Resurrecting Old Websites

[goodroi]

Let's imagine I have a friend that just woke up from being in a coma for the last 10 years. Not surprising his website which did well in 2005 has lost over 95% of traffic. Since he was in a coma he needs to start earning money again to pay his hospital bills. He is insisting on resurrecting his old website.

I explained to him that Google's quality standards have greatly changed. Google can now spot & penalize bad links or at least links that Google assumes are bad. Google has also raised the minimum criteria on content. Google now also looks at real user engagement metrics. My friend is understandably overwhelmed and doesn't know where to start rebuilding his old website.

To help him out I suggested we start with re-running his keyword research so he knows what his consumers type into Google because keywords do evolve and change over time.

Then using the keyword research, I suggested he revisit his former top pages and increase their value by adding in more information, charts, real photos, how to videos, etc.

Then I suggested we look at the rest of the site to find the pages that aren't worth refreshing and should just be deleted.

While we were deleting I paid a freelancer to redesign the website with an emphasis on usability and to be compatible for all users regardless of screen size or internet speed. He didn't like the new look because it was different but he reluctantly agreed that his old design and page code did need a refresh.

Thankfully most of his bad links disappeared on their own over the last 10 years because his paid links didn't autorenew. We'll probably have to do a link audit sooner than later to make sure of that.

Now that the overall value of the site content is improving, I suggested he also start engaging in social media to build up new traffic channels and to re-engage his lost audience. This has helped to increase the user metrics.

What would you recommend next to my former comatose friend that is trying to rebuild his old website?

[tbear]

Erm.... that he visits Webmasterworld, for more info....... ;D

[netmeg]

First of all, I'd have him do some significant research into his niche to see how it's changed in the past ten years. If someone knows of a niche that *hasn't* changed significantly over ten years, I'd like to hear of it. His original business proposition may have expired, or it might be an opportunity he can expand upon.

Once he's done that, he can maybe add content that's more up to date (not just charts and how-to-videos) and attract more and different users.

I'd tell him to take a look at his competition, not to copy them but to see if there are any glaring weaknesses there that he can exploit. I for one love looking at the competition and finding out all stuff they're not doing or doing wrong - it's the one situation I don't mind doing a free business/seo audit (which they will never ever see) He might also need to see if his competitive landscape has changed. If one or more big brands have moved in, he may need to rethink it.

If he's been in a coma for ten years, he probably better check his website for hacks. (I'm impressed the host would leave it up unattended and presumably unpaid for that long - on the other hand he might have a ginormous payout from AdSense coming too)

Finally, I'd put the whole coma story on the home page and leave it there for a while - you can probably leverage that miracle for some easy press and social media recognition.

[bwnbwn]

After he/she has done the research as netmeg has suggested I would have them begin to add fresh well written content related to the current trends in his nitch. Anything to show it is back alive.

[RedBar]

Put him in contact with Farmboy to find out what he's had to do!

[tangor]

Whatever this webmaster (who was probably not in a coma, but had neglected to make changes for 10 years) does, the end result should stand apart from the competition in quality, ease of use, and content/product.

Else, a pig in a silk dress is still a pig.

I've had a few clients like this over the years. Sad to say, but over half of them got my recommendation to shut down and find another hobby because they were not, and did not seem to be able, treating their website as joyful WORK.

All the research and stats possible are no substitute for a compelling and useful site... and design and demand does change year on year.

But for those clients that understood the way forward, the results have been generally very good!

[lucy24]

Ten years? Wouldn't it be more practical to think of it as someone who doesn't currently have a web presence at all, but now wants to create one for the first time? When you're designing the "new" site, you'll be able to use some of the content from ten years ago-- but that's just a bonus. It's nothing much to do with what they're doing now.

:: uneasily wondering how little my own site has changed since its creation in February of 2007, though I do realize that my situation isn't really analogous ::

[nomis5]

I would sell the site and disassociate myself from it entirely. But first I would lift as many stats about it as possible.

Then re-educate myself as others have mentioned above. Learn, learn and learn.

Set up a new site along the same lines as the previous one but incorporating all the lessons learnt.

Its a three year project but its worked for me, not that I was in a coma! I sold my site for real but then worked along the lines suggested above.

If you cant sell the old website then give it away, just get rid of it. I say that on the basis that G never forgets and bringing a 10 year old site up to scratch sounds like a mountain too difficult to climb.

[goodroi]

What specific topics would you suggest Mr. Coma learns first? Have some pity for Mr. Coma who for sentimental reasons just can't let go and please give specific advice :)

[netmeg]

He can write about the changes in his niche, he can write about his journey to discover the changes in his niche. He can write about new problems or issues in his niche that his website can now solve or ameliorate. He can write about new technologies that affect his niche (every niche has had *some* kind of new technology over the past ten years) He can make videos or start a podcast (make sure someone tells him what a podcast is) He can solicit users to tell him their experiences over the past ten years on account of he's been in a coma. So many possibilities, I'm almost tempted to build this site and pretend I've been in a coma for ten years.

[tangor]

A just for fun feature would be a side by side (pick ONE page) comparison of Then and Now .... and the process by which that transformation occurred.

Do not neglect illustrations. Ten years back pics weren't as necessary as today, but do not go overboard (and do watermark 'em!).

[austtr]

One topic that I would have at the top of the list is to determine if sites in this niche now have to compete directly with Google's own properties and/or the huge dominant authority sites.

The playing field is hugely different now than it was 10 years ago and without doing a harsh assessment of the business model, all the steps laid out in the OP could end up being for nothing. If Google is now eating all the lunches in that niche, then don't expect that to change any time soon, no matter how well the site is reconstructed.

[lucy24]

The problem is that your imaginary friend hasn't really been in a coma. She probably hasn't even spent ten years on a desert island or in monastic seclusion. She has been doing something for the past ten years. Does that "something" have anything to do with the subject of her longago website? If no, then updating a website is going to be the least of her problems.

I originally wrote the above paragraph with male pronouns, like everyone else. But then I got a mental picture of a woman who took ten years off to raise children or take care of an aging parent. Same issues all over again, but it gives a different perspective.

[Rob_Banks]

I "retire" projects that are less than 10 years old all the time. When you don't have the time to build them out, things get stale/old/out of date. I always retain the core information for reuse when I need it.

A 10 year old project that has been left idle needs a bullet to the brain. Kill it, because it isn't coming back. I think of those sites that used to be competitors and friends until they made a slight mis-step in the eyes of Google. I miss them, acknowledge I might do the same thing, but keep marching because that's what we do.

How to rebuild the site of an imaginary friend?
I have no idea. I always prefer basing my opinions on something I see.

[RedBar]

Well, I'm pleased to say that two of my authority sites with a self-designed CSS template etc from the late 90s still reign supreme, mostly.

Why only mostly? Google stole all my images, along with many other sites, a couple of years ago however they both still do very well in the regular SERPs. These are my remaining two sites to convert to html5 and I still haven't decided whether I shall!

So, tell your friend that the orginal site constructor could have done better and ask for their money back:-)

[explorador]

Every case is different, but definitely such sites demand: (1) cleaning, (2) updating and (3) relinking.

If the information is good quality the sites usually remain as references and keep some of the traffic or at least some value as reference data. Anyway things change and any site having "good" content only from 1930 to 1970 as historic stuff, articles or whatever, LACKS updated info on where those products, places or places are right now. Some things are meant to be deleted because they became irrelevant. A lot of information changed (telephones, addresses, etc) so they need to be deleted or updated.

And most of all new links. Some websites die in traffic because they lack updates for-years, also because other sites linking to them died, no site can really survive without links. Perhaps the owner keeps paying hosting for such sites but most of webmasters will kill such projects, meaning other sites linking to that place are now dead, gone, vanished.

The don't touch websites. I don't think we can just go over and criticize leaving a site alone, or just kill it straight just because. There are some threads around here talking about a very interesting thing that I find related to the thread, and I actually have a site like that on my own.

There is one site that I created years ago, it was simple, basic, but loaded with... blue widgets. The traffic went up quickly and meant business opportunities, then Adsense came and it provided extra income... BUT, any attempt on redesigning the website end up in problems. Been reading this forum for years and many not to say most of all advice is always useful but not with that website. Found threads about people dealing with similar cases, new design, new navigation, "case studies" and nothing mattered, the change didn't mean good news on the short term, or mid... not even the long term. So, many of us ended up reverting to the original design and magic: the traffic came back. Several posts can be found on those threads talking about "if ain't broke, don't try to fix it". Years have passed and until this 2015, is the first time I don't see that old ugly duck non-updated website not doing well, this is the first time in years I find reasons to change it.

Don't ask me why, I can't explain it. I just had the personal experience of old, silly, ugly website not being updated for years but doing well except every time a change was attempted. Seems that period is over and now is up for a real change... and the 3 things mentioned above are the ones on my sight.

[lammert]

Mr. Coma should first realize that the world has changed. Rather than being a resource of information, people use the Internet now more to engage, exchange and amuse themselves. If the site doesn't fit in this new use, just kill it.

If it would have been a great resource of information, it would have attracted enough genuine backlinks in that 10 years anyway to prevent it from a traffic drop by 95%. So if it is an informational site, it should be killed also.

[tangor]

Astonished by the "killers" on this thread. Info and Data are sacred, ie. : they are Info and Data.

I'll grant that the "now" users of the net expect Hollowood (sic) graphics/design... maybe even a soundtrack... but the Info and Data remain relevant.

Mr/Ms Coma needs to determine of the site's Info and Data are Evergreen and merely need a FaceLift (tm) (lol), or if a redo and update is required.

Might snip and parse, expand and illuminate (pics), but if the underlying premise is sound, go from there. Don't kill it.

Those who see euthanasia as a way forward are overlooking the true value of old age and experience!

[netmeg]

Those who see euthanasia as a way forward are overlooking the true value of old age and experience!

Speaking as a dinosaur myself, I agree.

[keyplyr]

What would you recommend next to my former comatose friend that is trying to rebuild his old website?

Mention one of the Kardashians at least once on every page.

[blend27]

Before making the new site available to the public have Him/Her visit this part of WebmasterWorld: [webmasterworld.com...] . There is a lot of good info on how not to get his/her new content scraped in the first couple of days of the new sites existence, again.

[trebuchet]

I'd dump the 10 year old site and start a new site about coma recovery and long-term medical care - it's probably a lucrative niche.

[IanCP]

@explorador

Don't ask me why, I can't explain it. I just had the personal experience of old, silly, ugly website not being updated for years but doing well except every time a change was attempted

I fully agree..

[moTi]

Not surprising his website which did well in 2005 has lost over 95% of traffic.

pardon me, but i actually find that surprising. in my niche, there are quite a few sites ranking above me which haven't been updated since years. not only that, what is especially annoying is that they don't even have evergreen content, since the topic is news and events related and normally needs to be refreshed constantly.

google loves old websites and the algorithm is shy and overly cautious on newcomers. nowadays if you're lucky with your new project, you get a honeymoon period of a few months and then frequently slip back down in the serps for the time being. i doubt if the "killers" here really have experience in what it takes to start from scratch nowadays. this is so much more difficult to master than 10 years ago, no comparison. more projects than ever are destined to fail against google today no matter what you do and how exceptional your offer is.

now, by no means i would kill a long-established website, just refresh the content, glam up the design and see the adsense dollars rolling back in (well.. maybe, if you're lucky). from my experience, you could even completely change the whole topic and structure. although they certainly claim otherwise, google's algo is still rather dumb in content classification and attribution no matter what. an old domain which is in the serps for more than 10 years is really worth building up on, more than ever.

[Nutterum]

10 year old domain with used-to-be good SERP positioning is a Gold Mine in my book!

My 5 tips to get this guy out of the dust :

1) New design, relevant to the sector
2) Content refresh (the toughest part)
3) Social Media - this can be done without too much effort, especially if you go with the before-now type of content
4) E-mail nurturing and adwords to kick start some traffic
5) Remarketing campaign to boost the returning visits and lower the overall bounce rate

No matter the industry, this guy can get back up there in 6 to 8 months if done right.

[Rob_Banks]

The issue, IMO, is the site history. When you had a productive site that was left to waste away, there is a really long history of traffic decline, link loss and users that have since gone on to other things. Technology is so different now there is a greater degree of difficulty in trying to adapt the old structure than there is in building fresh with the retained core content.

I'll take a pause to emphasize "users that have since gone on to other things". That's the hurdle. Old respected site without much traffic that the owner still controls has 301 value. Build a new site with current technology, include what historical information still has relevance, 301 what makes sense.

i doubt if the "killers" here really have experience in what it takes to start from scratch nowadays

Really? I do far more scratch starts than I do successful starts, but I'll eventually get the hang of it.

[chewy]

Do a deep (real deep) study of backlinks and or mentions in the press - make sure you get those backlinks connected to active pages (with as few 301's as possible). I'm still amazed at how much link rot there is - and how old link-friends will reconnect to content after many years. Do the same for outbound links and make sure they aren't 404.

After that, study everything that LinkMoses and Martinibuster ever said (and there are prolly a few others but these are amongst the GREATS) about links and get MORE LINKS.

[keyplyr]

At the risk of starting a riot, I disagree with the *continued* emphasis on cleaning-up backlinks. IMO that was a significant factor last year but has since either been removed entirely or loosened-up considerably. Time to move ahead with new thinking.

I had half a dozens sites hit with it, did all the work researching & building disavow-links.txt for each site, tweaking & tweaking for months... then all the sites regained former ranking. After a while I removed (or greatly reduced) those lists and the ranking stayed. Now I only use short disavow-links.txt files on a couple of the sites, those that get incoming links from blogs, forums & obvious bad neighborhoods - YMMV.

[ergophobe]

I think the first thing you do with a website that once ruled and has been left alone for over a decade is give up on your original core business and invent two new wearables and release them to the market, announcing them as the next revolution in wearable tech ;-)

Seriously...

1. Prioritize and Set Goals.
Every web page should have a stated goal and an action that you want the reader to take (it might have more than one that are possible, but it should have a purpose from a user point of view. Ten years ago, it might be enough to have tons of crap fluff that Google gobbled, but users didn't).

You should be honest about the action you intend the user to take. Maybe the action you want is simply "read to the end and then go off an watch TV." That's your choice, but if that's not what you want people to do, the web page shouldn't be pushing them in that direction. So he should think about what types of actions he wants people to take, set those as trackable goals in his analytics and track them. Figure out which pages are best at achieving those goals and strengthen those pages and build more content to support those pages or goals. Traffic for traffic's sake is not generally a worthwhile goal. Nor is link acquisition or search engine rankings.

2. Start capturing emails
So personally this is a big failing. I've set this up for clients better than I do this myself... but there are some good email capture tools that are so easy to implement, you might as well start now. Super simple and easy (because as noted I'm incredibly lazy about this) is the AppSumo suite of tools. What's he going to do with all those emails?

a. He is going to send out content that his analytics show is what his users most desire

b. He is going to on rare occasions make an "ask". It might be a survey to find out what the major pain points for his users are. If it turns out the major pain point is building an email list, he creates content, a free e-book, and app, an I have no idea to help people do that thing - source antique car parts, build email lists. Whatever his thing is.

c. Once he has data from #1, he creates special email-only content that is optimized to accomplish what his best content accomplishes.

[edited by: ergophobe at 6:32 am (utc) on Jun 8, 2015]

[ergophobe]

I'm sorry, I forgot #0 which takes precedence over #1 and, frankly, everything that has been mentioned so far.

0. First priorty now that GoodROI has him set up with a functional, modern website is to get out into the real world. If his niche is antique car parts, he should get his ass to car restoration conventions/shows/whatever they have. He should reach out to be people who are tapped in and meet them if possible. Buy some beers. Get to know people. Find out what they care about today. Find out what they do differently than they did 10 years ago. Find out what the killer new tool is. Invite people to visit him at his garage. Buy a round of beers. Find out what the current pain points are for sourcing parts. Etc Etc Etc.

Martinibuster... where is that long conversation on this topic? This seems to be the piece of advice people most hate taking. There is a tendency to look for a technical solution to a social problem. Authority and trust is essentially a social problem and being known in the real-world physical community is the shortcut to trust.

[edit - this is the comment from martinibuster I was thinking of: [webmasterworld.com...] ]