We do a lot of content refreshing and resurfacing for our clients (read more about why updating existing or evergreen content is important), and counsel them to note that the copy has been changed.
This small step is particularly important when the topic is something that changes rapidly--like technology or social media best practice--to give readers confidence that the information is current and correct.
It's also valuable when you have loads of repeat visitors who may well have read the content in its previous iteration and won't revisit it if they don't know it's new and improved.
And it applies just as much to white papers, slide decks and other content marketing types as it does to web articles and blog posts.
Indicating updates is an easy way to increase relevance, trust and engagement.
2 Ways to Denote Updated Content
I've noticed two common ways content marketers mark updated content:
1. The Minimalist Approach
Staples keeps it simple, just telling you right up front that the article was updated.
2. The Comprehensive Approach
Hubspot gives more details, including the original pub date along with how the content was updated:
Either way is helpful. If the updates were more cosmetic, the simple approach may be sufficient. If you do additional reporting or a significant upgrade, the comprehensive approach may be more appropriate. I favor consistency, so I recommend picking one that suits most of your scenarios and use it for everything.
What counts is that you let people know what they're reading is fresh and reliable.
Related Content:
- Content marketing tip: resurfacing
- How to create seasonal content
- You don’t need another app! 8 ways to make content easier to read
- The Word Factory's content marketing services