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Decisions on Underperforming Rewrite, Noindex, or Delete?
Over the last four years, we’ve accumulated around 1,000 articles written by a writer whose work is considered fairly average. The consensus within our team is that this might be negatively impacting the overall quality of our site.
While we can’t change what’s already been done, we need to address it moving forward.
The options are clear: should we “Snog, Marry, Avoid” these articles? In SEO terms, that means deciding whether to rewrite, noindex, or delete them.
Rewriting articles that hold no organic value feels excessive, but deleting everything might be too severe. Noindexing keeps the articles on the site, which may not necessarily improve the site’s quality.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and opinions on this matter!
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2 responses to “Deciding Between Rewriting, Noindexing, or Deleting Content”
When dealing with a large number of average articles that might be impacting your site’s overall quality, it’s essential to weigh the pros and cons of rewriting, noindexing, or deleting these articles. Here’s a structured analysis to help guide your decision:
Step 1: Assess the Content’s Value
Before taking any action, conduct an audit of the 1,000 articles to determine their overall value:
Traffic Analysis: Identify which articles receive any form of organic traffic. Even if some traffic is low, these articles might hold potential if improved.
Backlinks Evaluation: Use tools like Ahrefs or Moz to check if any articles have valuable backlinks. Articles with quality backlinks could benefit from rewriting or updating.
Engagement Metrics: Evaluate user engagement metrics like time on page and bounce rate. Articles with higher engagement are candidates for updating rather than deletion.
Relevance and Timeliness: Assess whether the content remains relevant or whether it belongs to topics that are outdated or no longer align with your brand’s focus.
Step 2: Decide on Actions
Based on your assessment, here’s a recommended approach for each group of articles:
1. Articles with Organic Value
2. Articles with Indicators of Value
3. Articles with No Value
Step 3: Implement and Monitor
It’s a great discussion to have as content quality plays a crucial role in SEO and overall user experience. Given your situation, I would recommend a more nuanced approach that celebrates the potential value of each article rather than a blanket strategy.
Consider performing an in-depth analysis on specific underperforming articles to identify any that have the potential for improvement. Look for pieces that, with some optimization—like enhancing the keyword strategy, updating information, or improving readability—could really shine. Rewriting these pieces can allow you to leverage existing traffic and the established domain authority of your site.
For articles that are truly not salvageable but could contain valuable insights or links, think about merging information into higher-quality content instead of outright deletion. This way, you can preserve any existing traffic while enhancing the quality of your overall content.
As for noindexing, it can be a short-term solution to prevent penalization, but don’t forget it might also leave stale content lingering on your site. If you choose this path, ensure you have a plan to revisit these pieces down the line.
Ultimately, implementing a content audit tool or framework can aid in categorizing your articles effectively, ensuring that each decision—whether to rewrite, noindex, or delete—is strategic and beneficial for the future of your content strategy. It might also be valuable to engage your audience for feedback on which topics resonate most, guiding your rewriting efforts towards content that truly meets your readers’ needs.