What is evergreen content?
Evergreen content refers to content that remains relevant, valuable, and useful over an extended period. Much like the always-green pines, spruces, and cedars of the forest, evergreen content stays fresh and vibrant through all seasons of your marketing — from festive holiday campaigns and everyday blog posts to new product launches.
Think of it as the foundation of your content plan, providing background information for readers who may be new in your niche or looking for a refresher.
While evergreen content forms the foundation, it’s important to balance it with timely and trend-driven content. This blend of the two helps you stay relevant, cater to the audience’s changing needs, and create a well-rounded content ecosystem.
Why is evergreen content important?
Efficient marketers know the value and versatility of crafting evergreen content. Incorporating evergreen content into your strategy will:
- Attract organic traffic
- Establishes brand authority
- Increased search visibility
- Creates long-term relevance and audience loyalty
- Increase ROI by being more cost-effective
- Maximize the lifespan of your content assets
- Enable opportunities for content syndication
For all these reasons, a strong evergreen content strategy will be the backbone of your content ecosystem.
Types of Evergreen Content
Whether you’re a writer or a marketer, evergreen content will be on the task list at some point. It’s critical infrastructure to your overall marketing, popping up in multiple forms.
Here are the most common evergreen requests we see here at ClearVoice:
Top of Funnel (TOFU)
- Articles
- Blog posts
- Explainer Videos
- Infographics
- Photography
- Product Descriptions
Middle of Funnel (MOFU)
- Articles
- Blog posts
- Case Studies
- Customer stories
- Explainer videos
- GIFs
Bottom of Funnel (BOFU)
- Articles
- Blog posts
- Customer Testimonials
- Ebooks
- Guides
- White Papers
You might be wondering what’s not evergreen in the world of content.
Current events news stories, ad copy for time-sensitive posts, email content, special offer landing pages, and promotional copy for temporary service. These types of content lure in audiences quickly and lose their relevance just as fast.
4 do’s when creating evergreen content
1. Do keep the content timeless
Focus on crafting content that speaks to your keywords, core niche, industry, and anchor products or services. Brainstorm which aspects of your business and customer needs will never go out of style, and focus on those.
2. Do anchor the idea with facts
Evergreen content provides ample details, tips, advice, and information that will last forever. Skip the opinion pieces because ideas and thoughts shift over time.
3. Do have a target audience in mind
Who is your ride-or-die buyer persona who will always support your industry or brand? Speak to them in your evergreen pieces. Chat to the fringe interest groups in trends or niche content.
4. Do make the content substantial
The evergreen content you create will work for you for years or until you make a major shift in business service, products, or model. Make the content high-quality, filled with respectable sources, and well-balanced discussions.
4 don’ts when creating evergreen content
It’s always helpful to keep a list of things not to do when strategizing your next batch of evergreen content.
1. Don’t lead with current events or trends
Evergreen content doesn’t hinge on newsmakers. If you want to write about events and trends, that’s fine. Don’t expect it to fill the role of evergreen content in your editorial plans.
2. Don’t keep it high-level
Short snippets, quick takes, and snackable content have a purpose, but not when crafting evergreen-level. Instead, focus on more in-depth, informative content that a reader might share or bookmark for later use.
3. Don’t be general and speak to everyone
This is a common mistake. When creating something long-lasting, you may want to customize the messaging to all people who might be interested. Don’t. Target one buyer persona who aligns with the sales funnel stage the content is serving.
4. Don’t be stingy or hurried
Add value by incorporating extra content elements (infographics, imagery, backlinks, photos, charts) and using authority-boosting tactics like direct quotes from interviews, sharing additional online resources, and offering a free download at the end of the piece.
Examples of Evergreen Content
Let’s take a closer look at all of these parameters working together to create timeless online content.
5 Common questions about milk answered
The purpose of this blog post for a2 Milk Company™ was simple: educate consumers.
Milk has been a staple in households forever, and adults will always have questions regarding its nutrition, processing, and production. This evergreen blog post will never go out of date since milk-producing cows are unlikely to go extinct. Backlinks to recipes on the blog help keep readers on the company’s website longer, boosting brand recognition and loyalty.
Better Batter
Glowing words from happy customers create relatable content. You’ve got evergreen content when the testimonial discusses your core products or services, such as this raving review from a bakery about a gluten-free flour blend from Better Batter.
If the review chatted about a specific employee (who may not work there forever) or a holiday special — it wouldn’t be evergreen!
How to plant deciduous trees
This planting guide in article form explains how to prepare for and add deciduous trees to your landscape. A checklist, photography, bolded text, and subheadings make this lengthy content from The Tree Center easy to consume.
You’ll also find ample backlinks to related, helpful content regarding creating a windbreak or privacy screen using plants, which may be the overall purpose for planting trees. Trees will always exist on our planet, making this information timeless, useful — and evergreen.
Let your evergreen content flourish
Like the arborist who manicures lawns and turns fluffy green bushes into well-coiffed hedgerows, evergreen content also needs TLC. Over time, all content decays. Some angles or facts may not have the same impact they once had.
Sometimes a simple rewrite or updating of an example is all it takes to keep your evergreen content fresh and flourishing. If you need to update your old content or are starting a new evergreen campaign, talk to a ClearVoice content specialist today to help you build a lifetime of content.
