What is Evergreen Content: Why is it Valuable?

You might have read about evergreen content several times while reading about online publishing and are confused about the term. It's an important distinction in the world of online content, so for writers it is worth going over.

There are basically three types of high-quality writing you can read on the Web: news, opinion and evergreen.

Evergreen content will not become dated or lose utility. It will be useful days, months, and years to come. This is valuable on HubPages because your evergreen content has the potential to make money for a longer period of time.

News and opinion writing are both characterized by the following:

• An assumption that the reader is a regular reader of the site, or of the columnist, e.g., as you remember from my column yesterday... or the Business section goes into further detail...
• A topic with temporary value: the topic might be irrelevant a few months or even weeks later, e.g., Ashton Kutcher Celebrates Birthday with 'Two And A Half Men' Cast and Crew
• A huge spike of traffic on the day of publication... and virtually none after that. A flash in the pan. Simone Smith Sentenced in Snake Smuggling Scandal.
• Fleeting interest: reader might only have a passing interest in the specific article topic. They are more interested in keeping up to date with the general topic area, or they might like a certain writer's style or opinion.

Evergreen writing, on the other hand, conforms to a different standard:

• Does not assume the reader necessarily understands, cares about, or knows anything about what was previously published by the writer.
• Might not necessarily be "hot," i.e., it's not breaking news, but people will be curious about it weeks, months, or even years later.
• Sees gradual traffic growth over time as search engines begin to trust the quality of the content.
• Attracts readers with an intense interest in the specific article, because they went to Google, Bing, or another search engine looking for that specific piece of information.
• May be opinionated, but contains arguments grounded in fact.

Sometimes it can be hard to come up with and write on compelling evergreen topics. People won't necessarily want to read about them in droves the minute you publish them on HubPages.

However, the gratifying part comes when people are STILL landing on your Hubs months and even years later. Slow and steady wins the race, especially when you're trying to make money on the Web. The long, steady stream of search traffic is where you will earn your long-term, residual money.

Here's an example of three Hubs on the same topic: apple pie. Take a look at the following 3 article titles, and think under what conditions you would want to read it:

1. Salem, MA Makes Bewitching Apple Pies for 2006 Autumn Festival
2. Why Grandma's Apple Pie Is THE BEST!!!!1111
3. A Simple, Healthy Apple Pie Recipe (From Scratch)

• The first title would be a great read in the fall of 2006 (if you're in Salem)...or very, very shortly thereafter. A few weeks later? It's old news. No reads. No traffic.
• The second title would be interesting only if you knew (and agreed with) the author's sentimental opinion. Otherwise, it's just another opinion piece about yet another food someone really likes.
• The third title will be relevant for many years as it promises a useful, timeless resource. You can easily imagine how people searching for things like "simple apple pie recipe," "healthy apple pie recipe" "apple pie recipe from scratch" would be interested in reading this Hub. People will be searching for these things in 2015, 2025, and 2100... so long as the Alien Overlords do not abolish delicious food.