Content Refresh Traffic Planner
Estimate traffic recovery from updating decaying content. Enter values for instant results with step-by-step formulas.
Formula
Recovered = (Current × (1+Uplift)) - (Current × (1-Decay)^t)
The calculator compares two futures: one where traffic decays exponentially, and one where traffic is boosted by an 'Uplift' factor (due to better rankings/CTR) and then decays from that new, higher baseline. The area between the curves is the traffic recovered.
Worked Examples
Example 1: Blog Audit
Problem:10k visits/mo. Decaying 5%/mo. Refresh gives 30% lift.
Solution:Month 12 Decay: ~5,400 visits. Month 12 Refresh: ~7,000 visits. Total recovered over year: ~30,000 visits.
Result:+30k Visits
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I refresh content?
Depends on volatility. 'Best Software' posts need quarterly updates. 'How to tie a tie' needs an update every 5 years. Audit your top 10 pages monthly.
What counts as a 'Refresh'?
Updating stats, checking broken links, adding new examples, improving formatting, and adding 10-20% new text. Fixing typos isn't a refresh.
What is 'Content Pruning'?
Removing content that gets zero traffic and has no backlinks. This improves your site's overall 'quality score' in Google's eyes.
How do I find decaying content?
Use Google Search Console. Compare 'Last 3 Months' vs 'Previous Period'. Look for pages with declining clicks despite stable impressions.