The Power of Everlasting Content

Content creators alike all ask themselves many of the same questions:  How long will this content I’m putting out remain relevant? Will people even click on it and interact with it? Do people care? Will it be relevant next week, or even factually correct next week? 

If there is one overarching, entirely valid and universal concern, the digital space has an overwhelming abundance of noise. In media and publishing terms, “noise” is recognized as the flooding of content and information through which users must sift on the Internet, choosing what is pertinent to them and worthy of their attention. With this competition for readers’ attention, publishers focus on demonstrating their content in ways to stand out among this noise, DISRUPT. If you’re reading this article, you’re likely one of these creators or work among them. Your first instinct to get readers’ attention might be to inundate their feeds with content after content, like a pop-up ad, so that they regularly see your brand and put your brand top of mind. However, the power of content lies not in the quantity of it, but in its stamina. This type of content is known as everlasting content or long-tail content. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Everlasting content is a form of evergreen content that generates traffic more than three days after initial publishing and continues to remain relevant to users for a long time. For this content to remain relevant, it shouldn’t be time-sensitive, a form of news, or any other form of information that could have an expiration date. While articles about breaking news and other hard news subject matter can gain significant traction, that traffic lasts temporarily. Once that news has fled the spotlight in the public eye, it merely becomes search history.

Creating everlasting content poses numerous benefits for your brand, and can manifest through several different frameworks. Some of the most popular content types include how-to guides, listicles, tips, FAQs, glossaries, reviews, and breakdowns of inherently complex discourse. There is a recurring trend between all of these: they are all incredibly digestible and reader-friendly. As creatures with deteriorating attention spans, we continuously seek information that gives us what we need as soon as possible, potentially through a mere scan of the page. No matter what day, month, year, or season it may be, everlasting content holds timeless value.

A stellar print example of everlasting content is “The 7 Habits of Highly-Effective People” by Stephen Covey. The book was published in 1989, but has sold over 30 million copies worldwide, and continues to remain one of the top sellers of books for all types of people. Even though a lot has advanced globally, its fundamental principles remain relevant because they are on such a macro scale that they can apply to anyone’s life. 

Another example connects back to one of our clients, a cleaning company. After researching our client’s market and demographics, we decided to create a blog about “how to clean your mop head.” Our team wrote this blog last year, and even today, the topic continues to get an average of 2,000 visits a month. It proved to be needed information, highly searchable, and the popular topic is still relevant today. 

Content that understands your audience’s needs and tendencies, while also being easy to consume, will drive constant traffic to your website and increase brand authority. You will hold a high-ranking position among search engines, and your brand will be more likely to serve as a go-to resource for particular topics. Throughout doing so, you’ll build loyal subscribers and improve your social media visibility. By implementing relevant content, spanning a wide variety of generations and tastes, you’ll continuously be rediscovered with steady engagement streams. Overall, this boosts SEO performance, maximizes ROI, minimizes cost-per-lead, and frequents your content’s presence in backlinks of other places.

Before selecting topics for your everlasting content, do be sure to conduct sufficient research surrounding audience needs, tendencies, and behaviors. Thoroughly analyze data and metrics to understand why your information is worthy of their time and how it can hold true for years to follow. 

Grova Creative is a minority and veteran-owned agency headquartered in Tallahassee, Florida, and works with clients all across the United States. If you are a business or organization seeking help with advertising, marketing, branding, messaging, marketing, strategy, website development, or other creative assets, email Grova Creative at [email protected] or visit grova.com.