By understanding how search engines prioritize pages and adhering to several important points during rewriting, it’s possible to improve the search rankings of your company’s pages through rewriting. In addition to publishing new articles, SEO writing also involves the rewriting of your existing articles.

In this article, we’ll explain how to find articles that should be rewritten, how to prioritize them, and the flow of the rewriting process. By reading this article to the end, you will be able to understand the importance of rewriting in SEO strategies and the correct methods for rewriting, so please read through to the end!

What is article rewriting? 

Article rewriting is often carried out with the goal of enhancing a page’s SEO impact. By updating the content of page to the latest information or modifying it according to circumstances, it is possible to create content that meets the changing needs of users.

Search engines employ algorithms that prioritize pages providing excellent answers to specific search keywords. This aligns with one of Google’s ten truths, “Focus on the user and all else will follow,” suggesting that content prioritizing user convenience benefits Google by ranking higher in search results.

Therefore, article rewriting is not just about updating content to the latest information but also about adjusting the content to be more considerate of user convenience. When rewriting articles, it is essential to consider ‘whether the page’s planning and structure are user-first’ and ‘whether the article can be made more understandable’.

Why You Should Rewrite Articles 

While article rewriting is often conducted to enhance a page’s SEO effectiveness, as previously mentioned, improving search rankings should not be the sole objective.

This is because Google continuously updates its algorithms with a primary focus on user convenience. If the aim becomes solely to hack these ever-changing algorithms, there’s a risk of losing sight of the ultimate goal “acquiring users”.

Please remember that article rewriting needs to be done to enhance user convenience.

To Update with the Latest Information 

Article rewriting should be performed to keep page content up-to-date. When the content of page content is updated to the latest state, users seeking the latest information will conclude their search actions.

Companies and personal sites often aim to improve site navigability and conversion rates. However, deliberately impairing access to certain information, thereby increasing search costs, contradicts Google’s user-first principle. If an article to be rewritten primarily offers “freshness,” assuming that users will end their search actions should be one of the goals.

To Improve Article Quality 

In addition to updating the content to the latest state, article rewriting need also aim to enhance user convenience.

Depending on the page being rewritten, there may be elements other than “content updates” that could improve user convenience. For example, “adding topics” might help users understand a search keyword better.

To Enhance SEO Effectiveness 

By updating page content to the latest state through article rewriting or by adding topics to aid user understanding, Google’s search engine may recognize the content as ‘high-quality.’ If the page you created is considered high-quality content for users, it’s more likely to rank higher for the targeted keywords (KWs).

However, the challenge with SEO through article content (content SEO) is that what site operators consider user-first content and what search engines evaluate as user-first content do not always align. The content that ranks high on the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs) is displayed with user convenience in mind, but what content will rank high cannot be known until the SERPs are checked. Therefore, article rewriting requires a process of ‘revision and check.’

Reasons Why Article Rewriting Enhances SEO Effectiveness 

Article rewriting can enhance SEO effectiveness for two reasons below.

-Tuning the topics within the article to meet the user needs of the targeted KWs.

-Increasing the ‘E-A-T’ (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) that Google uses to evaluate page quality.

As mentioned earlier, rewriting to add ‘freshness’ or topics that aid user understanding can enhance the SEO effectiveness of a page. However, for those who wish to implement content SEO more strategically, it’s beneficial to understand these points.

Tuning the topics within the article to meet the user needs of the targeted KWs 

Achieving high rankings for the targeted KWs with a single rewrite is rare; in many cases, it requires two or three rewrites.

Those who have already published article content online and are tracking rankings using tools like Google Search Console might know that the chances of achieving high rankings for the initially targeted KWs are quite low.

More often, one discovers through tools like Google Search Console the ‘KWs for which their page is ranking high’ and then rewrites to further improve rankings with those KWs.

In other words, the process of ranking a company’s page high in content SEO primarily involves the following three steps

-Creating articles with content optimized for ranking high for the targeted KWs. 

-Discovering pages that are evaluated for different KWs than initially assumed

-Adjusting the content of one’s page to the KWs already receiving good evaluations. 

For those looking to achieve results through article rewriting, instead of fixating on the KWs you want to rank high for, also pay attention to the KWs already evaluated positively.

To Enhance Google’s Page Quality Evaluation Metric ‘E-E-A-T’ 

Article rewriting is performed with the aim of improving user convenience, which in turn enhances the ‘E-E-A-T’ metric used by Google to evaluate page quality. This is why SEO effectiveness is increased through article rewriting.

In its search quality evaluator guidelines, Google frequently mentions ‘E-E-A-T’ (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) as elements for evaluating page quality.

For instance, in cases like medical terminology or academic terms that are not commonly known among the general public, Google seeks contributions from ‘experts.’ This is because the reliability of information is considered to be ensured by expert dissemination, making it a crucial primary source that supports the credibility of the information.

The concept of E-E-A-T is applicable to both corporate and individual articles. Comprehensively covering information related to a certain keyword, or enhancing readability through the use of images and videos, ultimately leads to increased page SEO effectiveness.

Prioritizing Articles for Rewriting 

As mentioned earlier, when aiming for results through article rewriting, it’s easier to adjust (tune) the content to keywords that are already evaluated positively rather than focusing on the keywords you wish to rank high for.

Being already evaluated means there’s a higher possibility of improving search rankings with fewer measures, thus making it a higher priority for action.

Articles that rank on the first or second page of search results 

Using SEO tools like Google Search Console mentioned later, it’s possible to identify your own pages that are ranking high for specific keywords.

If there are articles ranking around ‘5th to 20th’ place, those articles should be given the highest priority for rewriting.

Ranking on the first or second page indicates a high likelihood that Google recognizes the content as matching user needs.

Therefore, with less effort, it’s possible to aim for a higher search ranking, making it a high priority for action.

Articles Likely to Rise in Rank with Topic Addition and Text Expansion 

Articles that are likely to see a rise in ranking with the addition of topics or expansion of text are often found on the second to third pages of search results (positions 11th to 30th). These articles typically meet the user needs for specific keywords to some extent but may be recognized as lacking certain information.

When you find your own pages ranking on the second to third pages, check for any differences compared to the content displayed on the first page.

The key points to check for differences are the ‘headings’ and ‘volume of the text.’ It’s necessary for you to check if there are any missing topics or if the explanations are less detailed compared to articles that rank on the first page.

Articles with High CTR 

When aiming to improve search rankings through rewriting, rewriting articles with high CTR is not as high a priority as the previously mentioned two criteria.

This is because articles with high CTR do not always show prospects for ranking improvement through rewriting alone, and especially articles ranking beyond the third page are likely to deviate from the user needs recognized by Google for specific keywords.

However, articles that are ‘high in CTR but low in search ranking’ have the characteristic of ‘high click-through rate despite low search ranking.’

Such phenomena can occur when there’s a discrepancy between the user needs associated with specific keywords by Google and the actual needs of search users, suggesting that a rise in search rankings might be possible depending on the approach to rewriting.

If you find an article that is ‘high in CTR but low in search ranking,’ it’s crucial to consider whether it can rank higher for keywords related to those currently evaluated. With content revisions and continuous monitoring, there’s an opportunity to achieve higher rankings.

Finding Articles to Rewrite 

The criteria for article rewriting vary by company or individual, but if the intention is to improve search rankings through rewriting, the ‘current search ranking’ should basically be checked.

The higher the current search ranking, the more likely you are to see results with less effort. You can efficiently research current search rankings by rank tracking tools or Google Search Console.

Utilizing Rank Tracking Tools 

Rank tracking tools, as the name suggests, refer to tools that track the search rankings of pages. A representative tool is ‘GRC’ provided by SEO Tool Lab, which allows you to enter the URL of the page you want to track and continuously monitor its ranking.

Moreover, many rank tracking tools come equipped with the functionality to display a list of search rankings for specific keywords, enabling efficient identification of articles on your own pages that rank high in search results.

Utilizing Google Search Console 

Through the ‘Search Performance’ section of Google Search Console, you can find articles on your own pages that have achieved high search rankings.

By default, the search performance of the entire site is displayed. By selecting a specific page and then choosing ‘Queries’ (search keywords), it becomes possible to understand which keywords at particular page is being evaluated for.

Key Points for Rewriting to Enhance SEO Effectiveness 

Many media operators are interested in what to pay attention to in order to maximize SEO effectiveness. To receive a high evaluation from Google, it’s necessary to focus on the following points.

-Focusing on E-E-A-T

-Enhancing originality and comprehensiveness

-Setting up internal links

Focusing on E-E-A-T.

E-E-A-T is a set of criteria for evaluating websites proposed by Google, made up of the initials of the following four elements. Content that fulfills these criteria tends to receive higher evaluations from Google.

-Experience 

-Expertise

-Authoritativeness

-Trustworthiness

Experience refers to the real-life experiences or expertise of the author or creator on the topic. Articles backed by experience are valued for their originality and for providing useful information to users.

Expertise measures whether the topic is presented with specialized information. Enhancing the article content or having it written by someone with specialized knowledge in that genre can boost its evaluation.

Authoritativeness indicates whether the media is trusted by readers as a credible source of information.

Gaining backlinks from external sites and disclosing author information can enhance authoritativeness. Also, the track record of operating the media for a long period contributes to its authority.

Lastly, trustworthiness pertains to whether the content is believed by readers, a metric somewhat similar to authoritativeness.

For instance, the trustworthiness of information from an anonymous blog differs from that of information released by public institutions. To be considered a trusted media, it’s important to provide comprehensive information about the authors and media operators.

For more detailed information about E-E-A-T, please refer to Google’s ‘Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines’

Enhancing Originality and Comprehensiveness 

To receive a higher evaluation from Google, it’s crucial to enhance the originality and comprehensiveness of your content.

Being judged by Google as a copy of competitive content could result in penalties. While researching competitive content is an important task in rewriting, you have to consider not to write too similar content.

Moreover, it’s vital to devise ways to express the uniqueness of your media. Try different strategies such as presenting information from an angle not covered by competitive content or increasing the frequency of updates to always offer the latest information.

Enhancing the comprehensiveness of articles is also an important point. Research competitive content and incorporate any content missing from your media’s articles when rewriting.

Setting up Internal Links 

When rewriting, it’s recommended to include internal links to related articles. This can make it easier for users to navigate within the site and allow Google’s crawlers to smoothly traverse your site, potentially leading to a higher evaluation.

Although you may have already established internal links when creating new articles, the relevance of articles within the media may change over time. Review your internal links when rewriting.

The Process of Article Rewriting

The process of article rewriting typically follows the steps outlined below. Refer to the previously mentioned content on “Prioritizing Articles for Rewriting” and feel free to skip any unnecessary steps as you work.

-Selection of Articles for Rewriting (Determining the Keywords to Tune)

-Researching Needs

-Researching Competitor Pages

-Deciding on the Direction and Actually Rewriting

-Creating Titles and Headings

-Writing the Main Text

Let’s explain each task in detail.

Selection of Articles for Rewriting (Determining the Keywords to Tune) 

First, use tools such as rank tracking tools or Google Search Console to find articles that need to be rewritten. Often, there will be more than two articles to rewrite, so prioritize them for action. After selecting the articles for rewriting, it’s crucial to also decide on the keywords to tune.

Among the evaluated keywords, there might be middle or big keywords with significant search volume.

In such cases, tuning the content for middle or big keywords that can aim for a top 10 search position may have a larger impact on the strategy than tuning for small keywords (keywords with less search volume) that can aim for the first place.

Researching Needs 

Once the articles and the keywords to tune have been determined, conduct research on the needs for those keywords. Start by examining the actual SERPs to concisely understand the existing user needs.

A key point to identify is what the main topic for the tuning keyword is, which can be interpreted as “what users want to know the most.” 

Google creates SERPs reflecting various user needs for most keywords, but there’s always a core topic for each keyword. Let’s investigate what topics form the core (main theme) for the keywords you aim to rank higher for.

Researching Competitor Pages 

After identifying the core topic for the targeted keywords, investigate the structure of headings and the content within competitor pages. Use SEO tools like Rakko Keyword to visualize the heading structure of pages that rank highly for your targeted keywords.

Check the differences between your page targeted for rewriting and the high-ranking pages at the ‘heading level.’ If there are topics present on the high-ranking pages but missing from your own, consider adding them.

It’s also important to actually scroll through the high-ranking pages. By scrolling through the pages, you can check for non-text content such as images and videos that are included.

If content that improves user convenience or aids user understanding is found, reflect it in the rewrite of your own page.

Deciding the Direction and Actually Rewriting 

After selecting articles, researching user needs, and competitor content, decide on the direction of the rewriting. Based on the analysis conducted so far, decide whether to overhaul the structure and rewrite the text entirely, make partial edits or additions to the text, or change only the title and description.

Once the direction for the rewrite is decided, let’s proceed with the actual rewriting.

Creating Titles and Headings 

From the results of researching competitor pages, you’ll start to see which titles, topics, and headings need to be added. It’s important here not to be biased. Preconceptions you have about a keyword may lead you to mistakenly deem necessary topics as unnecessary.

If the goal of rewriting articles is to improve search rankings, be careful not to confuse your own opinions with the needs of users.

Writing the Main Text 

After making adjustments to the title and headings, proceed to write the body of the article. One method to improve readability for users is the PREP method.

This involves writing in the order of ‘Point’ (Conclusion), ‘Reason’, ‘Example, ‘Point’ (Conclusion again), aiming to facilitate user understanding by explaining the conclusion first.

When explaining complex mechanisms, processes, or relationships, it’s also important to create visual designs like diagrams where appropriate.

Writers are asked to write from the perspective of what makes text easy for users to read and what can be done to facilitate understanding.

Verifying the Effect 

After completing the rewrite, it’s also crucial to verify its effectiveness. Use Google Search Console to check the post-rewrite trends in search ranking and CTR.

The time it takes for the rewrite to show effects varies by article, but it’s recommended to check the effects after about a month as an initial benchmark. Compare the data from the month before and after the rewrite. If there are no visible results or if the ranking has dropped compared to before the rewrite, it may be necessary to rewrite the article again.

Articles targeting keywords with high search volume or articles that hold significant importance within the operated media should be prioritized for continuous rewriting.

Notes on Rewriting 

While we have introduced the process and key points of rewriting so far, there are additional precautions to be aware of beforehand. To achieve results from rewriting and to proceed with work efficiently, it’s important to check the following items.

• Do not rewrite articles that are already high in search rankings.
• Ensure ample time is allocated for rewriting.
• Create new articles with the premise of future rewriting.

Do Not Rewrite Articles That Are Already High in Search Rankings 

Please avoid rewriting articles that have already secured a high position on Google. There is, of course, no need to rewrite an article that has reached the first position, but it’s also wise not to hastily rewrite articles ranked between second and ninth positions.

If an article ranks between second and ninth, there might be issues other than the content itself. Even if the text is unique and comprehensive, the page loading speed might be slow, there might be few backlinks, or there may be a lack of information related to E-A-T.

Therefore, for articles ranked between second and ninth, try other strategies to improve ranking before considering a rewrite.

Ensure Ample Time for Rewriting 

Generally, rewriting is more difficult than creating new articles. You have to ensure ample time to be allocated for the process.

Researching user needs and studying competitor content are tasks common to both creating new articles and rewriting existing ones. However, with new articles, it’s uncertain how they will rank in search results.

Even if a high-quality article is published, it’s unknown how well it will compete for the targeted keywords until it’s actually published.

In contrast, rewriting requires consideration of the access data accumulated from the time of the original article’s publication to the present, with the aim to definitively improve its ranking. Rewriting can be more challenging than writing a new article, so it’s advised to schedule with ample time.

Create New Articles With Rewriting in Mind 

When creating new articles, assume from the start that they will be rewritten after publication.

Even for experienced and skilled individuals, it’s challenging to produce a perfect article right from the beginning, and the need for rewriting may be recognized after publication, regardless of the article’s initial quality.

Therefore, it’s effective to create new articles with a score of around 60 to 70 points, assuming they will be rewritten later. First, publish an article with a completion level of 60 to 70 points, check Google’s evaluation, and then identify areas for improvement and rewrite.

If search rankings improve after rewriting, it indicates that the added or changed parts were well-received, allowing you to apply the same considerations when rewriting other articles.

Summary 

In this article, we’ve discussed the importance of rewriting for SEO measures and the process of article rewriting. Keeping articles up-to-date is crucial for SEO strategies. To aim for improved search rankings through article rewriting, continuous effect verification is necessary. Formulate hypotheses, conduct rewrites, and monitor whether the targeted keywords achieve ranking improvements. Our company offers comprehensive support from SEO strategy formulation to implementation. If your company lacks the resources to carry out SEO measures on its own, please feel free to contact us.