Many freelance writers are concerned when they are asked to rewrite content. However, this useful tool has many benefits for those who have content on their site or for writers who maintain a portfolio at a revenue-sharing site. Some re-purposed articles can become as valuable as the original content.
Here are some of the tricks to successfully reuse content:
- Use your own writing – Avoid using someone else’s original content. You can easily recreate an article based on what you have already written. Imitation isn’t always the sincerest form of flattery, so if you like someone else’s article, write a summary and link to that article.
- Avoid article spinners – There are few things more painful than reading an article that simply has certain words replaced. Using an article spinner will cause you no end of grief and you will not wind up with a result you are happy with. If you are interested in rewriting an article, approach it from a different viewpoint.
- Check for updated information – Often you’ll write an article only to discover that your opinion has changed over time or new information has been brought to light. Use this information wisely and you may find that your “new” article is better than your original.
- Don’t forget final checks – Run your new content through a spellcheck and a plagiarism checker. This will ensure that your content is well written and is viewed by search engines as original.
Reasons to rewrite
You might be thinking there is little (or no) value to content rewriting. However, there are some great reasons why you should consider this practice.
- Marketing – Website owners depend largely on link building as a way of drawing attention to their content. This is often done by submitting work to popular article directories, creating links on social bookmarking sites and creating a separate blog. Fresh content can help create a buzz.
- SEO value – When a website owner is attempting to rank for specific keywords, it is helpful to re-purpose your existing content using the same keywords. Focusing on the same keywords can help you rank better. Remember to avoid keyword stuffing as this could cause problems.
- Sometimes it’s easier – No matter how prolific a writer you are, sometimes it’s easier to re-purpose work than to start over from scratch.
Duplicating articles is seldom a good idea and after the changes that Google made with the Panda and Penguin updates, it’s probably a worse idea than ever before. However, there are plenty of great reasons to re-purpose your existing content. Sometimes, having a primary article to work from can provide great benefits including an opportunity to put a new spin on something or simply the opportunity to share great information. You decide.
Doreen M is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
