5 Reasons to edit your old content

For the last year or so, I've been editing my old content. I have literally thousands of online articles under my belt. Many of my writer friends have asked why would I put myself through such torment. There are a lot of reasons to go back and edit your old online articles and photos. Here are what I consider the top 5.

1. You have changed your evil ways.

As time goes by, we writers undergo growth, just like anyone else. What we once considered vital information, may no longer reflect our lifestyle. For instance, I am transitioning from vegetarian to vegan. I refer to it as changing my evil ways because a lot of the articles I wrote in the past don't reflect my current views. It's important that a writer maintain a consistent voice, content wide. When past articles cease to reflect current views, it impacts your writing reputation.

2. Times have changed.

A writer bases their facts on currant information. Over time, new research may come out that disproves old theories. Your facts may no longer be factual. Links also have to be updated from time to time. Websites “go out of business.” Site managers delete and edit old content. This means your older articles may have links that lead to nowhere, or to irrelevant pages.

3. You have improved your writing skills.

I certainly have. I strive to improve even further as time marches on. When I first began as an online writer, I was convinced my articles were stellar. I was wrong. Just like with any other job, you learn as you go.

No writer should ever stop learning new skills and gaining new experience. As you improve, it's important to go back and take a look at old content to insure it was written skillfully, according to the knowledge you've acquired on the way.

4. Formatting rules have changed.

Every website follows a different set of formatting guidelines. Not only that, as time passes, editors change their ways too. For instance, a few years back, everyone went from multiple page to single page articles. Spacing requirements change. Heading preferences change. Some sites even change writing styles. Some prefer AP, others have their own formatting rules. It's important to make sure your content is up to date with website requirements.

5. SEO rules have changed.

Those creepy little “spiders” that find your content in a search have changed their minds. They want things done a whole different way now. Remember when keyword stuffing and article “spinning” stopped working for all those spammers? Most legitimate writers never did that in the first place. However, some of us did use a few more keywords than we should. Editing old content is a good way to catch and do away with errors and methods which are unacceptable in the present.