Last week, Google announced an algorithm update. The importance of fresh content increased last week for 35% of all Google searches (announcement). This latest algorithm update doesn’t focus on the quality or source of your content, it focuses on the timeliness of it.

For B2B content marketing, here is the most notable aspect of this update: the importance of freshness is related to the search query, not the content. I often hear marketers say their older content is still relevant. However, if Google determines recency is relevant to the search query, that won’t matter. Your content will be pushed down in Google by more recent content.

If your business does not have a blog yet, this change is one more reason to consider creating your blog. If your marketing includes thought leadership, it is even more important, as search and inbound marketing are (or at least should be) important marketing channels.

Here are four reasons why a blog may be the best way for your business to create fresh content:

Simple Content Formats

A blog expands the type of content you create, and a 300 to 750 word blog post is much easier to create than a white paper or technical document. The ability to embed video, slides and more into a post further simplifies creation for some people.

Lower Technical Requirements

Creating content today is often technical, requiring video production, layout, or other more specialized support. Blogs remove many of the technical barriers to publishing content, with no design or technical assistance needed for most posts.

Content Updates are Natural

On a blog, revisiting a topic over time is not only appropriate, it is a great way to continue a discussion. In contrast, product and service pages are often more difficult to modify, and continuing to add new pages creates a confusing user experience and navigation structure.

Comments Drive More Content

Comments and conversations driven by blog posts are often the seeds for additional content. Content in any form can drive discussion, but blog capture and centralize more of the discussion and also keep it on your site, where it becomes additional content for search. (Note: I have seen search traffic on names or phrases that have only been used in the comments on this blog.)

Of course, a blog isn’t the only way to produce fresh content, but with the latest changes from Google, blogging is an option any content marketer should seriously consider.

If you are considering starting a blog, I recommend Stanford Smith’s posts on PushingSocial for tips and inspiration covering everything from writing to promotion to tools.

Your Turn

Is fresh content a priority in your marketing? If so, how do you produce fresh content? Share your views in the comments are with me on Twitter (@wittlake) or, in the spirit of a post about Google, on Google+.