Hi friends 👋
Since it’s the beginning of a new year, I want to highlight something I see people skipping way too often.
Everyone’s busy planning new content for 2026.
New ideas. New calendars. New keywords.
But before you do that, I’d strongly recommend looking at what you’ve already published.
Here’s why.
I recently worked on an article that had been stuck around position #33 for months with basically no traction.
It was a hot topic, “best AI content generators”, so, the Backlinko team decided it was worth it to upgrade the article.
And when it reached to me, here’s what I did:
Researched user intent and tailored my upgrade to match it
Removed outdated tools and references
Added newer, more relevant examples
Expanded shallow sections
Included clearer explanations and real use cases
I basically just made content genuinely better.
A couple of weeks later, that page jumped to position #13. Now it’s sitting at #4.
And content upgrades matter especially right now.
If you published content in 2024 or 2025, chances are:
The year mentioned in the title is outdated
The tools, examples, or screenshots are no longer accurate or relevant
The search intent has shifted
Your industry evolved
Or you gained more experience and a clearer point of view
People aren’t searching the same way they were a year ago.
Their questions are more specific. Their expectations are higher. And sometimes they’re looking for completely different answers than before.
That means even content that used to perform well might not fully satisfy intent anymore.
So, before you plan new content for 2026, ask yourself:
Which pages are ranking on page 2–4?
Which articles feel outdated when I reread them today?
Where can I add clearer answers, better examples, or stronger opinions?
That’s often where the easiest wins are hiding.
One thing that helps a lot here is listening to what people are currently talking about.
Tools like Brand24 can be useful to spot:
What questions keep coming up across the web and social media
How people talk about problems in their own words
What frustrations or gaps still exist around the topic
That insight makes it much easier to update content in a way that actually matches today’s intent.
The takeaway?
You don’t always need more content.
Sometimes you just need better, fresher, more relevant content.
Before publishing something new, check what you can upgrade first.
It’s often faster, more impactful, and way more rewarding.
See you next week,
Kate 🌟
