Content decay: pages that slip because the answer went stale

Separate decay from a reporting glitch

Compare a page’s queries over two similar seasons. A broad drop across the site is a different problem from one guide losing its main query while the rest holds.

Read the current results for that query. If the leaders now show a tool, a comparison, or a definition you never wrote, the intent moved. If they show the same kind of guide, your page was outwritten.

Update the part that became untrue

Change the example, the figure, the product name, or the step that no longer matches the world. Do not start by rewriting the title into a longer keyword. A refresh that only changes the date helps nobody.

Keep the URL if the topic is the same. Redirect only when you are merging two decaying pages into one stronger answer.

• Rewrite the stale claim first.
• Add the section the new results all include.
• Repair internal links while the page is open.

Watch the original query, not sitewide traffic

The test is whether that URL regains impressions for the query it was written to own. A spike from an unrelated mention is not a successful refresh.

Put a review date on pages whose facts expire: prices, rules, product UI, and statistics. Decay is easier to catch when someone is responsible for looking.

How often should evergreen pages be updated?

When the answer, the examples, or the intent of the query changes. A calendar reminder helps, but a change log of facts is the real trigger.

Should you change the URL when you refresh a page?

No, unless the topic itself has changed. A new URL throws away the history of the page you are trying to revive.