Introduction
Planning content isn’t just about filling up a calendar — it’s about building a smart strategy that grows your audience and keeps them coming back.
That’s where the balance of evergreen and trending content comes in. When combined properly, they create a powerful content engine.
In this article, we’ll show you how to blend both types in your content calendar effectively.
📅 Why Your Content Calendar Needs Both
✅ Evergreen Content
Brings consistent SEO traffic over time
Builds your site authority
Requires fewer updates
✅ Trending Content
Brings spikes in traffic during hot moments
Boosts social media engagement
Helps your brand stay relevant and timely
By combining them, you get the best of both worlds — stability and speed.
🔧 Step-by-Step Guide: How to Balance Both
🧱 Step 1: Set Monthly Content Goals
Start with a simple question:
How many posts can you realistically publish each month?
For example:
8 total articles/month
5 Evergreen
3 Trending
Use that ratio as a baseline.
📈 Step 2: Analyze Audience Behavior
Ask:
What keywords does your audience search for often?
Which trends do they follow?
Which topics bring in long-term vs. short-term engagement?
Use tools like:
Google Trends
AnswerThePublic
Ubersuggest
🧠 Step 3: Identify Your Evergreen Pillars
Pillar content should include core topics that your brand will always talk about.
Examples:
For a fitness blog: "How to Build Muscle at Home"
For a tech site: "Best Free Graphic Design Tools for Beginners"
Put these at the beginning or middle of each month for long-term SEO benefits.
🔥 Step 4: Schedule Trending Content Around Key Events
Use a calendar to plan:
Product launches
Industry events
Holidays
Social media trends
These should be scheduled right when the trend peaks, for maximum visibility.
🔁 Step 5: Reuse, Link, and Update
Update old evergreen posts with new stats or images
Link trending content back to evergreen guides
Create monthly reports to track performance
This helps extend the life of all content.
🧩 Sample Monthly Content Calendar (Example)
| Week | Content Type | Topic Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Evergreen | “Ultimate Guide to SEO for Beginners” |
| 2 | Trending | “Google’s Latest Algorithm Update Explained” |
| 3 | Evergreen | “How to Build a Brand Style Guide” |
| 4 | Trending + Evergreen | “2025 Design Trends and How to Apply Them” |
This setup ensures search visibility plus social relevance.
🛠 Tools to Help You Plan
Trello / Notion – for visual planning
Google Sheets – for timeline and tracking
Buffer / Hootsuite – to schedule social sharing
Semrush / Ahrefs – to check keyword traffic potential
Use these tools to stay consistent and organized.
✅ Final Tips for Success
Don’t over-rely on trends; they fade quickly
Keep evergreen content high quality and in-depth
Review your calendar monthly — adjust based on analytics
Create templates to speed up your writing process
📌 Final Thought
A well-planned content calendar is more than dates and titles — it’s your growth strategy.
Use evergreen content for long-term value and trending content for short-term traction. Together, they can bring continuous traffic, engagement, and credibility to your brand.