You visit a website while researching a brand you’ve heard of. But then you see that their blog hasn’t been updated in years. The latest post was written in 2020. And half the links don’t even work anymore.

It makes you wonder if they’re still in business—and that’s exactly how an outdated can hurt a brand.

More than eight out of ten people think less of a brand if the website looks outdated, meaning old content hurts your credibility more than you might think.

So, while a website refresh every now and then is great, it might be more important to update your website content regularly.

Here’s why maintaining your website’s content should be a priority.

Updates Outdated Content

Modern businesses rely on their websites to make a first impression. If the content is outdated, it won’t look good to customers. Stating old facts and statistics or having expired promotions still running on the site looks unprofessional. Even worse, they can confuse or mislead visitors.

Updating your content keeps everything accurate and relevant. If you have old statistics, swap them out for fresh data. If there have been industry changes, make sure your content reflects them and is current.

These refreshes are also a great chance to fix typos or any formatting issues. Even the tiniest errors can make your business seem unprofessional and unreliable. Keeping content fresh shows visitors—and search engines—that your website is active and trustworthy.

Better SEO Performance

Websites that regularly update their pages, including new blog posts, tend to rank higher in search results. Even refreshing old pages can have a big impact, and optimizing them with relevant keywords can improve your rankings.

For example, if you have a blog post that still gets traffic, updating it with new information and more relevant data can extend its reach. Cleaning up outdated content has been shown to increase organic traffic and page views by around 60%.

Search engines also prioritize content that matches what users are looking for. If your site still targets those outdated keywords, you might be missing out on valuable traffic.

Stay on Top of Digital Trends

Like any other trend, digital marketing trends move fast. If you fail to keep up, your content can quickly become outdated.

AI is changing the game, including how optimization works. Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), for example, pulls data from reliable websites, allowing your content to appear in AI-generated answers at the top of search results.

Other trends, like voice search and video content, also impact how users engage with websites. To keep your site competitive, include multimedia elements.

Keeps Visitors Engaged and Informed

People visit your site for helpful, up-to-date information. If they find outdated content, they might assume your business is unreliable.

Regular updates keep visitors on the site. Aside from regularly updating your blog posts, don’t forget to revamp your service pages and revise your FAQ section. This gives people a reason to stick around longer.

The more engaged visitors are, the more likely they are to stay and share your content or link to it—helping drive even more traffic. Aim to make your website a go-to resource.

Undo Penalties

If you notice your website’s traffic suddenly dropping, outdated content might be to blame. Search engines deprioritize sites that they think seem to have been neglected or spread fake and unreliable information. In some cases, this results in what’s often called a shadow ban.

A shadow ban isn’t necessarily an official penalty, but it means that your content no longer appears where it used to in search results. The result? Less visibility and fewer visitors.

Refreshing old pages, improving your content’s readability, and following updated SEO guidelines can help reverse this. Making regular updates shows Google that your site is worth ranking again.

Boost Conversion Rates

When running a website, especially for e-commerce businesses, your priority is making sure your visitors turn into customers. Otherwise, it’s like having a nice store that people walk into but never buy anything.

If your content isn’t interesting or relevant, it could be costing you sales. Outdated testimonials might mean that you haven’t been keeping your products and services up to par.

Updating testimonials, refining product pages, and strengthening your CTAs can lead to more engagement. Even small changes—like putting descriptive alt text on images for improved website accessibility or rewriting your product description to relate to today’s customers—can have a huge impact.

Elevate Your Website Content with Begin With B

Keeping your website content fresh isn’t just good practice—it’s essential for staying competitive.

Regularly updating your content helps build trust, drive traffic, and boost conversions. It also protects your website from search engine penalties and nips outdated information in the bud that could hurt your credibility.

At Begin with B, we specialize in content management and optimization to keep your website performing at its best. Whether you need updated pages, optimized blog posts, or a full content strategy, we’re here to help.

Experience a future-oriented business with a website that works for you. Contact us today to keep your content sharp and your online presence strong.