How to Spot Content Decay (and Turn It Into Wins)

Content decay is the silent killer of good SEO.

You know that blog post that used to bring in loads of traffic, and now… nothing? That’s content decay. It’s when your content slowly starts slipping down the rankings over time - usually because it’s outdated, the competition got better, or the info just isn’t as useful anymore.

It happens to everyone, even your best-performing content. But on the flip side, this is one of the easiest SEO wins because the content already worked once. So you’re not starting from scratch.

Using Data to Spot Opportunities

Start with Google Search Console. Look for pages where clicks or impressions have been dipping steadily for the past few months. Don’t panic over a sudden drop - that could be seasonal for now. But if a page is just slowly bleeding traffic over time? That’s real decay.

If something that used to rank on page one is now hiding on page two, that’s your chance to jump in and fix it.

Another good indicator is your click-through rates. If your impressions are holding steady but clicks are dropping, that likely means your titles or meta description are in need of a refresh 

Strategic Refresh Approaches

First, update anything outdated and keep on top of this too. Go back through blogs etc. and look for statistics, product descriptions, interactive tools, screenshots, or even examples.

Then, do a competitor analysis and look at who’s currently outranking you for the same content. What are they doing better? Maybe they’ve added new sections, embedded videos, or just made it easier to read. If they’ve improved the user experience, take notes.

While you’re at it, break up long walls of text. Add headers, bullet points, images — whatever makes it more skimmable and helpful.

Content Combination Strategies

Sometimes you might have a few posts floating around that all basically say the same thing… well. If they’re not really performing anymore, instead of letting them all compete with each other, combine them into one in-depth, up-to-date guide and redirect the rest to it. That way you’re building one strong page instead of spreading your authority thin.

If a post feels too light, add depth! You can include new examples, frequently asked questions, or a fresh take on the topic.