

You've probably experienced the frustration of creating content that performs well initially but quickly fades into obscurity. Evergreen content solves this problem by continuing to attract traffic, generate leads, and build topical authority long after you hit publish.

Whether you're building a content marketing strategy from scratch or optimizing an existing one, mastering evergreen content will dramatically improve your SEO results and content ROI.

We'll show you exactly what evergreen content is, why it matters for SEO, and how to create pieces that deliver value over time.

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What is evergreen content?

Evergreen content stays relevant and valuable long after publishing it, continuously attracting new readers. Just like evergreen trees keep their leaves throughout the year, this content maintains its usefulness regardless of season or changing trends.

This type of content tackles fundamental topics and answers questions that people consistently search for. Think of guides explaining basic concepts, solutions to common problems, or comprehensive resources that readers return to repeatedly.

These pieces become reliable reference points in your industry that don't quickly become outdated.

What evergreen content is not

To better understand evergreen content, it helps to recognize what doesn't qualify:

• News articles that report on current events or breaking stories.
• Seasonal content that's only relevant during specific times of year.
• Trend pieces focused on short-lived fads or popular topics.
• Statistics without context that quickly become outdated.
• Content with time markers like "this year," "recently," or "last month."
• Technology reviews that become obsolete as products evolve.

Evergreen vs. seasonal vs. trending vs. news content

While trending and news content can drive impressive short-term traffic, evergreen content provides the stable foundation that supports your site's ongoing authority and ranking potential.

» Learn how to create content for the SEO conversion funnel.

Benefits of evergreen content

Investing in evergreen content delivers multiple advantages for SEO that compound over time.

1. Consistent traffic generation

Unlike trending content that experiences a traffic spike followed by a steep decline, evergreen content continues attracting visitors month after month, year after year. This steady stream of traffic provides predictable exposure for your brand.

» Learn how to increase your organic traffic.

2. Higher ROI over time

The effort-to-reward ratio for evergreen content improves dramatically over time. While content creation requires a substantial upfront investment, the ongoing traffic and conversions it generates can continue for years with only minimal maintenance. This sustainable approach is one of the most effective ways to improve SEO ROI.

» Discover the best tool to increase SEO ROI.

3. Establishes authority and expertise

Comprehensive, in-depth evergreen resources demonstrate your brand's expertise and thought leadership. When readers consistently find valuable information on your site, they begin to view you as an authoritative source in your industry.

4. Supports link-building efforts

A study by Backlinko found that the number of domains linking to a page was the factor with the highest correlation to rankings in Google. This shows the critical role of backlinks in SEO.

Quality evergreen content naturally attracts backlinks as other sites reference your comprehensive resources. These links continue accumulating over time, strengthening your domain authority and boosting overall SEO performance.

5. Reduces content creation pressure

A strong foundation of evergreen pieces reduces the pressure to constantly create new content. Instead, you can focus on strategic updates and promotion of existing assets, allowing for more efficient resource allocation.

6. Provides anchor points for internal linking

Evergreen content serves as pillar pages that support your site's topic clusters, providing natural opportunities for internal linking that strengthens your site architecture and distributes page authority.

Common evergreen content formats

Certain content formats naturally lend themselves to evergreen status:

How-to guides and tutorials

Step-by-step instructions for timeless processes or skills remain valuable as long as the fundamental process doesn't change. Examples include:

• "How to create content that converts"
• "A beginner's guide to meditation"
• "How to create a monthly budget"

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Comprehensive answers to common questions in your industry provide lasting value. These pieces address fundamental curiosities that new audience members consistently have. Examples of evergreen FAQs include:

• "What is domain authority?"
• "How often should I update my blog for SEO?"
• "What’s the difference between on-page and off-page SEO?"

Definitive guides and resources

In-depth explorations of core topics serve as reference materials for your audience. These substantial pieces typically cover fundamental concepts exhaustively. For example:

• "The complete guide to SEO for beginners"
• "Conversion rate optimization: The ultimate guide"
• "A step-by-step guide to writing meta descriptions"

» Check out this step-by-step guide to converting organic traffic.

Lists of principles or resources

Collections of foundational principles, tools, or resources that change minimally over time perform well as evergreen content. Examples include:

• "10 timeless SEO principles every marketer should know"
• "7 content marketing frameworks that still work today"
• "13 CRO best practices to turn traffic into sales"

Case studies or success stories

Case studies are a powerful form of evergreen content because they showcase your business's success in a way that stays relevant over time. While they may not generate a huge amount of traffic, a well-crafted case study can help build credibility and provide evidence of your value to potential leads. Some examples include:

• "How one SaaS brand increased organic traffic by 300% in 6 months"
• "From zero to 100K monthly visitors: A content-driven growth story"
• "How updating evergreen posts boosted rankings across 50+ pages"

Problem-solving content

Content addressing persistent problems or challenges your audience faces will continue attracting traffic as new people encounter these common issues. Examples of this type of evergreen content include:

• "How to recover from a drop in organic rankings"
• "What to do when your blog isn’t getting traffic"
• "How to fix crawled – currently not indexed"

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How to create evergreen content

Creating truly timeless content requires strategic planning and execution.

1. Select evergreen topics

Find topics with lasting relevance in your niche. Look for:

• Fundamental concepts newcomers need to understand
• Persistent problems your audience faces
• Questions that people consistently ask
• Skills or processes that remain relatively constant

2. Conduct comprehensive research

Gather authoritative information from multiple sources to ensure your content is accurate and thorough. Look beyond surface-level facts to include:

• Historical context when relevant
• Fundamental principles
• Expert insights
• Multiple perspectives on the topic

3. Create depth and comprehensiveness

Evergreen content should be exhaustive in covering the chosen topic. Include:

• Clear, actionable information
• Visual elements (diagrams, infographics) to enhance understanding
• Examples that illustrate key points
• Expert quotes or insights
• Answers to related questions

» Ready to create effective evergreen content? Book a free demo.

4. Use timeless language and examples

Avoid references that will quickly date your content:

• Remove phrases like "this year," "recently," or "last month"
• Use examples that won't quickly become obsolete
• Focus on principles rather than specific tools that may change
• When including statistics, emphasize patterns and implications over exact numbers

5. Structure for readability and scannability

Make your content accessible with:

• Clear headings and subheadings
• Bulleted and numbered lists
• Short paragraphs
• Strategic bold text for key points
• Table of contents for longer pieces

6. Update regularly

Even evergreen content needs a refresh every now and then:

• Schedule regular content audits (every 6-12 months)
• Update any information that has changed
• Add new insights or examples
• Refresh outdated visuals
• Improve SEO optimization based on performance data

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7. Promote strategically

Effective promotion extends your evergreen content's reach:

• Create a promotion schedule that includes sharing
• Repurpose content into different formats (infographics, videos, podcasts)
• Feature evergreen pieces in email newsletters, social media posts, YouTube videos, etc.
• Link to evergreen content from related new posts
• Consider paid promotion for particularly valuable pieces

8. Measure performance

Track key metrics to evaluate and optimize your evergreen content:

• Organic traffic
• Engagement metrics (time on page, bounce rate, etc.)
• Backlinks
• Conversion rate
• Search ranking positions

» Discover the top 10 conversion metrics to track in 2025.

Examples of evergreen content

The following examples demonstrate the enduring value of well-executed evergreen content.

Example 1: Comprehensive guides

HubSpot's "How to Start a Blog and Write Engaging Posts" continues attracting traffic years after its publication in 2013 because it addresses a timeless need with practical, step-by-step guidance.

Even as blogging platforms and SEO best practices evolve, HubSpot maintains the guide's relevance by regularly updating technical details while preserving the core advice that makes it valuable to readers.



Example 2: Resource collections

Backlinko's "Google's 200 Ranking Factors: The Complete List" serves as an evergreen resource that SEO professionals can reference consistently. While specific factors may change, their comprehensive approach ensures ongoing relevance.



Example 3: Problem-solving content

Mayo Clinic's health articles addressing common symptoms and conditions maintain relevance because human biology and common health concerns remain relatively constant. Their "Headaches: Treatment and Causes" page continues to attract traffic from people seeking reliable information.



Example 4: Foundational how-to guides

Investopedia's "How to Budget Money" provides timeless financial advice that remains applicable regardless of economic conditions or technological changes in personal finance.



Example 5: Definitive terminology explanations

Moz's "Beginner's Guide to SEO" serves as an evergreen introduction to SEO, covering fundamental concepts that remain relevant despite the industry's ongoing evolution.



How to create an evergreen content strategy

Developing a systematic approach to evergreen content production maximizes its benefits. Here's what you can do:

• Focus on evergreen topics: Start by identifying topics your audience will always care about—things that don’t change quickly and stay useful over time.
• Stick to proven formats: Go with evergreen content formats like the ones listed above that are easy to update and rank well naturally.
• Optimize for search: Structure your content with clear headings, strong keywords, and easy navigation so it performs well in search from day one.
• Strengthen with internal linking: Connect trending content to evergreen resources and build topic clusters around pillar pages.
• Build SEO funnels: Map evergreen content across the funnel to guide users from awareness to conversion with minimal drop-off.
• Audit and update content regularly: Schedule regular content audits (quarterly for high-priority, semi-annually for medium, annually for lower) to identify content gaps and opportunities for optimization.

» Ready to optimize your evergreen content strategy? Chat to an SEO expert.

Create content that stands the test of time

Creating evergreen content means solving your audience's persistent problems with comprehensive, timeless solutions that continuously attract and convert visitors. Successful strategies balance these foundational pieces with seasonal or trending content while keeping everything fresh and relevant.

Unlike trending topics that quickly fade, evergreen content delivers compounding results that reward your investment with steady traffic and conversions for years to come.