Evergreen content has long been the quiet workhorse of digital marketing and publishing. You write it once, optimize it well, and watch it quietly pull in traffic, leads, and that all-important SEO juice for months – sometimes even years. But as we step deeper into 2025 and face the rapidly evolving threat of AI and Google Zero, many marketers are asking a tough question:

Is evergreen content dead?

The short answer? No.
The longer answer? It’s changing fast – and so should you.

In this article, we’ll explore the challenges publishers and marketers face when deploying evergreen content, how the industry needs to adapt to keep it visible and valuable, and where evergreen content continues to thrive.

The Problem with Evergreen Content and Search

Search isn’t what it used to be. With AI-enabled engines delivering instant answers, even the most well-crafted evergreen content can get buried. Generic articles that once ranked well are now struggling to surface. And if your content isn’t regularly updated or deeply aligned with user intent, it’s likely being ignored.

We’re seeing a shift from “set it and forget it” to “publish and polish.” This means that evergreen content still matters – but only if it’s strategic, specific, and maintained.

Evergreen Content and Email List Growth

Here’s where things get tricky for email marketers: evergreen content is still one of the most effective tools for growing your email list – but you’ve got to use it correctly.

We’ve long treated evergreen articles as long-term lead magnets. When paired with relevant, value-driven calls to action (CTAs), they consistently convert readers into subscribers and customers. But as the search landscape changes, so must your approach to creating evergreen content.

To drive email list growth today, evergreen content must do more than exist. It needs to:

• Solve a persistent, well-defined problem
• Offer clear, timely value aligned with current user intent
• Feature CTAs that feel natural and relevant to the reader’s journey

A well-maintained guide like “How to Build a High-Performing Email Campaign” can still attract traffic year-round — but only if it’s updated with fresh insights and paired with a compelling offer like a downloadable checklist or newsletter signup.

What Doesn’t Work Anymore?

Broad, generic evergreen posts are losing their edge. We know this to be true because we have seen the impact on our own evergreen marketing output. The kind of content that used to rank well simply by being “always relevant” – like or “Best Practices for Digital Marketing” – is now struggling to surface.

Why? Because search behavior has changed. AI-enabled engines prioritize specificity, freshness, and user intent. They’re built to deliver the most relevant answer instantly – not just the most keyword-rich article from three years ago.

If your evergreen content:

• Covers too broad a topic
• Relies on outdated SEO tactics
• Lacks a clear value proposition
• Doesn’t reflect current trends or user needs

…it’s probably falling flat.

These posts may still get occasional traffic, but they’re no longer reliable drivers of engagement or email list growth. Worse, they can dilute your brand’s authority if they feel stale or irrelevant.

All of this might be disheartening for marketing teams that have invested time, effort, and budget into building an evergreen content machine. But here’s the good news:

Evergreen content still has a home – and it’s thriving in email.

Evergreen Content and Email Campaigns: Still a Powerhouse

While search traffic may be shifting, evergreen content continues to shine in one critical area: email marketing. From welcome series to drip campaigns to newsletters, evergreen content is the reliable engine that keeps your email strategy running smoothly.

Welcome Emails

Your welcome emails are often a subscriber’s first impression. You want that content to be timeless, helpful, and aligned with your brand’s core value. A well-crafted evergreen guide, resource, or explainer can anchor these emails, offering consistent value no matter when someone signs up.

Drip Campaigns

Same goes for drip campaigns. Whether you’re nurturing leads over a few days or a few weeks, evergreen content helps you deliver steady, relevant insights without scrambling to create something new every time. It answers persistent questions, solves recurring problems, and builds trust over time.

Email Newsletters

And newsletters? Evergreen content is your best friend. Not every issue needs to be breaking news. A smart rotation of evergreen articles — refreshed when needed — keeps your audience engaged, informed, and clicking through.

So yes, evergreen content might need a little more polish and precision in 2025. But when it comes to email, it’s still one of the most valuable assets in your content arsenal.

Don’t Let Your Evergreen Strategy Go Stale

Evergreen content isn’t dead – but the way you create and deploy it is changing.
If you want your content to keep driving traffic, growing your email list, and powering your campaigns, now’s the time to rethink your approach.

Your content needs to be fresh, focused, and intentional so it works across AI-enabled search, newsletters, welcome series, and beyond.

Ready to future-proof your content and email strategy?

At Adestra, we build high impact evergreen content every single day. Contact us to unlock the real value of your content.

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