Last Updated on November 10, 2026 by Ellen
If you’ve been blogging for a while, you probably have dozens or even hundreds of older blog posts sitting on your website. Some might still receive traffic, while others haven’t had much attention in months or years.
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But those older articles could be an opportunity to earn more money from your blog without constantly creating new content.
One of the biggest challenges for bloggers is finding enough time to do everything. Between writing articles, managing social media, updating plugins, answering emails, and tracking income, there’s always something that needs attention.
The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to publish more articles to increase your blogging income. Sometimes, improving what you’ve already written is a better use of your time.
Here are nine practical ways to make money from old blog posts.
1. Update Affiliate Links in Older Blog Posts
Affiliate marketing is one of the simplest places to start when you’re trying to earn more from existing content.
Look through older articles that mention products, services, or tools. Are the links still working? Are the products still available? Are there newer alternatives that would be more helpful to readers?
An article you wrote several years ago might contain outdated recommendations or links to products that are no longer sold.
You can improve these posts by:
- Replacing broken or outdated affiliate links.
- Checking whether recommended products are still available.
- Adding relevant affiliate links where they genuinely help readers.
- Updating product information and descriptions.
- Making sure your affiliate disclosures are clear and easy to find.
Don’t add affiliate links just to have more of them. Focus on products that make sense for the article and provide value to your audience.
Tip: Start with posts that already receive traffic. Updating a popular article may have more immediate potential than improving one nobody currently visits.
If you want to get better results from your affiliate links, check out my tips on how to increase affiliate sales for more ways to improve your blogging income.
2. Improve Internal Links Between Related Articles
Internal linking is one of the easiest blogging improvements you can make without spending money.
When you link from one article on your blog to another relevant article, you help readers discover additional content.
For example, if you have an article about starting a blog, you might link to another post about choosing a blogging platform, creating Pinterest images, or understanding affiliate marketing.
Good internal linking can help readers navigate your website and make it easier for search engines to discover related pages.
Look for opportunities to add links naturally within your existing content.
Avoid inserting unrelated links simply because you want more pageviews. The goal is to make your website more useful.
You can also update newer articles to link back to older posts that deserve more attention.
3. Add Existing Videos to Relevant Blog Posts
If you’ve created videos for your blog, you may be able to use them in more than one article.
For example, a video demonstrating a household cleaning technique might fit several articles about maintaining different areas of your home.
Rather than creating another video, consider whether an existing one would genuinely help readers understand a related topic.
Depending on your video platform and advertising arrangements, embedding videos may also create additional monetization opportunities.
However, video revenue isn’t guaranteed. It depends on factors such as eligibility, actual plays, advertising demand, and your platform’s policies.
Only embed videos where they’re relevant. An unrelated video can distract readers and make an article less useful.
Time-saving idea: Review one existing video each week and look for another article where it would add value.
4. Create Fresh Pinterest Pins for Evergreen Content
Pinterest can be a useful source of traffic for bloggers, particularly those publishing recipes, crafts, gardening advice, home projects, and other visually appealing topics.
You don’t have to write a new article every time you create a Pinterest pin.
Instead, choose an older post that is still relevant and design a fresh image that highlights a useful aspect of the article.
For example, an older article about organizing a pantry might inspire a pin titled “Simple Pantry Organization Ideas for Small Spaces.”
Use clear text that’s easy to read on a phone, an attractive vertical image, and a description that accurately represents the article.
Fresh pins should provide a meaningful new creative approach rather than simply reproducing the same image with tiny changes.
Make sure the pin leads to the article readers expect to find.
Pinterest traffic isn’t guaranteed, but promoting useful older content gives it another opportunity to reach interested readers.
If you’re looking for more ways to turn Pinterest traffic into blogging income, read my guide on how to make money on Pinterest for additional tips and strategies.
5. Review Your Display Ad Opportunities
If your blog earns money through display advertising, older articles can contribute to that income when readers visit them.
Start by reviewing which posts receive the most traffic and whether those pages are properly monetized.
Check for technical problems that might prevent ads from loading. Also make sure the advertising experience doesn’t interfere with the content.
Some advertising networks manage placements automatically, while others provide additional settings or optimization options.
Follow your network’s guidelines rather than manually adding extra ads wherever possible.
More advertising isn’t always better. Too many ads can make a website difficult to use and may cause visitors to leave.
The goal is to provide a good reading experience while making the most of eligible advertising opportunities.
6. Refresh Outdated Information
Older articles sometimes stop performing well because the information is no longer current.
This is especially common with posts about blogging tools, social media platforms, software, online services, and affiliate programs.
Review your older content for:
- Outdated screenshots and instructions.
- Broken links.
- Services that no longer exist.
- Changed pricing or features.
- Information that is no longer accurate.
- Examples that could be clearer or more helpful.
Updating these details can make your content more useful to readers.
Don’t change the publication date simply to make an article appear new. If you make meaningful revisions, you can show an accurate updated date where appropriate.
Refreshing an article doesn’t guarantee better search rankings, but maintaining accurate, helpful content is worthwhile.
7. Improve Calls to Action
A call to action encourages readers to take a useful next step.
Depending on your article, that might mean reading another post, subscribing to your newsletter, downloading a resource, or visiting a relevant affiliate product.
For example, an article about creating a blogging schedule might invite readers to download a printable planning worksheet.
A post about choosing blogging tools might direct readers to a comparison of the tools you use.
Make sure the next step is relevant to the article.
You don’t need a complicated sales funnel. Sometimes, one clear and helpful call to action is enough.
8. Focus on Posts That Already Receive Traffic
When you have limited time, it’s important to prioritize.
Rather than updating older posts at random, review your website analytics and Google Search Console to see which articles are already attracting readers.
Look for posts that have consistent traffic, relevant search impressions, or opportunities for better monetization.
You might discover that a popular article has no affiliate links, contains outdated information, or doesn’t link to related content.
Those are useful places to begin.
You can also review articles that receive search impressions but relatively few clicks. Their titles, descriptions, and content may be worth evaluating.
However, avoid changing a successful article simply because you feel it needs an update.
The best starting point is often a post that already works reasonably well but has an obvious opportunity for improvement.
9. Create a Weekly Blog Optimization Routine
You don’t need to spend hours every day improving old blog posts.
In fact, a simple weekly routine may be more realistic, especially if you’re blogging alongside a full-time job or managing several websites.
Here’s an example of a manageable routine:
Monday: Check one older article for broken or outdated links.
Tuesday: Add useful internal links to an existing post.
Wednesday: Review affiliate opportunities in one article.
Thursday: Create a fresh Pinterest pin for evergreen content.
Friday: Update outdated information or improve one call to action.
Weekend: Review analytics and choose an article to focus on the following week.
You don’t have to follow this exact schedule. Even improving one article per week can help you make steady progress.
The important thing is to focus on small tasks that fit into the time you actually have available.
Can You Really Make More Money Without Publishing New Blog Posts?
Yes, it’s possible, although results vary.
If your older articles already attract visitors, improving their monetization and usefulness may increase their earning potential.
However, adding affiliate links, improving internal links, or creating Pinterest images doesn’t automatically produce more income.
Traffic, reader interest, affiliate conversion rates, advertising revenue, and other factors all affect results.
It’s also important to recognize that some older articles may not be worth updating. Content that no longer serves your audience or has little potential may be a lower priority.
Instead of trying to optimize every article, concentrate on the posts that offer the most realistic opportunities.
Final Thoughts on Making Money From Old Blog Posts
Blogging can feel overwhelming when you’re constantly trying to come up with new article ideas.
But your existing content is an asset you’ve already invested time and effort into creating.
Updating affiliate links, improving internal links, reusing videos, creating fresh Pinterest images, and refreshing outdated information can help you get more value from that work.
You don’t have to tackle everything at once.
Choose one older article, identify one meaningful improvement, and start there.
Over time, a consistent approach to maintaining and monetizing existing content can become an important part of your blogging strategy.
You don’t always need more blog posts. Sometimes, you need to make better use of the ones you already have.
Ellen is a serial entrepreneur who owns 9 profitable blogs, two printable stores, an online vintage jewelry business, and a variety of other work at home endeavors. She shares tips for working at home successfully.