How to figure out what Content works Best for you

Chris Milton
Aug 8, 2017 · 5 min read
What content will work best?

A quick google search will reveal a debate that continues about which type of content is best for your website to generate results. The answer doesn’t lie in this black and white question, it comes in the context of you, your website goals and the state of your website.

First to define both types of content:

Timeless / Evergreen Content

Timeless or Evergreen content are pieces that can be read at any time after you publish them on your website and still have relevance and truth to them. Being able to put something on your website that doesn’t need to be amended each month, quarter, or year can mean less maintenance and more time spent on creating new or complimentary content.

Evergreen content can take a little time to develop as it isn’t always something in front of mind, but it's worth the extra effort since it will be relevant for years to come.

Example: Tips for cutting the grass. A how-to guide on using a lawnmower. (without grass or lawnmowers changing drastically, this is going to be read for years without needing a refresh)

Timely / Just-In-Time Content

Timely or Just-In-Time Content is reflecting a present-day situation. The news is a great example as the definition of news is “something that happened today that was different yesterday.” It's reporting today’s change.

It can be easy to develop Just-in-Time content because it's all around you at the present. Leveraging current events is a powerful way to associate with your audience and gain new fans. The difficulty here is getting it good enough, fast enough. We frequently see this in the news hour. Live TV often has mistakes that would have resulted in a director yelling “cut” if it was a sitcom or movie. Move too slow, and your information is no longer relevant.

Time and results are usually positively related. Short Time = Low Quality / Long Time = High Quality.

Example: We’re hiring a web designer. Apply Now. (unless you’re continuously hiring a web designer, this will lose relevance once the position is filled.)

It seems easy enough to define the two. Both have value and a certain place. But many websites have a difficult time picking one over another. Can timeless and timely content both exist? Now to the context. Without it, the debate will rage on forever.

Which Type Is Right For You?

Neither type of content is bad for your website. After all, having more content is always better than having less, especially if its to showcase your company’s services. The right mix should follow this patter of importance:

Timeless > Seasonal > Timely

Yes, I just threw in a different type of content, but it has its place right between Timeless and Timely.

All websites should start with Timeless content before adding Seasonal content before adding Timely Content. Here’s why.

Timeless content will always have relevance with your audience and for any website, you need this foundation to operate. For these examples, let’s stick with the idea that you're in fashion. Offering advice on style, trends and anything else related to a person’s style.

First: Timeless Content

The basic information that will always be relevant is the priority. You may think this is redundant with your competitors and that’s partially true. But, this is key to your internal backlinking strategy for your SEO. When you reference the timeless content in seasonal and timely pieces, it's much more beneficial to have the reader stay on your site instead of leaving. This retention model works well, especially when you have the timeless reference content available. As mentioned above, timely content requires publishing on a tight timeline and doesn’t allow you to backfill timeless content immediately.

Here are two quick examples:

Essential: The 5 items every wardrobe needs.

Foundation Skills: How to tie a tie.

As you can imagine, these two examples are things that have been “googled for years” and will continue to have relevance into the future. How-to content doesn’t need a date stamp when it is timeless because it feels current no matter the time a reader is accessing it.

Second: Seasonal Content

Seasonal Content is exactly as it sounds. Something that is useful every season. I like to think of the recipes that we have for Thanksgiving dinner. Those same recipes are clippings from the local newspaper in the 1980s. Every year they get pulled out two times. One to check the shopping list and again to cook. After that, it's back into the cupboard for 11 and a half months. This is the perfect seasonal content. To relate as a fashion item, you can see how each of these would be essential reads each year at a particular time.

Spring: The fastest way to store your winter clothes and transition into spring

Summer: how to stay cool this summer without showing too much skin

Fall: Start layering as the weather turns cooler, Autumn has arrived.

Winter: stay warm. How to wear a scarf 10 different ways

Seasonal content can also be tied to certain events. Sticking with our fashion example, it might be “appropriate outfits for weddings” or “how to impress at your job interview.” Situational content fits the bill as well.

Developing seasonal content second is essential to bridge the gap between Timeless and Timely content. Again to help with your internal backlinking strategy as your timely content will be referenced in your timely content.

Third: Timely Content

Since most are not in the news business, I think its best to have a light sprinkle of timely content when needed. There are events that will relate to you that deserve coverage. Personally, I could use timely content on my site for events that I’ll be participating in; as a sponsor, speaker or attendee.

Moving back to the fashion example, there is a huge opportunity to capture traffic by leveraging trends. After all, the old saying, “Success is the moment when opportunity and preparedness meet,” rings true with timely content. If you have the base in place to capture and convert traffic that is coming to your site, then take advantage of trends and pop culture to draw more traffic.

Trending: How to get the J-Lo look from last night on the red carpet

While this example will have a very short shelf life, you can use it for a much-needed boost to your traffic or hit a particular audience. In this case, the people who are interested in celebrity fashion. Maybe they’ll be planning a wedding and hit your “what to wear to a wedding” that is backed by “how to tie a tie” since they can’t remember the last time their partner has put on a suit. Without that backfilling of Timeless and Seasonal content, your retention for timely content is low… which means your bounce rate is high.

Back to the Debate: Timeless or Timely

After going through some of the details, there is a true winner in my mind. Stick to the system. Timeless wins when you don’t have it. And Timely wins when you need to inject life into your existing content. Both have their place, but if you are only to do one type, commit to Timeless. It will always be Evergreen.


Chris Milton is always in beta: learning, applying and refining to get the best results in sales and marketing. Follow him for more of the latest!


Chris Milton

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I write about marketing & sales. chris@chrismilton.ca

Growth Marketing

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