In the latest episode of Google’s Search Off The Record podcast, hosts John Mueller and Lizzi Sassman discussed “content decay”: the natural process by which online content becomes obsolete or loses relevance over time.
Although not a widely used term among SEO professionals, the concept raises questions about how websites should handle old content that may contain outdated information, broken links, or outdated references.
What is Content Decay?
Mueller, a Google search advocate, defines content decay as:
“[Content decay is] something where, when you look at the reference material, it’s kind of old by definition. People wrote about it because they have studied it for a long time. So it’s an old thing. But that doesn’t mean it’s no longer true or no longer useful.”
It’s worth noting that Mueller was initially unfamiliar with the term:
“When I looked it up, it seemed like a familiar term, and I felt inadequate when I realized I had no idea what it actually meant, and had to interpret what it probably meant from the name.
Sassman, who oversees Search Central’s website content, admitted she was also unfamiliar with the content decay.
She stated:
“… sounded a bit negative… like something is wrong with the content. It’s probably rotting or something has happened to it over time.”
After defining the term, the two looked at various approaches to managing content decay, using Google’s help docs as a case study.
Content decay isn’t necessarily a bad thing
Content decay is not, by definition, a bad thing.
Blog posts announcing past events or product changes can seem like sources of content decay.
However, Sassman advises keeping this content for historical accuracy.
Sassman gives an example, citing Google’s decision to maintain pages containing the obsolete term “Webmaster Tools.”
“If we went back and replaced everything we said ‘Google Webmasters’ with ‘Search Console,’ that would be wrong. Search Console didn’t exist at the time. It was Webmaster Tools.”
Avoid user confusion
According to Mueller, the challenge in dealing with content decay is to “avoid confusing people.”
Indicating when content is outdated, providing context around outdated references, and judicious use of redirects can help mitigate potential confusion.
Mueller stated
“People come to our site for whatever reason, so we should make sure they find information that’s useful to them and that they understand the context. If something is old and they’re looking for it, they should be able to recognize, ‘Oh, maybe I have to rethink what I wanted to do because what I was looking for doesn’t exist anymore or is completely different now’”.
There is no single solution
There are no easy fixes for content decay. You should carefully evaluate old content, understanding that some pieces deserve archiving while others remain valuable historical references despite their age.
Listen to the full Google Podcast episode below:
Why SEJ cares
The concept of “content decay” addresses a challenge that all website owners face: how to manage and maintain content as it ages.
Dealing with outdated website content is essential to creating a positive user experience and building brand trust.
How this can help you
Examining Google’s approaches, this podcast episode offers the following conclusions:
There is value in preserving old content for historical accuracy. Consider updating old pages to indicate outdated tips or outdated features. Establish an audit process to routinely assess aging content.
FAQ
What does “content decay” mean in the context of SEO?
Online content tends to become outdated or irrelevant over time. This can happen due to industry changes, changes in user interests, or simply the passage of time.
In the context of SEO, outdated content affects the usefulness and accuracy of information for users, which can negatively impact website traffic and search rankings.
To maintain a website’s credibility and performance in search results, SEO professionals must identify and update or reuse content that has become outdated.
Should all outdated content be removed from a website?
You don’t need to delete all old content. It depends on what kind of content it is and why it was created. Content that shows past events, product changes, or uses outdated terms may be retained for historical accuracy.
Legacy content provides context and shows how a brand or industry has evolved over time. It is important to consider the value before removing, updating or retaining old content.
What are the best practices to avoid confusing users with outdated content?
Website owners and SEO professionals should take the following steps to avoid confusing users with outdated content:
Show when the content was published or note if the information has changed since it was created. Add explanations about deprecated references to explain why they may no longer be relevant. Set up redirects to guide users to the most current information if content has been moved or updated.
These strategies help people understand the relevance of a page and help them get the most accurate information for their needs.
Featured Image: Screenshot from YouTube.com/GoogleSearchCentral, May 2024.
