Get an Evergreen for Your Blog This Holiday Season

Get an Evergreen for Your Blog This Holiday Season

Reader Comments (40)

  1. Something else to aspire too; the writing of a great evergreen post. It is easier said than done, but I always try to hit it. I’m not sure that I achieve it very often though.

  2. A point that probably gets overlooked far too much is the amount of time it takes to create one of these “evergreen” posts. Many people (and I put myself at the top of this list) may have the desire to write something that becomes sticky, but don’t put in the extra effort that is required to do so. It’s a good reminder that quality content takes effort.

  3. False advertising. I thought I was getting a fucking evergreen. For my blog. I told all of my readers I was going to have a contest in my comments section. Now what? Now I have to buy a gd evergreen. Thanks a lot.

  4. @ Jason – Had I written “…the 2009 Holiday Season”, I would have shot myself in the foot, yes. But “this” holiday season can be whichever one you’re enjoying, regardless of the year you enjoy it.

    @ Jenny – (My, what a foul mouth… and not even noon!)

    Unfortunately, I can’t be held responsible for promises I didn’t make. “Get an evergreen” doesn’t mean the same as “James is giving you.”

    @ Todd – It actually *is* harder than it looks. The ‘net changes so fast that you have to be careful and ask yourself, “Will this information apply next year or just right now?”

  5. I’m trying to avoid having a silly, nerdy argument about headlines here, but what I meant was that this story will now only apply to the holiday season … and not to the 11 other months of the year.

  6. I agree completely about needing to direct users to your evergreen posts.

    However, I have to say that – at least for me – those types of posts come about naturally and almost unexpectedly. They’re the posts you almost decide not to publish because they’re too personal or off-topic. I don’t know how easily those types of posts can be forced.

    That is, I’m not sure you can really sit down and say, “I’m going to write one of the most important and popular posts that will withstand the test of time for my blog.”

    Coach Donnelly

  7. @CD, for me it’s maybe 50/50. Sometimes I have a sense that it will work (I did for the Third Tribe post), and sometimes I think it’s going to be be a big post and it isn’t.

    The reference evergreens are much easier to be strategic about, but the emotional evergreens are the ones that can be true game-changers, in my experience.

  8. Love the analogy between evergreens and posts that are always useful! Ideas from nature have a way of sticking in our minds, helping us remember…I’m sure I won’t forget that when I’m trying to write a good post that I want it to be “an evergreen.” Thanks!

  9. @ Stan – Not quite. Pillar posts or cornerstone content tends to be a foundation on which your site is built or that your blog revolves around. Yes, they’re the kind of posts you want to be bookmarked, but they’re also the type that serves as the footing for everything that’s to come on your site or that upholds the mission and purpose of your site.

    (At least, that’s my opinion.)

    Evergreen posts don’t necessarily provide foundation, but rather return hits and longevity. An evergreen post for my blog might be “Ten Ways to Excel at Compelling Copy” – but a pillar post would be one of a series of five posts that goes more in depth.

    (I think.)

  10. …ahh now I get it. So I need both.
    Now the question is how to schedule creation of these evergreen love-fests. 15 hours! I’m game but…wow.

  11. James: Just wanted to say thanks for articulating the difference between Evergreen and Pillar, as I think I was using them interchangeably when I really shouldn’t have been.

  12. @Gordon, if it doesn’t exist you ought to write it & create an ebook to sell from it. 😉

    @James, I think of it as “all pillars are evergreen but not all evergreens are pillars.” Would you agree? Not that I think there’s some canonical Right Answer for what we will call these things.

  13. James, great point made. I’ve been trying to create more evergreen work with my blog posts and article marketing as well. Although “evergreen” in this age may be a year or two, it seems. I have found that many people trying to create such posts ARE re-hashing information from elsewhere, so I like your point about putting in the hours to get something that can really sit on the shelf for awhile.

  14. Dear James:

    Creating an evergreen…interesting 🙂

    Something that I will have to work on. Creating something that does keeps value over time. Most of my writing is about change in our lives and seems to be a pretty evergreen topic on it’s own.

    I guess creating a e-book could be my ever green “post” which would take much longer time, but I am sure it would be one of the ways to differentiate from the competition as you said.

    Thanks for a reminder to stay unique in order to attract new readers!

    Best of luck,
    Tomas

  15. @Sonia. OK, an e-book it shall be!

    Aeons ago, I seem to recall your good advice to “start with the headline”.

    With ’10 Ways to Knit Your Own Carpet Slippers in 10 Easy Lessons’, the book will practically write itself. A certified evergreen, with fame, fortune and a brand new Lamborghini on the horizon.

  16. The beauty of Evergreen posts is that they stand out and you can even put them into your Sidebar. Call them POPULAR ARTICLES or something similar.

    Every now and then I write and Evergreen post, and use it like a benchmark where the rest of my blogging is trying to match the Evergreen in content, style, and appeal.

    Of course it is not always successful . Sometimes I hit the mark , sometimes not.

    But I often do. Thanks to keeping the Evergreen posts as a target to aim for.

    thanks for this one.

  17. @Sonia. One good idea leads to another.

    We’ll give the punters a chance to win a FREE Hotwheels Lambo with every sale of my newest e-book: ‘10 Ways to Knit Your Own Racing Drivers Gloves in 10 Easy Lessons’.

  18. I have dozens of these posts written.

    Time to go through and update a few of them.

    Evergreen posts do need maintenance from time to time. A little pruning, some fertilizer promotes growth.

  19. New to blogging. New to copyblogger. You all seem to teach what I never knew I wanted to learn. Thanks for the insight and inspiration.

  20. I feel that the site i’m building needs this kind of “evergreen” content at it’s core.

    I always feel that what i’ve written isn’t my best, but maybe i’m just a harsh critic.

    I really like this post. It shows you what kind of work goes into producing stuff that actually gets read and responded to.

  21. I really like the idea of evergreen posts and absolutely agree that they are kinda hard and demanding to put up.

    They will require much more time to write and can be very demanding. But on the upside, they are also easily linked to by other bloggers and marketers.

    You see, many marketers and bloggers will have no problem linking their blog posts to A “top 100 ……….” list, right?

    Ragards

  22. Love the analogy between evergreens and posts that are always useful! Ideas from nature have a way of sticking in our minds, helping us remember…I’m sure I won’t forget that when I’m trying to write a good post that I want it to be “an evergreen.” Thanks!
    ___________________
    James

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