As a law firm, a tech startup, or an author, there are so many choices for content on your websites.

You can create case studies, a blog, an eBook, or a How-to video.

Or you can create content based on the latest trends in your industry.

While there’s no right or wrong answer, it is important to know the benefits of each piece of content. The more you know, the better your content marketing strategy.

And that’s why you want to know the difference between evergreen content and topical content.

Evergreen Content

What is evergreen content?

It’s content that provides quality information that is broad and timeless (Swanson, 2023). The topics covered in evergreen content are topics that will be referred to again and again and again.

What are some examples of evergreen content?

• How-To Guides
• Answers to common questions
• Checklists
• Case studies
• FAQ pages.
• Ideas and resources.

These pieces of content revolve around topics that are broad enough for a range of people to search for. They can also provide a lot of information for people in the beginning phases of their buying journeys.

Topical Content

Now, let’s go over to the other side of the content coin.

Next to evergreen content, you can create topical content for your website.

What is topical content? It’s content that revolves around the latest trends or current events in the world.

Let’s say that you’re a personal injury law firm. Some examples of topical content for your blog could be:

• A blog post on the latest car accident in your town.
• Car accidents that happen during a particular season.
• The latest updates on celebrity cases.
• New laws that have been passed.

This is the type of content that revolves around the latest news or trends in an industry.

Now that you know about both types of content, what are the benefits of each?

Benefits of Evergreen Content

One of the benefits of evergreen content is that it is a lead magnet.

It’s the type of content that remains relevant long after its publication date. Visitors can continue to read your blog post or watch your video long after you’ve published it.  

It’s also the type of content that is SEO-friendly. The broader the content, the better it will rank on search results pages.

It’s also great content that helps boost your engagement. Because evergreen content involves topics that rarely change over time, your current target audience can revisit your audience.

New visitors can also engage with your content if it’s their first time being introduced to the subject.

Benefits of Topical Content

However, if you want faster exposure, topical content is the best type of content for you.

When you write or create content around current topics, visitors are more inclined to engage with that content. However, the shelf life of topical content is shorter.

Let’s say that you write about the latest news in the political realm. While some of your visitors may engage with your content for the moment, the engagement is going to die down in the next few weeks.

Unless you provide recent updates to these pieces, the shelf life is very short.

Which One Is Best For Your Business?

In all honesty, both of these types of content can be used for your content marketing.

But when you’re deciding which type of content to create, keep the following things in mind.

Longevity of Your Content

Think about the goals that you want to reach with your content. While immediate gratification is nice, you want content that will attract visitors months and years down the line.

Topical content is the type of content that can help you draw in traffic for a short period of time. But that amount of traffic is sporadic.

It’s not going to be consistent and can last for a few days or weeks.

Evergreen content, on the other hand, can last for a longer time. It’s the type of content that you can treat like a revolving door. Current and new visitors can revisit this content repeatedly.

Balance

What type of content do you create? Does it revolve around current topics in your industry?

Do you create content about general topics?

Wherever you stand, you want to create a balance of both types of content. While content around current news is great, you don’t want to just rely on that content to generate leads.

And the same applies to evergreen content. While this type of content is great over the long term, it’s not always going to convert into traffic as quickly as topical content.

That’s why it’s best to have an equal amount of both pieces.

Final Thoughts

As you create your content for the year, remember the benefits of evergreen content and topical content.

The evergreen content that you create can keep visitors coming to your website throughout the rest of the year and later on.

The topical content that you create can help drive immediate traffic to your website.

If you need ideas for other types of content, check out my other blog post How Cornerstone Content Can Improve Lawyers’ Websites – Valeria Publications.

Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

Sources:

Swanson, A. (13, February 2023). Exploring The Differences: Evergreen & Topical Content. Bizop Media. Retrieved from Exploring The Differences: Evergreen & Topical Content | Bizop Media.