Author: Andrew Widdall, CEO of Unibit Solutions.
Let’s say you wrote a brilliant blog post two years ago. It was thoughtful. It ranked. It even got a few backlinks. But now? Crickets. Traffic is down, engagement is flat, and that once-glorious page has quietly faded into the background of your website.
Here’s the thing: content doesn’t age like wine. It ages like bread.
And stale content is bad for business.
But here’s the good news: resuscitating it doesn’t mean reinventing the wheel. It means refreshing what you already have. So, let’s talk about why updating your existing content for SEO and AI Overviews might be the highest ROI move you make this year—and how to actually do it without breaking your brain (or your budget).
Why Content Goes Stale (And What It’s Costing You)
Most of us assume the content we publish is going to work forever. Spoiler: it won’t. “Search trends change. Algorithms shift. Competitors catch up. And what was relevant in 2023 might be irrelevant now—especially if your blog is filled with phrases like “check out this year’s marketing trends”… from 2021,” says Marelise Widdall, COO of Unibit Solutions.
Here’s what stale content does:
- Loses keyword rankings
- Drops off page one (then page two… then oblivion)
- Attracts fewer clicks, backlinks, and conversions
- Damages trust with users who land on outdated info
Google doesn’t hate old content. It just loves relevant content. And if yours hasn’t been touched in years, it’s probably sliding into what’s known as content decay—a slow, silent drop in visibility and usefulness.According to recent research from Clearscope, content decay refers to the gradual decline in the performance and relevance of a piece of content over time. This phenomenon impacts a website’s SEO content, leading to lower rankings, decreased organic traffic, and diminished conversions. The data shows that content decay follows four distinct stages: Initial Growth, Plateau, Gradual Decline, and Significant Decay.
The statistics are sobering. Ahrefs research reveals that 96.55% of all pages get zero search traffic from Google, and only 1.94% of all pages get between one and ten monthly search visits from Google. Even more concerning, only 5.7% of pages will rank in the top 10 search results within a year of publication, and the average page in the top 10 is already 2+ years old.
Why Updating Old Content Works
Here’s why this strategy is underrated but wildly effective:
- It’s faster than creating new content. You already have the foundation—now you’re optimizing, not starting from scratch.
- Google rewards freshness. It’s been a ranking factor since 2011 and was reaffirmed in 2020. A content update signals relevance.
- It compounds your original investment. That blog post from 2020 already has a few backlinks and some traffic history (updating it keeps the momentum going).
- Users stay longer. Updated stats, clean formatting, and better UX reduce bounce rates and build trust.
And in 2025, content that performs gets picked up, shared, and recommended by AI-powered search systems. Old content that’s been updated = new opportunities.
The numbers support this approach. HubSpot’s 2025 State of Marketing Report shows that 99% of marketers actively use content marketing, and over 41% of marketers measure the success of their content marketing strategy through sales. With SEO driving 1,000%+ more traffic than organic social media and 60% of marketers saying that inbound content is their highest quality source of leads, the case for content optimization becomes even stronger.
Optimizing Content for AI Overviews: The New Frontier
The landscape of search has fundamentally shifted with the introduction of Google’s AI Overviews (formerly known as Search Generative Experience). These AI-generated responses appear at the top of search results, summarizing key information from multiple reputable sources. For content marketers and SEO professionals, this represents both a challenge and an unprecedented opportunity.
According to Search Engine Land, Google’s AI Overviews expanded dramatically during the March 2025 core update, with growth of 528% for entertainment queries, 387% for restaurant queries, and 381% for travel queries. This expansion signals Google’s commitment to AI-powered search experiences, making optimization for AI Overviews critical for maintaining visibility in search results.
“Understanding how AI Overviews work is essential for content optimization,” says Francois Muscat, Founder of Unibit Solutions. “Unlike featured snippets, which display direct excerpts from a single page, AI Overviews synthesize information from multiple authoritative sources to create comprehensive responses. This means your content doesn’t need to rank #1 to be featured—it needs to be authoritative, well-structured, and aligned with search intent,” adds Francois.
Research from Surfer SEO’s analysis of over 400,000 searches reveals that 52% of sources cited in AI Overviews rank in the top 10, but significantly, smaller websites can still benefit if Google finds their content credible and authoritative enough. This levels the playing field for businesses that may not have the resources to compete with industry giants for traditional rankings.
The key to AI Overviews optimization lies in creating content that meets Google’s E-E-A-T guidelines (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness). Your updated content must demonstrate clear expertise in the subject matter, provide authoritative information backed by credible sources, and offer trustworthy insights that users can rely on.
When updating existing content for AI Overviews compatibility, focus on creating answer-oriented sections that directly address specific questions. Structure your content with clear headers, use concise paragraphs that can be easily extracted, and ensure your information is factually accurate and up-to-date. AI Overviews favor content that provides comprehensive coverage of topics while maintaining clarity and accessibility.
The integration of structured data and schema markup becomes even more critical in the AI Overviews era. These technical elements help search engines understand your content’s context and purpose, increasing the likelihood of inclusion in AI-generated responses. When updating content, ensure proper implementation of FAQ schema, article schema, and other relevant structured data types.
Consider the search intent evolution that AI Overviews represent. Users increasingly expect immediate, comprehensive answers to their queries. Your updated content should anticipate follow-up questions and provide thorough coverage of related topics. This approach not only improves AI Overviews eligibility but also enhances user experience and engagement metrics.
The competitive advantage of AI Overviews optimization extends beyond visibility. Being featured in an AI Overview positions your brand as an industry authority and can drive significant traffic to your website. Users who click through from AI Overviews are often highly engaged, having already received valuable information that establishes your expertise.
Step 1: Audit What You Already Have
Before you can update content, you need to know what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s quietly rotting under the surface.
Start by building a content inventory.
Use a crawler like Screaming Frog or Sitebulb to export:
- URLs
- Titles and meta descriptions
- Word counts
- Last modified dates
Then pull performance data from Google Analytics and Google Search Console:
- Pageviews
- Time on page
- Bounce rate
- Conversions
- Click-through rate (CTR)
- Keyword rankings
Now you’ve got a clear view of your content universe—and where to focus.
For AI Overviews optimization, pay special attention to content that already ranks well but isn’t featured in AI-generated responses. These pieces represent immediate opportunities for enhancement. Use tools like Ahrefs or SEMrush to identify queries where AI Overviews appear and analyze the content characteristics of featured sources.
Step 2: Spot the Content Decay
Look for these signs that your content needs life support:
- Traffic declines over time. If a once-popular post has seen a slow drop in sessions, it’s likely outdated or out-competed.
- Drop in keyword rankings. Use GSC or an SEO tool like Ahrefs or SEMrush to track this.
- High impressions but low CTR. That’s a sign your content is showing up in search, but your title or meta description isn’t clicking with users.
- Outdated info or broken links. You don’t want users finding “best tools of 2019” or linking to 404s.
- Thin or shallow content. A 300-word blog might have worked back then, but not now—especially not if your competitors are serving 1200-word deep dives.
The signs of content decay align closely with what prevents content from being selected for AI Overviews. Clearscope research identifies key indicators including decreasing organic traffic, lower rankings for target keywords, reduced click-through rates, higher bounce rates, and declining conversions. These metrics signal that your content is losing relevance and authority—two critical factors for AI Overviews inclusion.
Modern content decay analysis should also consider AI Overviews presence. If your competitors’ content is being featured in AI-generated responses for your target keywords while yours isn’t, this represents a new form of competitive disadvantage that requires immediate attention.
Step 3: Prioritize What to Refresh First
Let’s be honest: nobody has time to update everything. Start where it counts.
Focus on:
- High-traffic posts with declining performance
- Pages ranking on page 2 of Google (aka “almost there”)
- Posts with solid backlinks but outdated content
- Evergreen content that’s still useful but missing updates
- Posts with seasonal or trend-based titles that need reworking
If you only refresh 10 pages this quarter, make sure they’re the ones that will actually move the needle.
For AI Overviews optimization, prioritize content that addresses common questions in your industry. FAQ-style content, how-to guides, and comprehensive resource pages are particularly well-suited for AI Overviews inclusion. Focus on topics where you have genuine expertise and can provide authoritative, well-researched information.
Step 4: Start the Refresh Process
Now comes the fun part: turning dusty content into gold.
Update the Content
- Add new data, stats, and references
- Replace outdated examples or technologies
- Expand sections that feel thin
- Address updated search intent
- Refactor content based on what competitors are doing well
When updating for AI Overviews, ensure your content includes recent statistics and data points. The average blog post length has increased to 1,400 words—more than 77% longer than ten years ago. This trend reflects users’ desire for comprehensive, authoritative content that thoroughly addresses their queries.
Incorporate authoritative external sources throughout your content. Reference industry leaders like HubSpot, Ahrefs, and other recognized authorities in your field. This not only improves credibility but also aligns with AI Overviews’ preference for well-sourced, authoritative content.
Rewrite the Title & Meta
Improve CTR by writing a more compelling headline or meta description that aligns with the content’s current angle and keywords.
For AI Overviews optimization, craft titles that clearly indicate your content provides comprehensive answers to specific questions. Use natural language patterns that match how users ask questions, as voice search and conversational queries become increasingly important.
Fix Links and Internal Structure
- Remove or update broken links
- Add new internal links to high-performing pages
- Ensure external links are to trusted, relevant sources
Link hygiene becomes even more critical for AI Overviews eligibility. Broken links and outdated references can signal to search engines that your content isn’t well-maintained, reducing the likelihood of inclusion in AI-generated responses.
Optimize for SEO (Again)
- Recheck keyword usage and opportunities
- Optimize headers (H2, H3s)
- Improve alt text on images
- Use semantic keywords and related terms
Modern SEO optimization must account for AI Overviews’ preference for structured, easily digestible content. Use clear header hierarchies, implement proper schema markup, and ensure your content can be easily parsed by AI systems.
Re-check for Search Intent
What used to be informational might now need to be transactional. What was once a how-to might now be a listicle. Align your format to match what people are actually looking for today.
AI Overviews have shifted search intent expectations. Users now expect immediate, comprehensive answers that address not just their primary question but also related queries they might have. Structure your updated content to anticipate and answer these follow-up questions.
Step 5: Add Multimedia & Accessibility
It’s 2025—text-only content is barely enough.
Add:
- Infographics
- Short videos
- Charts or tables
- Audio snippets
And make sure it’s accessible:
- Add alt text
- Use high-contrast color combinations
- Structure content for screen readers
- Provide transcripts for video/audio
Bonus: these web accessibility changes help with SEO and user experience, not just compliance.
Visual content becomes particularly important for AI Overviews optimization. While AI Overviews primarily feature text, the underlying content that gets selected often includes rich media elements that enhance user engagement and signal content quality to search engines.
Step 6: Republish With a Clear Date and Promote
Once the content is updated:
- Change the “last updated” date (Google notices)
- Submit the URL for reindexing in Google Search Console
- Promote the content via email, social, and wherever else you distribute
If it’s a high-value page, consider running paid retargeting to it.
For AI Overviews optimization, actively promote your updated content to build the authority signals that AI systems look for. Social shares, backlinks, and engagement metrics all contribute to the credibility assessment that determines AI Overviews inclusion.
Pro Tip: Use AI—But Don’t Let AI Use You
AI can help you refresh content faster—but it can also wreck your tone if you’re not careful.
Use tools like:
- Surfer SEO for keyword and content score analysis
- Jasper or ChatGPT to draft updates or rephrase clunky copy
- Grammarly for grammar and tone alignment
- accessiBe to improve accessibility compliance
But always edit the AI output. Your voice, your insight, and your strategy are what set you apart. Let AI do the heavy lifting, not the heavy thinking.
Interestingly, HubSpot research shows that 54% of content marketers report using AI to generate ideas, but only 6% use it to write entire articles. This balanced approach (leveraging AI for efficiency while maintaining human expertise and insight) aligns perfectly with what AI Overviews seek: authoritative, well-crafted content that demonstrates genuine expertise.
Updating Content Is Not Just SEO—It’s Branding
Outdated content sends a message. It says you’re not paying attention. That you’re behind the times. That your business isn’t evolving.
Fresh content, on the other hand, shows:
- You care about accuracy
- You’re aware of what’s happening now
- You’re actively improving, not just maintaining
In a world where trust is currency, staying current isn’t optional. It’s the cost of doing business.
This principle becomes even more critical in the AI Overviews era. Being featured in AI-generated responses positions your brand as a trusted authority in your field. It’s a form of digital endorsement that can significantly impact brand perception and credibility.
Metrics to Watch After Refreshing
Don’t just update and walk away. Track performance to see what’s working.
Measure:
- Organic traffic changes (via GA4 and GSC)
- Time on page
- Bounce rate
- Keyword movements
- New backlinks
- Social shares
- Conversions
Compare against your baseline and adjust your refresh process as needed.
For AI Overviews optimization, also monitor:
- Appearance in AI-generated responses
- Click-through rates from AI Overviews
- Brand mention frequency in AI responses
- Competitive AI Overviews presence
These metrics provide insight into your content’s performance in the evolving search landscape and help guide future optimization efforts.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Not all updates are helpful. Avoid these traps:
- Changing the URL without a redirect. You’ll lose rankings and backlinks.
- Over-optimizing with keywords. Google’s smarter now. It wants quality, not stuffing.
- Neglecting search intent. Your content might rank, but not convert.
- Using outdated SEO tactics. If it sounds like 2012, don’t do it.
- Skipping quality control. Typos, formatting issues, and bad grammar kill trust.
For AI Overviews optimization, avoid:
- Sacrificing readability for keyword density. AI systems prioritize clear, natural language.
- Ignoring fact-checking. Inaccurate information can disqualify content from AI Overviews.
- Overlooking mobile optimization. AI Overviews appear prominently on mobile devices.
- Neglecting structured data. Schema markup helps AI systems understand your content.
Final Thoughts: Stop Letting Your Best Content Collect Dust
You already put time, effort, and budget into creating content. Letting it sit there unchanged while it fades out of relevance? That’s like buying a gym membership and never going—except your business is the one missing out on results.
A smart content refresh strategy:
- Gives your SEO a lift
- Increases engagement
- Boosts conversions
- Keeps your brand voice strong
- Makes your content work harder for you
- Positions you for AI Overviews inclusion
And unlike chasing the next shiny keyword or publishing yet another half-baked blog post, updating what you already have delivers results faster.
The data supports this approach. With 68% of online experiences beginning with a search engine and SEO leads having a 14.6% close rate [2], optimized content represents a direct path to business growth. In an environment where AI Overviews are reshaping search results, staying ahead of the curve isn’t just recommended—it’s essential for maintaining competitive advantage.
Ready to turn your content graveyard into a traffic machine?
At Unibit Solutions, we help brands audit, update, and elevate their content, so every post pulls its weight. Let’s chat.