Evergreen or Seasonal Content: Which Should You Choose?

Evergreen vs. Seasonal

Broadly speaking, content can be divided into evergreen and seasonal, depending on how long it’s going to be relevant for the audience. Both of them have strengths and weaknesses, and to devise a thought-out strategy, you need to understand how to make the best of both types.

What Is Evergreen Content?

Not all types of posts will be equally successful , and many marketers rely more strongly on evergreen content. So, what is an evergreen article? It covers topics with an always-on level of interest and it is intended to stay relevant regardless of seasonal changes or particular events. Such content can bring a constant inflow of visitors to your website and be a backbone of a successful approach. So, make sure to use evergreen content for SEO purposes as well.

Most often, an evergreen content strategy may include:

• How-to guides
• Top lists
• Interviews
• Video tutorials
• Checklists
• Testimonials
• Case studies
• Survey results
• Whitepapers
• Reviews
• FAQs

Here are a few examples of evergreen content from our blog:

• Email marketing: How to grow and segment your email list
• The best free traffic sources for affiliate marketing
• 11 smart ways to place affiliate links on your blog

Now, let’s look into some of the advantages and disadvantages of using evergreen posts on your blog.

Pros

1. It drives a constant flow of traffic. You create a post once and keep driving traffic for years later, accumulating more and more followers.
2. Evergreen content can be published at any time and generates sustained interest throughout the year.
3. It is easy to repurpose. These types of posts can be transformed into infographics, video tutorials, and other forms of content. You can also build on original posts with more information to keep it relevant.
4. It’s beneficial for SEO. Because it takes time to rank on search engines, evergreen content that continuously delivers on the interests of its readers is ideal for improving your blog’s position in the SERP, especially if peppered with relevant evergreen keywords.
5. It helps establish authority. Evergreen content reinforces your authority in the niche as you keep producing posts with an always-on level of interest and position yourself as an all-round publisher.

Cons

1. Evergreen content ideas are highly competitive. As most marketers heavily rely on evergreen content to rank higher on Google, you’ll be writing about one and the same topics, so the competition will be pretty high and you need to write better than others to win over the audience.
2. It takes effort and time to create. To produce quality evergreen content and outwit competitors, you usually need thorough research and a deep understanding of the subject, which requires time.

What Is Seasonal Content

Seasonal content, also known as topical, covers topics that are highly relevant at a given moment, for example, current events in the niche, etc. It is often newsworthy, and marketers are struggling for a chance to be the first to tell the story, so timing here is highly important. The biggest advantage as well as the drawback of topical content is that it drives traffic fast but loses readers’ attention just as quickly.

Broadly speaking, there are two types of seasonal posts: time-based and event-based. The first type is built around a particular season, for example, introducing trendy summer destinations, while the second type covers special events. 

Examples of seasonal content include news, current niche trends, market changes, product announcements, and so on. Here are a few examples of topical posts from our blog:

• Travel trends 2021: Tweak your affiliate strategy
• Travelpayouts’ travel radar: Popular destinations for winter and spring 2021
• What affiliate marketers can do during the COVID-19 outbreak

Let’s now weigh advantages and disadvantages of writing seasonal content for your blog.

Pros

1. It generates buzz. Seasonal posts meet the current needs of readers, so they are usually able to trigger more interest than evergreen materials and bring a lot of traffic within a short time.
2. It grows your audience. Topical posts can easily go viral, attract the audience and help build your brand awareness.
3. It features less competition. As most brands rely on evergreen content in their strategy, seasonal materials are usually less competitive, so you have higher chances of driving traffic. 
4. It sells well. Topical posts usually introduce latest trends and help readers make smarter decisions, so they’re good for promoting affiliate links.

Cons:

1. It lapses over time. As the trends change, seasonal content quickly becomes irrelevant, and the traffic only comes as long as the trend is on. 
2. It can result in bounce-offs. Seasonal content has limited relevancy, and part of visitors who come upon your posts may bounce off, which, in turn, could endanger your SEO.
3. It requires a quick reaction. To be successful with such content, you need to stay updated about niche trends and cover news fast.

How to Create the Perfect Mix

Some users may be looking for trendy materials, while others are searching for evergreen articles. You might have wondered which content to focus on to best grow your blog. The truth is, sticking to one form of content will only constraint you, so the best approach is to use the best of both types. 

How to strike the right balance and reach your blog’s full potential? Start with market research and determine topics that are currently relevant and can actually bring you traffic. Then, follow the search demand and offer the information that your audience is looking for. Make sure to study your readers—their age, gender, occupation, etc.—and deliver accordingly. It’s also vital to build on your marketing objectives and create content that’ll help achieve them.

A deliberate strategy could include 80% evergreen topics and 20% topical posts. Thus, you’ll be able to bring long-lasting value to your audience, meet seasonal needs and eventually reach a wider audience. Whatever balance you find, it’s important to measure performance of both types of content and adjust the strategy based on how well they work.

How to Choose Between Evergreen and Seasonal

Content is a well-known weapon for reaching marketing and SEO objectives, and to win readers over, it’s important to devise a well thought out strategy. Try to combine both evergreen and seasonal posts and find the right balance between the two. Think about your business objectives and your readers’ needs and experiment with types and topics to see what works for you best.