Long gone are the days in which webmasters and businesses could produce thin content, hoping that it would be enough to please readers and search engines alike. With more demanding requirements from both of these groups, content now must contain a minimum level of value and detail in order to be perceived positively. Media sites and those associated with late-breaking events can produce thinner forms of content because the content is relevant for a short period of time, and there is a massive amount of content being published on a daily or weekly basis. This dynamic doesn’t apply to most brands and entities. Evergreen content, for this very reason, is oh so valuable: we’ll explain below why this is the case.

Search Engines Prefer Evergreen

When faced with a choice between constant, thin, time-relevant content and long-lasting, relevant evergreen content, the latter wins with Google and Bing every time. Because of the challenge faced by content creators (producing content preferred by both search engines and people), evergreen content generally fits the mould better. The longer the content, the better: this provides people with more information and indicates to search engines that you are not producing thin content. While pinging your website with fresh content on a regular basis is ideal, sites that publish consistently good evergreen content on a weekly basis tend to outperform sites that publish consistently good time-sensitive content on a daily basis.

Readers Prefer Longer Content

Let’s face it: it is hard to do a comprehensive write-up on a late-breaking event. For starters, details are often few and far between; in order to beat your competitors to the punch, you usually need to have said content published as soon as possible. With evergreen content, the sky is the limit. You’ll be able to thoroughly research topics and ideas because they are not time-sensitive, which means you’ll be able to write more. Study after study shows that whether individuals read the entirety of an article or not, they vastly prefer longer forms of content over shorter ones. Since evergreen content subjects are easier to elaborate upon, this showcases yet another benefit as to why evergreen content is your friend.

Longer Value, Fewer Updates

Evergreen content gets its name from the fact that it usually is content that requires minimal – if any – upkeep. This means that once you have published your piece, you’ll never have to add on to it or alter portions of it again. While some forms of evergreen content will require periodic changes, they will not have to be completely re-written in order to remain relevant. The more forms of evergreen content that you’re pinging your website with, the less you’ll be required to provide constant updates in the future. While regular updates are important, evergreen content is more substantial and therefore more likely to answer the questions of users who search for solutions. While others are forced to publish multiple, short pieces on a daily basis, you’ll be able to sit back, relax and take your time writing the types of articles that are worthy of your brand.