by Elizabeth Hines | Mar 4, 2013 | Blog
The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) revolution in the workplace has thrown a curve ball to those responsible for safeguarding your company’s data. Your colleagues are now accessing corporate data from their own computer, a tablet, even their mobile phone. Although the corporate finance groups are singing the praises of the trend, due to its inherent reduction in costs, it’s not all rosy in the BYOD world. It’s crucial to format a corporate strategy policy that will be inline with your goals.
Here’s why: With so many of us bringing more and more smart devices inside our office environments and hooking them to our corporate networks, the potential for data leakage grows exponentially. Combine that with the tablet revolution and the mobile/remote employee trends, and it adds up to a potentially dangerous data-leak train wreck. Technology is now mobile.
In a study conducted by the University of Glasgow, 63 percent of used smart devices purchased through eBay, other online marketplaces, and in second-hand stores, still had data on them. This data included personal information as well as sensitive business information. We can only imagine the increase in sensitive data leaks when you include the road-warrior’s best and newest smart device as they trade in for the next best thing.
The problem is there’s no chain of custody in the BYOD world. Think about it. When the corporations owned your cellphone and your PC or laptop, they controlled its issue to you, how you used it, what software you put on it, and when and how it was turned in and destroyed. A solid internal tracking of electronic assets coupled with a solid electronic asset disposal solution provider meant that, for the most part, the corporate crown jewels were safe.
In the BYOD world, the corporation does not own the IT equipment. Personal smart devices are being hooked up to corporate IT environments. This mating of personal and professional equipment and data is happening everywhere. Your corporate data is being commingled with secure and non-secure access points to the Web, cloud, etc. Not to mention the fact that those devices metaphorically walk in and out of your office every day, and you have no control.
Unfortunately, there is no easy answer to this problem. I have seen it addressed via software solutions at the enterprise level (think Blancco or BlackBerry enterprise), at the device level (think solutions like Apple Find My Device, etc.), and at the human resources and legal levels with policies and procedures that prohibit users’ use of corporate information. But the truth is, without a chain of custody model incorporated with these other solutions, once the corporate data is accessed or downloaded, it’s already gone — you just don’t know it yet.
The reality is that it’s going to take some time for the corporate world to catch up with what I like to call the “semi-private information revolution” like the cloud, Facebook, or social media. Secure file sharing, essential for an organization’s BYOD guidelines, is one of your best options. Services are now available to help with cloud encryption and it’s changing the way we share and monitor files. Encrypting data is crucial and minimizes the risk of sharing sensitive data and having it tampered with. And rely on your electronic asset disposal provider to help develop a strategy and process that is aligned with your corporate information sharing guidelines. Right now, your corporate data is only as safe as the process that you create.
by Elizabeth Hines | Feb 16, 2012 | Blog
As a strategic advisor in the high-tech space, more often than not, at some point the conversation turns to technology and the use of technology to “solve” some particular set of short-comings or business process issues.
To these technology questions, I have a set of hard and fast rules that dictate the purchase and deployment of technology within a business segment or organization:
- When it comes to corporate IT strategy and IT platforms, be sure you are aligned with corporate strategy before you go down an evaluation path for a particular business segment level application. The corporate IT groups are the “keeper of the keys” in this area. They should have a road map that will either confirm your place or suggest an alternate path for you to follow. Either way, it will save you time and money if you gain alignment early on in the process.
- In that same area, if you are on the corporate IT strategy side, be sure that only IT projects that align with the corporate strategy are allowed to pass the first gate or check point on the path to approval and funding. This may sound simplistic, but, look around your organization. You will see may “pet” IT projects that are one-offs to solve a specific process issue and have nothing to do with the larger strategic IT agenda. Sure, they may have been cheap, but the maintenance, dependency and legacy baggage that come along with them suck vital IT resources in the long term.
- Any IT investment that is eventually made must lead to, enhance, and support the corporate objectives. Said another and simpler way, will you make more profit by making this IT investment. If the answer is not a clear and loud “yes”. Look for an alternative to the IT investment.
- Be determined to build one technology platform for your ENTIRE organization. Sure, it is easier said than done. Especially if you are growing by acquisition or on a limited IT budget. That said, in the case of acquisitions; always look to rationalize the IT platforms early in the process. It will pay off in the longer term in big, big, ways like ease of use, information analysis, budgeting, and the financial period end roll ups. If you are “boot-strapping” your IT platforms, discourage the “buy it now” mentality for the more disciplined road-map approach. Again, this will save time and money in the longer term.
- Whichever platform you choose, be sure to get the reporting module that goes along with it. So often I see companies’ cheap out in the reporting area when they purchase IT platforms. Sure, the users are adept at manipulating the software, but if the business folks can’t access the data to drive the business forward, it’s an orphaned platform. Business knowledge is business power…enough said.
- Lastly, don’t forget social media. Yeah, it’s for businesses too. I continue to learn this lesson the hard-way.
Most organizations waste time, money and miss profit opportunity by letting their IT platforms organically grow and develop. Having a well aligned IT plan with your corporate strategy pays dividends in the short and long term.
by Jennifer Hart Yim | Sep 6, 2024
Get Supply Chain Marketing Help Ready to learn more? Let’s talk. We’re easy to work with and know supply chain marketing like the back of our hands. Tell us about your goals and what you’re looking for. Contact us about supply chain marketing support...
by Elizabeth Hines | Jul 23, 2020 | Blog, Content Marketing, Covid-19, Marketing, Strategy
The benefits of a B2B blog are too important to overlook. Plus: Three companies that excel at content creation. If your company blog has gone the way of the bears in winter, there is good reason to bring it back to life. That stale page on your website is more...
by Elizabeth Hines | Jul 14, 2020 | Blog, Covid-19, Marketing, SEO
Updated 1/21/25
Revitalizing Your Blog Archive: Modern SEO Strategies for 2025
Your company blog remains a valuable asset for search visibility, but the rules have evolved. Here’s how to breathe new life into your old blog posts using current SEO best practices — without overwhelming your team.
Why Update Old Content?
Search engines, particularly Google, have become increasingly sophisticated in evaluating content quality and relevance. While freshness remains important, it’s now just one factor among many. Google’s helpful content system and AI-driven algorithms prioritize comprehensive, authoritative content that genuinely serves user intent.
Our own data supports this evolution: a 2018 post about corporate social responsibility continues to perform well not just because it’s regularly updated, but because it thoroughly addresses the topic from multiple angles, matching the depth that today’s search engines expect.
The Modern Benefits of Blog Post Updates
Updating old blog posts delivers several key advantages in today’s search landscape:
- It signals to search engines that your site is actively maintained and authoritative in your field.
- It allows you to align content with current search intent patterns and semantic search capabilities.
- It helps maintain E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness).
- It provides opportunities to optimize for voice search and featured snippets.
- It enables you to incorporate new media formats that modern search engines favor.
Identifying High-Potential Posts for Updates
Rather than randomly updating old content, focus on posts with these characteristics:
Strong Existing Performance Signals
- Posts that already rank on page 2-3 for valuable keywords (these often have untapped potential)
- Content with high dwell time but low conversion rates
- Pages that earn consistent backlinks despite their age
- Posts that generate significant social engagement
Strategic Value Indicators
- Topics that align with current business priorities
- Content that addresses evergreen industry challenges
- Posts that target high-commercial-intent keywords
- Pages that compete with outdated competitor content
Modern SEO Update Strategies
1. Optimize for Search Intent
- Use tools like Google Search Console‘s search queries report to understand how users actually find your content
- Analyze the “People Also Ask” boxes for related topics
- Structure content to directly answer common user questions
- Consider adding FAQ schema markup for enhanced SERP visibility
2. Enhance Content Depth and Authority
- Expand sections that address key user pain points
- Include expert quotes and current industry statistics
- Add real-world examples and case studies
- Lnk to authoritative sources using targeted anchor text
3. Improve Technical SEO Elements
- Implement proper header hierarchy (H1, H2, H3)
- Optimize for Core Web Vitals (loading speed, interactivity, visual stability)
- Add structured data where appropriate (Article, HowTo, FAQ schemas)
- Ensure mobile optimization meets current standards
4. Enhance Media and Interactivity
- Add high-quality, original images with descriptive alt text
- Include interactive elements like calculators or assessment tools where relevant
- Embed relevant videos with proper schema markup
- Consider adding infographics or data visualizations
5. Internal Linking Strategy
- Create topic clusters linking related content
- Update anchor text to reflect current keyword targeting
- Remove links to outdated or redirected pages
- Add links to newer, relevant content
6. User Experience Optimization
- Break up long paragraphs for better readability
- Add table of contents for longer posts
- Include clear calls-to-action
- Optimize for featured snippet opportunities
7. Content Consolidation
- Identify and merge similar posts to create comprehensive resources
- Implement proper redirects for consolidated content
- Update internal links to point to new consolidated pages
- Maintain URL structure of the strongest performing page
Technical Implementation Best Practices to Update Old Blog Posts for SEO
When updating posts:
- Maintain the original URL to preserve link equity
- Update the “last modified” date in your CMS and XML sitemap
- Consider adding a “Last Updated” note for transparency
- Use proper schema markup to indicate the last update date
- Monitor Core Web Vitals before and after updates
Measuring Success
Track these metrics to evaluate the impact of your updates:
- Organic search traffic changes
- Featured snippet acquisition
- Position tracking for target keywords
- User engagement metrics (time on page, bounce rate)
- Conversion rates
- Core Web Vitals scores
The Bottom Line
While it’s valuable to update old blog posts for SEO, success in 2025 requires a more nuanced approach that considers user intent, content quality, and technical excellence. Focus on creating comprehensive, authoritative content that serves your audience’s needs while adhering to modern technical SEO best practices.
Regular content audits and updates should be an integral part of your SEO strategy, but remember that quality trumps quantity. Prioritize updates that add genuine value for your users and align with current search engine capabilities.
Read more:
