❄️ Winter Sale: 40% OFF AIWU
WINTER_SECRET
Valid until Mar 1st
Bulk Update Old Posts with AI: Refresh Content at Scale - AIWU – AI Plugin for WordPress
How Can We Help?
Table of Contents
< All Topics

Bulk Update Old Posts with AI: Refresh Content at Scale

Posted
Byaiadmin

Old posts lose rankings as content ages, competitors publish better articles, and Google’s freshness signals decay. AIWU can update your existing content at scale — refreshing introductions, expanding thin sections, updating outdated statistics, and improving SEO — without rewriting everything from scratch.

Before You Start

You’ll need:

  • Familiar with bulk content generation (Bulk Article Creation guide)
  • AIWU Pro with API key configured
  • Published posts that are at least 3–6 months old
  • Time needed: 15 minutes setup · updates run overnight
  • Plan required: Pro
💡 When to update old posts vs. write new ones: Update existing posts when they already rank on page 2–3 for a keyword and just need freshness. Write new posts when the topic has no existing coverage on your site. Updating is typically 3–5× more time-efficient for SEO gains.

What AIWU Can Update

You control which parts of each post get updated:

  • Introduction: Rewrite the opening to be more engaging and current
  • Conclusion: Add a stronger call to action or updated summary
  • Specific sections: Update only the sections you specify (e.g. “Update the pricing section”)
  • SEO meta title and description: Refresh with better keywords without changing the post content
  • Statistics and dates: Flag outdated numbers for review (can’t auto-update facts, but can highlight them)
  • Full rewrite: Complete rewrite that preserves your keyword targets and internal links

Step 1: Open the Bulk Update Tool

Go to AI Copilot → Content Generation → Bulk Update.

Step 2: Select Posts to Update

Filter which posts to include:

  • By age: Posts older than 6 months — classic content freshness update
  • By word count: Posts under 600 words — thin content that needs expanding
  • By category: Update one topic cluster at a time
  • By performance: If you have Google Search Console data, target posts ranking 11–30 (positions that are close to page 1 and most worth improving)

Step 3: Configure What Gets Updated

Choose your update mode:

Mode 1 — Introduction refresh (recommended starting point):

Rewrite the introduction of this post to make it more engaging and current. The new introduction should:
- Start with a specific problem or question the reader has
- Be 80–120 words
- Not summarize what the article covers — just hook the reader
- Use a confident, direct tone
- Reference the current year ({current_year}) naturally if relevant

Original post content:
{post_content}

Mode 2 — Thin content expansion:

This post is currently {word_count} words. Expand it to at least 800 words by:
1. Adding more depth to the existing sections (do not add new sections)
2. Including 1–2 specific examples or use cases per section
3. Adding a "Common Questions" section at the end with 3 relevant Q&As

Preserve all existing headings, internal links, and the overall structure. Do not remove any existing content — only add to it.

Post title: {post_title}
Current content: {post_content}

Mode 3 — Full rewrite (use sparingly):

Rewrite this article completely while preserving:
- All internal links (keep their URLs intact)
- The target keyword: {focus_keyword}
- The overall topic and conclusions

New version requirements:
- Minimum 1000 words
- Better structure with clear H2 and H3 headings
- More specific, actionable advice
- Current year references where appropriate
- Stronger introduction and conclusion

Original post: {post_content}

Step 4: Set Update Behavior

Setting Recommended Notes
Post status after update Keep original status Or set to Draft for review before re-publishing
Update modified date Yes Updated date signals freshness to Google
Backup original Yes Saves original content as a post revision
Batch size 10–20 posts at a time Smaller batches are easier to review

Step 5: Review Before Publishing

After the batch runs, review updated posts before they go live (if you set status to Draft). Check:

  • Does the update add genuine value or just wordcount?
  • Are all internal links still intact?
  • Does the new content contradict anything in the original?
  • Is the voice consistent with the original post?
✅ Updated posts looking better? Refreshed content with updated dates tends to see ranking improvements within 2–4 weeks as Google recrawls and reassesses the content.

Common Issues

Problem: “Updated introductions are generic — they all sound the same.”
Fix: Add more context to the update prompt about your specific niche, audience, and voice. Include a sample of your writing style.

Problem: “Internal links in posts got removed after full rewrite.”
Fix: Add “Preserve all existing hyperlinks exactly as they are” to the rewrite prompt. Or use Introduction refresh mode instead of full rewrite — it’s less risky for link preservation.

Problem: “Bulk update ran but the modified dates didn’t change.”
Fix: Check the “Update modified date” setting is on. Some caching plugins also display cached old dates — clear your cache after the update run.

What’s Next

Last verified: AIWU v.4.9.2 · Updated: 2026-02-25

Scroll to Top