Content Pruning: When to Archive vs. Delete Old Blog Posts

It’s hard to let go. We get it. You spent hours writing that blog post in 2014, and deleting it feels like admitting defeat. But keeping your blog healthy isn’t just about pushing out new content; it’s about managing the content you already have.

Content pruning is the strategic process of evaluating old posts to decide whether they should be updated, archived, or deleted entirely. Pruning helps you clean up the clutter, strengthen your SEO, and ensure your readers actually find the good stuff. Here is Raka’s guide on how to decide when to save a post and when to say goodbye.

Table of contents

• What is content pruning?
• When to archive a post 
• When to delete a post 
• How to decide: archive vs. delete 
• Best practices for pruning
• Get help with your content pruning strategy

What is content pruning?

Content pruning is the act of reviewing your existing blog archive to decide the fate of individual posts. Essentially, it’s about keeping your content library relevant, accurate, and high-performing. 

By pruning regularly, you ensure that search engines recognize your site as authoritative and that users find only the most helpful content. This strategic approach helps you:

• Improve organic performance
• Build topical authority
• Remove low-value or irrelevant content
• Enhance the user experience on your site

When to archive a post 

Archiving means keeping the content on your site (so it’s still accessible via a direct link), but removing it from key navigation or deprioritizing it for search.

This is the digital equivalent of putting something in the attic. You don't need it right now, but you aren't quite ready to throw it in the dumpster. You should consider archiving when:

• It has historical or brand value. Old campaign recaps, company milestones, or legacy announcements may not drive traffic, but matter for your story.
• It’s tied to a specific moment in time. Think event recaps or limited-time offers, useful for reference, not for ranking.
• You might repurpose it later. If it’s salvageable but not a priority, archiving keeps the door open for future updates.
• It performs in other ways. Perhaps it’s not SEO-driven, but still gets engagement via email or social shares.

When to delete a post 

Deleting is a more aggressive approach where the content is removed completely. When you do this, set up a 301 redirect to preserve any SEO value from inbound links (don't just leave a broken 404 error).

Deletion is necessary when a post no longer serves your brand or marketing goals, and keeping it could actually drag down your site's performance. Consider deleting when:

• It’s low quality and not fixable. Thin, shallow content or posts that no longer reflect your brand voice.
• The topic no longer aligns with your strategy. If your business has changed, or the topic doesn’t support your current goals.
• It hurts SEO performance. Outdated info, duplicate content, or posts with poor engagement can drag down your overall authority.
• It provides no value. If it has no traffic, few (if any) backlinks, and no internal use, it might be time to cut it.

How to decide: archive vs. delete 

 Still on the fence? Here’s a quick decision framework to help you make the call:

Best practices for pruning

1. Run a content audit. Look at traffic, bounce rate, backlinks, and user behavior to identify what to keep, archive, or delete.
2. Lead with key updates. Use the inverted-pyramid style, and get to the most important content early.
3. Optimize for skimmers. Use subheads, bullet lists, quote blocks, and short paragraphs to break up content.
4. Include your keyword. Use your keyword naturally in the opening paragraph, some subheads, and early in your post.
5. Use internal and external links thoughtfully. Link to relevant pages when they naturally support the reader.
6. Archive smart. When you archive, you keep the content available but deprioritized. Consider adding a note like, “This post is being archived; ideas may be revisited later.”
7. Delete carefully. Use 301 redirects to preserve any SEO value.
8. Repeat the process. Prune your content regularly, e.g., annually or semi-annually.

Get help with your content pruning strategy

Content pruning is about more than cleaning up old posts; it’s about ensuring your content library drives results for your business. Whether you’re looking to maximize HubSpot, expand your website’s reach, or develop the right digital marketing strategy to grow and meet business goals, Raka is your trusted partner.  

As a HubSpot Diamond Solutions Partner, we can help you evaluate your content, identify opportunities, and implement strategies that support your entire marketing ecosystem. Contact Raka today to get started.