Evergreen content refers to informational or reference material that never goes out of date, and which is therefore good for websites looking to build a lasting readership. Good evergreen material can be used over and over by the general public, creating a built-in guarantee of continuing hits. The quality of the content in terms of its presentation, clarity, and usefulness will go a long way towards dictating the popularity of the site.
It is often said that humans are not only in a technological age, but in the age of information. People need information and they want it now, whether it's guidance for financial investments, general information, career oriented, or hobby-specific. Evergreen content provides these answers and almost guarantees a stream of regular traffic to the site.
Encyclopedic websites generally offer this type of content, although it can also be more subject-specific. For example, the International Movie Database contains information about virtually every movie and TV production made. It also serves as a “who's who” of the entertainment industry by providing profiles and mini-biographies of actors, directors, writers, and so on.
While these examples are far-reaching in their scope, humbler websites can also contain evergreen content. A site dedicated to information on origami, aquaria, landscaping, knitting, scuba diving, hang-gliding or refinishing furniture would all be likely to include content that doesn't need to change significantly over time. Any hobby or interest can serve as the centerpiece. The longer a website hosts good content, the more likely it is the readership will grow, as people tend to link to good reference material, and readers also grow through word-of-mouth on newsgroups and Web exchange boards.
By contrast, content that is not evergreen quickly becomes outdated or irrelevant. News items and current events might draw substantial hits to an established website when a story breaks, but without constantly updating the content to refresh the timeliness, readership for a particular story will drop. Therefore, if the desire is to attract a lasting readership with the least amount of content turnover, evergreen content is a better choice.
By building websites with long-lasting content, entrepreneurs worldwide have been able to generate passive income online. Advertising can be added to a website for “click-through” income without using pop-up ads or other distracting marketing schemes. Website domains and hosting are relatively affordable, so just about anyone with drive and initiative can start a website with solid evergreen content and, in time, reap the benefits.