What do you think about deleting old blog posts?
Last Update: July 02, 2018

Hey guys,

Some months ago I made an expensive mistake, since I've wasted some time and I haven't achieved some goals because of it.

But making mistakes is part of the process and it means that at least I have tried something. It can be frustrating at times but I need to accept it and learn from it.

Wondering what mistake I made? I wrote about topics that are not relevant anymore. Some of these topics brought traffic to my site for some weeks but people are not searching for them anymore, which means that my site has lost traffic.

That's why I'm wondering if I should delete the posts about these topics. If people are not looking for them anymore, why keep them? They are "wasted posts".

What about you? Have you ever deleted old blog posts? How has this affected your website?

I would appreciate your opinions on this topic.

Thank you =)

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Rich908 Premium
I never delete my old blogs .. I update mine
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Freefly Premium
I am just revamping my 13 year old site and coming across some very old and outdated posts and articles. I either:

1. If it is no longer relevant at all, delete the page and 301 redirect the url to another more relevant page (or the homepage). I also remove it from Google via webmaster tools.

2. If it still has historical or archival interest, I will add a note at the top of the page dating the article whilst explaining why it is still there.

3. If there is a newer version of a product or if the page can be updated to make it more relevant, I will do just that (and maybe add an "updated: 2018" note).

If a page has a lot of "link juice" or people linking back to it, you don't want to lose that : )
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Freefly Premium
P.s. When writing articles, think about the long term and try to make them "evergreen" where possible. When I write some tips and tutorials, I don't mention specific products by model, version or release number but just the make etc.

Maybe ask yourself "how long will this stay relevant and how easy would it be to update in the future"?

There are plug-ins that have a "self destruct" feature where the post will delete itself at a set point in time. Great for posts that only have a short shelf life such as affiliate offers etc.
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smokeywins Premium
If the topic at hand is relevant to your niche, I would re-work the posts. Maybe search and see if there are new keywords that are related to your existing content. I personally would only delete if the content is completely off topic from your focus, ie site about health and your posts is about jewelry.
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Lestrow Premium
I've no experience or knowledge about such things but I would imagine that if they attract just the slightest traffic, why get rid of them. They may become popular again and unless you've no room for new ones, leave them alone. As a reminder if nothing else.
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Miren Premium
@Lestrow
They are posts about websites that no longer exist, that's why they are not getting any traffic.
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JerryMcCoy Premium
Instead of deleting them why don't you rework them. That way you still have your keywords and you have more experience to show them a different way and possibly gain more audience. It also helps you to become a stronger authority in your niche.
Jerry
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Miren Premium
@JerryMcCoy
The keywords from those posts are no longer relevant, that's why they are not getting any traffic.
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