Let’s examine what makes content evergreen and why and how it delivers a superior return on investment.
What is Evergreen Content?
‘Evergreen’ is the term used to describe content which remains relevant and fresh long after its publication. Evergreen content does not have an expiry date. To illustrate:
Back in 2017, insolvency firm BRI Ferrier published a piece of content called The pitfalls and risks of pre-sales in property development. Though four years old, this article probably holds as much value today as it did on the day it was published. The commentary is still sound. It’s evergreen.
In contrast, in September 2021, Victorian law firm KHQ published a blog titled, Can you mandate the COVID-19 vaccine at your workplace? Back then, that topic was highly topical, trending. Three months on, interest will have waned significantly. By the new year, the article will probably be redundant.
If interest in a topic is expected to decline after a particular time frame, it’s not evergreen.
What are the Benefits of Evergreen Content?
Educational evergreen content is an ideal way to demonstrate expertise and authority, build trust, and stay relevant to your target audience.
Evergreen content is also relatively easy to produce.
Because evergreen content is timeless, it’s a gift that keeps on giving. So long as your evergreen content is relevant, useful and you continue to promote it, it will:
- Boost your search rankings – even more so than content which dates
- Drive more organic traffic to your website
- Generate more shares
- Generate ongoing leads
- Earn an increasing number of links.
Evergreen Content Formats for Professional Services Firms
For professional services firms, some of the most successful evergreen content formats include:
- Listicles
- How-To Guides
- Top Tips
- Interviews
- Glossaries
- Cheat Sheets
- Checklists
- FAQs
- Case Studies
Below are evergreen content examples from accounting, management consulting, commercial real estate, recruitment and law. From a few months old to a number of years old, each piece of content is as relevant and valuable today as it was when it was first published.
Evergreen Content in Accounting
In June 2021, BDO Australia produced Fraud and Corruption Control – A Checklist for Boards and Executives. Prompted by a new Australian Standard (AS8001:2021), the checklist is intended to assist stakeholders in better understanding their organisation’s current fraud and corruption risks and implement appropriate control practices.
On the basis that Australian Standards are relatively stable, this piece of content should have a long shelf life.
Evergreen Content in Commercial Real Estate
Chapman & Frazer is a ten-person commercial real estate business on the New South Wales Central Coast. Though small in size, the agency is punching above its weight by producing long-lasting content that will have wide appeal such as Leasing Tips for Commercial Property Owners and Common Questions for Negative Gearing Commercial Properties.
Evergreen Content in Management Consulting
Management consulting websites are treasure troves of thought leadership content, much of which could be classified as evergreen.
Here’s one example from McKinsey. Despite being more than six years old, the advice offered in Five tips for communicating in turnarounds remains relevant.
Evergreen Content in Recruitment
Evergreen content is well suited to the recruitment sector.
Michael Page understands the perpetual value of advice-themed content, both for candidates and employers. It has a library of enduring material with topics such as How to explain employment gaps in your resume and Six reasons why companies lose top talent.
Evergreen Content in Law
LegalVision has made a clear commitment to evergreen content. While most other law firms are busy churning out almost identical summaries of the latest court decision, LegalVision has produced a whole series of ‘glossaries’ (ranging from intellectual property to financial literacy) and cheat sheets.
This new law company shows how easy it can be to create useful content that doesn’t date.
Top Tips for Producing Evergreen Content
- Choose topics that are relevant and useful to your target audience – and which won’t go out of fashion.
- Publish the date of posting or the date the content was last updated.
- Publish then promote. If you want your evergreen content to perform well, you must make it easy for your target audience to find it. Continue to promote your evergreen content on social media and via internal links so it can always be found on your website.
- Keep it fresh. While evergreen does not expire, it still may need to be updated from time to time. This is because specifics – such as references to prices or currency conversions – may become outdated. New research might be released. Names may change. References and examples may lose relevance.
- Repurpose your best performing evergreen content into other formats to expand your reach.
- Make your evergreen content visible on your firm’s blog page. Evergreen content should be among your firm’s best performing content yet firms seldom draw attention to this material. Feature your best evergreen content alongside your latest campaigns.
