Your client’s web copy is never truly timeless because trends evolve and audiences change. What once resonated with your client’s target market may no longer drive results tomorrow, next month, or five years from now. 

Recognising when it’s time for a refresh could be the difference between a high-performing website and one that falls flat. Plus, refreshing long-time and brand-new clients’ web copy can help you generate more income. 

So, does your client’s web copy have an expiration date? Our white label copywriting team dives into web copy’s lifecycle to answer that question.

The life cycle of web copy: When to refresh and why

Just like a product, web copy goes through distinct phases: the exciting launch, the optimised maturity, and the eventual slide into irrelevance. Understanding these phases can help you assess when updates are needed and how to keep your client’s web presence fresh and effective.

The launch phase – Optimized and ready to perform

During this stage, your client’s web copy feels alive with energy because it’s written to align with current trends, target audience preferences, and the brand’s positioning. Everything—from the headlines to the calls to action—feels intentional and designed to drive immediate results.

This phase usually involves keyword research and building out other SEO strategies for the site, plus identifying a tone of voice. 

However, while launch copy is exciting, its relevance is fleeting. Without consistent review and updates, it will quickly lose its initial luster.

The maturity phase – it’s performing well, but is it time to refresh?

As your client’s website ages, their copy shifts into a mature phase. By now, the SEO strategy has been tested and refined. Keywords are ranking, and the copy performs consistently – but it may no longer feel exciting.

This phase isn’t inherently bad. It reflects a stable return on your client’s copywriting investment. However, it’s important to assess whether your client’s business goals or audience expectations have shifted, as they often do every few years or so. 

The expired phase – when outdated copy starts a decline

At a certain point, web copy becomes more of a liability than an asset to a client. While it may still generate some traffic, the content feels disconnected, outdated, or even irrelevant. This often happens when web copy has not been edited, added to or updated in over three years.

References or language may no longer align with current trends or your client’s brand evolution. SEO terms and strategies may no longer reflect audience behaviour (not to mention changes to the SEO status quo – such as has recently happened with Generative Search), leading to diminished traffic.

Allowing copy to linger in this phase too long can harm your client’s brand reputation and SEO performance. Worse, it may send potential customers to competitors with more dynamic and engaging websites.

Web copy isn’t static – it evolves (or devolves) with time.

If it’s time to update your client’s website copy, look no further than our expert white-label copywriting team. We help thousands of agencies just like yours to deliver new and updated SEO-optimised copy to clients every day. We’ll do the work and you take the credit. Let’s get started!