13 Steps To Update Your Very Very Old Food Blog

Running a food blog is a labor of love, blending culinary creativity with digital storytelling. However, as the internet evolves, older food blogs can quickly become outdated, losing their appeal and search engine visibility. If your blog has been neglected for years, it’s time for a comprehensive overhaul. This guide outlines 13 actionable steps to breathe new life into your very old food blog, ensuring it remains competitive, user-friendly, and optimized for modern audiences. From technical SEO to content refresh strategies, these steps will help you reclaim your blog’s potential and boost its performance on Google.

Why Updating Your Old Food Blog Matters

Before diving into the steps, let’s explore why updating an old food blog is critical:

1. SEO Benefits: Search engines prioritize fresh, relevant content. Updating old posts can improve rankings, driving organic traffic.
2. User Experience: Modern readers expect fast-loading pages, mobile-friendly designs, and high-quality visuals. Outdated blogs often fail to meet these standards.
3. Revenue Potential: Optimized blogs attract more visitors, increasing ad revenue, affiliate income, or sponsored content opportunities.
4. Authority Building: Refreshing content establishes your blog as a credible resource, reinforcing your niche expertise.
5. Low Effort, High Reward: Revisiting old content is often less resource-intensive than creating new posts, yet it can yield significant traffic and engagement boosts.

A study by HubSpot found that updating old blog posts increased traffic by up to 76% and conversions by over 200% in some cases. This demonstrates the untapped potential in historical optimization, especially for evergreen recipes that can attract perennial interest.

Step 1: Conduct a Content Audit

Begin by assessing your blog’s existing content to identify what needs updating, noindexing, or deleting. A content audit helps prioritize efforts and streamline your site.

How to Perform a Content Audit

• Use Google Analytics: Navigate to Behavior > Site Content > All Pages. Filter by your blog’s URL (e.g., /blog) and export data for the past 12 months. Look for posts with low traffic (e.g., fewer than 5 clicks in 90 days).
• Leverage Google Search Console: Check the Performance tab to identify pages with high impressions but low click-through rates or rankings (e.g., positions 7–10). These are within “striking distance” of page one.
• Categorize Content:
  • Bucket 1 (Keep and Update): Evergreen or high-potential posts that need refreshed content or visuals.
  • Bucket 2 (Seasonal): Holiday or seasonal recipes to update closer to their relevant time of year.
  • Bucket 3 (Noindex or Delete): Irrelevant, outdated, or low-quality posts (e.g., personal stories or off-niche content).

Tools to Use

• Google Analytics: Free for tracking page performance.
• Google Search Console: Free for SEO insights.
• Screaming Frog: A freemium tool to crawl your site and identify issues like broken links or thin content (free for up to 500 URLs).
• SEMrush or Moz: Paid tools for deeper SEO analysis, starting at $99/month.

User Review

“I used Google Search Console to find my underperforming posts, and it was a game-changer. I updated 10 old recipes, and within three months, my traffic increased by 30%!” – Sarah, Food Blogger

Step 2: Hire a Professional Designer

A dated design can deter visitors and harm your blog’s credibility. Hiring a professional designer ensures your blog aligns with modern aesthetics and functionality.

What to Look For

• Portfolio: Review designers’ previous work on food blogs. Check sites like Choosing Chia for inspiration.
• Expertise: Ensure they understand WordPress, responsive design, and SEO-friendly themes.
• Cost: Budget $1,000–$5,000 for a custom redesign, depending on complexity. Freelancers on platforms like Upwork or Fiverr may charge less, while agencies like Big Bite Creative command premium rates.

Design Elements to Update

• Color Scheme: Choose a clean, modern palette (e.g., black, white, and a pastel accent like pale pink #F2DBDE).
• Fonts: Select readable, stylish fonts like Montserrat and Lora.
• Logo and Favicon: Opt for a minimalist logo and a favicon that reflects your brand (e.g., a pink grapefruit slice for a plant-based blog).
• Navigation: Streamline menus and categories for intuitive user flow.

User Review

“My designer revamped my blog’s look, and the new color scheme made it feel so fresh. Visitors now spend 20% more time on my site!” – Emily, Recipe Blogger

Step 3: Rewrite Your “About” Page

Your “About” page is a critical touchpoint for building trust with readers. An outdated page can misrepresent your brand and turn visitors away.

How to Update

• Reflect Current Goals: Rewrite to align with your blog’s evolved mission (e.g., focus on plant-based recipes or sustainable cooking).
• Remove Outdated Info: Delete references to old jobs, pets, or irrelevant personal details.
• Optimize for SEO: Include keywords related to your niche (e.g., “vegan recipes” or “healthy meal prep”).
• Add a Call-to-Action: Encourage visitors to subscribe to your newsletter or follow you on social media.

Example

Old About Page: “I’m a dietitian who loves cooking and my two cats. I started this blog in 2012 to share my journey.” New About Page: “Welcome to [Blog Name], where I share plant-based recipes and nutrition tips as a registered dietitian. With over a decade of experience, I’m passionate about making healthy eating simple and delicious. Subscribe to get weekly recipes!”

Step 4: Upgrade Your Photography

High-quality images are non-negotiable for food blogs. Poor visuals can undermine even the best recipes.

Steps to Improve Photography

• Invest in Equipment: Start with a DSLR camera and a 50mm f/1.8 lens for a blurred background effect. Budget $500–$1,000 for a beginner setup.
• Learn Food Photography: Enroll in courses like Foodtography School ($397) or watch free YouTube tutorials by The Bite Shot.
• Reshoot Old Recipes: Prioritize popular or evergreen recipes. Aim to reshoot 20–30 posts initially.
• Edit Photos: Use Adobe Lightroom ($9.99/month) for professional editing.
• Match Your Brand: Coordinate colors and props with your blog’s design (e.g., white plates for a minimalist aesthetic).

Table: Photography Equipment Costs

Item	Price Range	Notes
DSLR Camera (Entry-Level)	$400–$800	Canon EOS Rebel or Nikon D3500
50mm f/1.8 Lens	$100–$200	Ideal for food photography
Tripod	$50–$150	Stabilizes shots
Softbox Lighting	$50–$200	Enhances lighting consistency
Adobe Lightroom	$9.99/month	Essential for editing

User Review

“Switching to a DSLR and learning Lightroom transformed my blog. My new photos get twice as many Pinterest shares!” – Rachel, Food Photographer

Step 5: Update Your Recipe Plugin

A modern recipe plugin enhances user experience and SEO by structuring recipe data for search engines.

Recommended Plugins

• WP Recipe Maker: $49/year for premium features like nutrition calculations and printable cards.
• Tasty Recipes: $79/year, optimized for food blogs with SEO-friendly schema.
• Recipe Card Blocks: Free with premium upgrades ($29/year), integrates with Gutenberg.

Migration Process

• Backup Your Site: Use UpdraftPlus (free) to prevent data loss.
• Transfer Recipes: Most plugins offer import tools to migrate from older plugins like Easy Recipe Plus.
• Manually Update Old Recipes: For posts predating your original plugin, input recipes manually (budget 2–3 hours for 10 recipes).

User Review

“Switching to WP Recipe Maker was seamless. My recipes now appear in Google’s rich snippets, boosting clicks by 15%!” – Mark, Food Blogger

Step 6: Reorganize Categories and Tags

Streamlined categories and tags improve navigation and SEO by helping users and search engines find relevant content.

How to Reorganize

• Simplify Categories: Limit to 5–7 broad categories (e.g., Beverages, Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Sweet Treats).
• Use Tags Sparingly: Focus on specific ingredients or dietary needs (e.g., “gluten-free,” “vegan”).
• Use Quick Edit: In WordPress, go to Posts > All Posts, select Quick Edit to update categories and tags in bulk.
• Check for Orphaned Tags: Use Yoast SEO to identify unused tags and delete them.

Example Category Structure

• Recipes:
  • Beverages
  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Sweet Treats
• Blog:
  • Nutrition
  • Travel
  • Product Reviews

Step 7: Fix Broken Links

Broken links frustrate users and signal poor site maintenance to Google.

How to Fix

• Run a Crawl: Use Broken Link Checker (free WordPress plugin) or Screaming Frog to identify broken links.
• Prioritize Fixes: Focus on internal links and high-traffic pages first.
• Common Causes:
  • Closed restaurants or discontinued products.
  • Changed URLs or restructured websites.
• Set a Maintenance Schedule: Check links monthly to prevent buildup.

User Review

“Broken Link Checker found 200+ broken links on my blog. Fixing them took time, but my bounce rate dropped by 10%!” – Lisa, Food Blogger

Step 8: Optimize Featured Images

Featured images are the visual face of your posts. Mismatched or pixelated images can degrade user experience.

Process

• Locate Original Images: Organize your photo library with consistent naming conventions.
• Resize and Crop: Use tools like Paint or Canva (free) to match your theme’s dimensions (e.g., 1200x800px).
• Replace in WordPress: Upload new images via Posts > All Posts > Edit > Set Featured Image.
• Batch Process: Update 10–20 images per session to avoid burnout.

User Review

“Updating my featured images was tedious, but the blog looks so much better now. My click-through rate improved by 5%!” – Tom, Recipe Blogger

Step 9: Refresh Recipes and Nutrition Analysis

Updating recipes ensures accuracy and relevance, while recalculating nutrition data builds trust with health-conscious readers.

How to Update

• Retest Recipes: Remake recipes to verify instructions and ingredient measurements.
• Rewrite Instructions: Simplify steps and add tips for clarity.
• Recalculate Nutrition: Use tools like Nutritionix ($99/year) or WP Recipe Maker’s premium nutrition feature.
• Add FAQs: Include common questions (e.g., “Can I make this gluten-free?”) to boost SEO.

Step 10: Conduct a Plugin Audit

Outdated or unused plugins can slow your site and create security risks.

How to Audit

• Consult Your Host: Some hosts, like Agathon, offer free plugin audits.
• Remove Unused Plugins: Deactivate and delete plugins not in use.
• Update Active Plugins: Ensure all plugins are compatible with your WordPress version.
• Recommended Plugins:
  • Yoast SEO (free/premium, $99/year)
  • WP Rocket ($59/year for caching)
  • ShortPixel ($9.99/month for image optimization)

User Review

“My host’s plugin audit removed five outdated plugins, and my site speed improved by 20%. Wish I’d done it sooner!” – Anna, Food Blogger

Step 11: Switch to a Modern Email Marketing Service

Move away from outdated tools like Feedburner to a robust email marketing platform.

Recommended Services

• MailerLite: Free for up to 1,000 subscribers, $10/month for premium features.
• ConvertKit: $29/month, ideal for bloggers with advanced automation needs.
• Mailchimp: Free for up to 2,000 subscribers, $13/month for premium.

Migration Steps

• Export Subscribers: Download your Feedburner subscriber list.
• Import to New Platform: Follow the service’s import guide.
• Test Campaigns: Send a welcome email to ensure delivery.

Step 12: Implement Technical SEO Best Practices

Technical SEO ensures your blog is crawlable, fast, and user-friendly.

Key Actions

• Improve Site Speed:
  • Use WP Rocket for caching.
  • Optimize images with ShortPixel.
  • Enable a CDN like Cloudflare (free/$20/month).
• Add Schema Markup: Use WP Recipe Maker or Yoast SEO to implement recipe schema for rich snippets.
• Fix Crawl Errors: Monitor Google Search Console for indexing issues.
• Mobile Optimization: Choose a responsive theme like Foodie Pro by StudioPress ($129.95).

Table: Technical SEO Tools and Costs

Tool	Price	Purpose
WP Rocket	$59/year	Caching and speed optimization
ShortPixel	$9.99/month	Image compression
Cloudflare	Free/$20/month	CDN for faster load times
Yoast SEO	Free/$99/year	SEO and schema markup

Step 13: Track Optimization Efforts

Monitor the impact of your updates to ensure they’re driving results.

How to Track

• Use Google Analytics Annotations: Log changes (e.g., “Updated featured images on 20 posts”) under Admin > Annotations.
• Monitor Performance: Compare traffic and engagement before and after updates in Google Analytics (Behavior > Site Content).
• Request Indexing: Submit updated posts in Google Search Console (URL Inspection > Request Indexing) to expedite re-crawling.
• Track Rankings: Use SEMrush or Moz to monitor keyword rankings.

Example Annotation

Annotation: “Updated 15 recipes with new photos and WP Recipe Maker plugin. Requested indexing in Google Search Console.”

User Review

“Annotating changes in Google Analytics helped me see a 25% traffic boost after optimizing old posts. It’s so easy!” – David, Food Blogger

Best WordPress Settings for a Recipe Website

To maximize your food blog’s performance, configure WordPress with these settings:

General Settings

• Site Title and Tagline: Use your blog name and a keyword-rich tagline (e.g., “Easy Vegan Recipes”).
• Permalink Structure: Set to Post Name (/%postname%/) for SEO-friendly URLs.

Plugins

• Yoast SEO: Enable XML sitemaps, set meta descriptions, and configure recipe schema.
• WP Recipe Maker: Use for structured recipe cards and nutrition data.
• WP Rocket: Enable caching, lazy loading, and minification.
• ShortPixel: Compress images to reduce load times.
• Broken Link Checker: Monitor and fix broken links monthly.

Theme

• Foodie Pro by StudioPress: $129.95, lightweight and SEO-optimized.
• WPZOOM Foodica: $69, designed for food blogs with recipe index features.

Performance Settings

• Cloudflare CDN: Enable for faster global delivery.
• PHP Version: Use PHP 8.0 or higher for speed and security.
• Database Optimization: Use WP-Optimize (free) to clean your database monthly.

User Reviews Summary

Here’s a compilation of user feedback on updating old food blogs:

• Traffic Growth: Bloggers report 15–30% traffic increases within 3–6 months of updating old posts.
• Engagement Boost: New photos and recipe plugins increase social shares by up to 50%.
• Time Investment: Most bloggers spend 6–12 months on a full overhaul, with photography being the most time-consuming task.
• Cost: Budget $1,500–$7,000 for design, plugins, and equipment, though DIY options can reduce costs.

Conclusion

Revamping an old food blog is a daunting but rewarding endeavor. By following these 13 steps—conducting a content audit, hiring a designer, upgrading photography, optimizing SEO, and more—you can transform your blog into a modern, high-performing platform. The process requires time, effort, and investment, but the payoff in traffic, engagement, and revenue is substantial. Start small, tackle one step at a time, and leverage tools like Google Analytics, Yoast SEO, and WP Recipe Maker to streamline your efforts. Your blog’s revival is not just about aesthetics—it’s about reclaiming your place in the digital culinary world.

For ongoing success, commit to regular maintenance: update posts quarterly, check links monthly, and stay informed about SEO trends. Your food blog is a living project, and with consistent care, it can thrive for years to come.

Please share this 13 Steps To Update Your Very Very Old Food Blog with your friends and do a comment below about your feedback.

We will meet you on next article.

Until you can read, How to Write an Introduction Page for Your Food Blog