To Delete or Not to Delete Old Content

Have you recently looked at your website and felt as if you’re in a room filled with old, dusty magazines? Sounds like you might have a bad case of dated content.

In the back of your head, you’re trying to decide whether or not you need to remove old content. On one end you think it’s fine and doesn’t need fixing, but on the other hand, you have this burning sensation of purging. Where do you draw the line or what should you do to improve your content?

While there are digital marketing experts who believe it’s better to amass content than to prune it, there are many who consider deleting old content a more beneficial strategy for online brands. To help you decide, we’ll show several explanations of why trimming old content is beneficial to your business.

Do we delete or update old content?

There is no straight answer to this question. Experts who have weighed in on this topic all have come up with valid reasons for keeping or deleting old content. In the end, the decision of figuring out this dilemma is all up to you and will be a case to case basis.

If your website offers services or provides goods, it is best to have your content either deleted or updated. For discontinued services or products that will never see the light of day again, you should have a transitional plan where the out-of-date product or service is juxtaposed with a new, similar line. When you’ve officially phased out the old products or services, you can also replace the old content with the new one.

When you work at digital marketing agencies and other similar institutions, data and information constantly change. Your website’s content should reflect that change. Updating your content lets your readers or consumers know that you’re on top of your game and this builds trust around your brand.

This is an obvious one. If you’ve moved offices, you need to inform your consumers about it. It's a big change! You can’t have your office address from 8 years ago be on your website when you've been working at your new building for the past 2 years. It looks sloppy and unreliable. Make sure your basic company information is always up to date. You don’t want to lose potential clients because you have old company information on your website.

On the other hand, an article on Orbit Media Studios suggests hoarding instead of pruning content. Digital content is not the same as the pile-up of National Geographic magazines at your office’s waiting room. Digital content doesn’t create physical clutter and is “just data in a database somewhere,” the author suggests.

All in all, there is no right or wrong answer to this debate. The key, however, to a successful content strategy is knowing what to do and when to delete or update old content.

Searching for ways to improve your content? Whether it’s web, mobile, or social media, USA Link System specializes in content management that delivers a stronger online presence your brand needs.