Your website content doesn't need to change every week. In fact, constantly tweaking perfectly good content can hurt more than it helps.
The trick is knowing what needs updating and what should stay put. Let's sort through the noise.
What Actually Needs Regular Updates
Your Team and Contact Information
This one's obvious but often forgotten. When someone leaves or joins your team, update your About page within a week. Customers calling disconnected numbers or emailing old staff members isn't a good look.
Keep your opening hours, address, and phone numbers current too. Nothing frustrates potential customers like showing up to find you've moved or closed early.
Product Prices and Availability
Outdated pricing confuses customers and wastes your time explaining price changes. If you sell products or services with set prices, keep them current on your website.
For service businesses, annual price reviews are usually enough. But if you've changed your packages or stopped offering certain services, update that immediately.
Blog Posts and News
Fresh blog content helps with SEO and keeps visitors engaged. But you don't need to publish daily. Quality beats quantity every time.
Aim for one valuable post per month rather than four rushed ones. Your audience will appreciate the effort, and Google will too.
Legal Pages
Privacy policies and terms of service need updates when laws change or you start using new tools. GDPR updates, cookie policies, and data protection changes matter for UK businesses.
Use our privacy policy generator to ensure your legal pages stay compliant.
What Doesn't Need Constant Tweaking
Your Core Service Pages
Once you've written good service pages, leave them alone unless something fundamental changes. These pages should focus on what you do, not the latest industry trends.
Your WordPress website development page doesn't need rewriting every month. It needs to clearly explain what you offer and how customers benefit.
Customer Testimonials
Don't replace good testimonials just because they're six months old. Genuine customer feedback stays valuable for years. Add new ones, but keep the strong existing ones.
Your Story and Values
Your company's origin story and core values shouldn't change frequently. These create trust and consistency. Major rebrands aside, this content should remain stable.
DIY vs Professional Content Updates
Handle These Yourself
- Contact information changes
- Basic product updates
- Simple blog posts
- Team photo updates
- Opening hours adjustments
Most business owners can manage these through their CMS without technical help.
Get Help With These
- Major service page rewrites
- Technical product descriptions
- SEO content optimization
- Site structure changes
- Legal page updates
Professional content writers understand how to balance customer needs with search engine requirements. Sometimes the investment pays for itself through better conversions.
Content Update Warning Signs
Your website content probably needs attention if:
- Customers frequently ask questions your website should answer
- Your bounce rate has increased significantly
- Service pages mention outdated processes or tools
- Blog posts reference events from years ago as "recent"
- Contact forms generate irrelevant inquiries
Run a free website audit to spot content issues you might have missed.
The Monthly Content Checklist
Every Month:
- Check contact information accuracy
- Review and update any changed prices
- Add new team members or remove old ones
- Publish one quality blog post
Every Quarter:
- Review service descriptions for accuracy
- Update legal pages if regulations changed
- Check that all forms work properly
- Remove outdated promotions or offers
Every Year:
- Comprehensive content audit
- Major service page updates if needed
- Fresh professional photos
- Strategy review and planning
This approach prevents both neglect and over-updating. Your content stays fresh without constant churn.
When Updates Backfire
Changing content that already works well can hurt your search rankings. Google values consistency and established content that users find helpful.
Before updating successful pages, ask yourself:
- Is this information actually wrong or outdated?
- Will this change help customers or just satisfy my need for novelty?
- Am I solving a real problem or creating busy work?
Sometimes the best content strategy is leaving good content alone.
Making Updates Count
When you do update content, make it worthwhile:
- Add specific details customers actually want
- Include recent examples or case studies
- Address new questions you've received
- Improve clarity without changing your message
Small, purposeful changes work better than major overhauls.
Regular website maintenance includes content review, but it shouldn't mean constant change. The goal is keeping your website accurate and helpful, not busy.
Your website content should evolve with your business, not with your mood. Focus updates where they matter most, and your website will serve customers better while saving you time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I update my website content? It depends on your business type. Most service businesses need monthly contact checks and quarterly content reviews. E-commerce sites need more frequent product updates.
Will changing content hurt my SEO rankings? Small updates usually help SEO. Major changes to well-performing pages can temporarily affect rankings. Make changes gradually when possible.
Should I date my blog posts? Yes, dates help readers understand context and freshness. Don't hide when you published content.
What's the biggest content update mistake? Changing content just for the sake of change. Only update when it improves accuracy or helps customers better.
How do I know if my content is working? Check your analytics for pages with high bounce rates or low engagement. Customer questions about topics your website should cover are also telling signs.