How to use Hermes to refresh old content for SEO and GEO

The refresh rule

Do not ask Hermes to rewrite an old article first. Ask it to diagnose the article first.

A good content refresh starts with evidence: Google Search Console trends, GA4 behavior, crawl data, current page structure, outdated facts, missing internal links, and GEO prompt gaps. Once Hermes knows what is broken, it can recommend targeted updates: a better title, a clearer answer block, a new table, updated evidence, stronger FAQ answers, or a better internal link path.

The beginner rule is simple: diagnose first, rewrite second, publish only after approval.

When an old article is worth refreshing

Not every old page deserves work. Use Hermes to find pages where a refresh can actually matter.

Avoid refreshing pages with no demand, no business relevance, and no useful role in your topic cluster. Sometimes the best action is to leave a page alone, merge it, or remove it after a separate content audit.

Step 1: collect the refresh files

Create a refresh folder for each page:

/hermes-seo-agent
/refresh
/page-name
current-article.md
gsc-last-28-days.csv
gsc-previous-28-days.csv
ga4-landing-page.csv
crawl-row.csv
geo-prompt-gaps.csv
refresh-plan.md
qa-report.md

Minimum files:

If you only have the article and GSC data, start there. Hermes can mark the rest as missing.

Step 2: ask Hermes for a diagnosis, not a rewrite

Create prompts/content-refresh-diagnosis.md:

You are diagnosing an old article for SEO and GEO refresh.

Read the files in /refresh/[page-name].

Do not rewrite the article yet.
Do not invent missing data.
If a file or metric is missing, write "missing".

Return:
1. Current page summary
2. Search performance diagnosis
3. Query changes from GSC
4. CTR issues
5. Ranking or impression shifts
6. GA4 engagement or conversion issues, if data exists
7. Crawl or metadata issues, if data exists
8. GEO prompt gaps
9. Sections to keep
10. Sections to update
11. Sections to remove or merge
12. New answer blocks needed
13. Internal links to add or review
14. Risk level
15. Approval needed before rewriting

A useful diagnosis should name the specific problem. A weak diagnosis says "update the article for freshness." Ask for evidence when that happens.

Example:

| Issue | Evidence | Likely cause | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTR is low for "gsc ga4 dashboard" | 6,200 impressions, 1.1% CTR, position 5.8 | Title promises a guide but users likely want a template or dashboard example | Add template preview section and test a title with "dashboard template" |
| GEO prompt gap | Prompt "How do I connect GSC and GA4 for SEO reporting?" has no clear step list in article | Page explains concepts but not workflow | Add 6-step answer block |

Step 3: separate SEO fixes from GEO fixes

A refresh can fail when everything gets blended into one vague task. Make Hermes separate the work.

Prompt:

Split the refresh recommendations into SEO fixes and GEO fixes.

For each fix, include:
- Section affected
- Evidence
- Exact recommended change
- Expected SEO impact
- Expected GEO impact
- Risk level
- Approval owner

Do not combine unrelated fixes into one recommendation.

This makes the update easier to review. It also stops Hermes from rewriting parts of the page that already work.

Step 4: create a refresh plan

Before any rewriting, create refresh-plan.md.

Template:

# Content refresh plan

Page:
Current URL:
Primary goal:
Main SEO issue:
Main GEO issue:
Risk level:
Approval owner:

## Keep
| Section | Why keep it |
|---|---|

## Update
| Section | Problem | Change | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|

## Add
| New section | Purpose | SEO role | GEO role |
|---|---|---|---|

## Remove or merge
| Section | Reason | Destination |
|---|---|---|

## Title/meta tests
| Current | Proposed | Reason |
|---|---|---|

## Internal links
| Source page | Target page | Anchor | Reason |
|---|---|---|---|

## Approval checklist
- [ ] Facts verified
- [ ] Sources checked
- [ ] No invented claims
- [ ] Technical changes reviewed
- [ ] Final draft approved

Hermes prompt:

Create refresh-plan.md for this page.

Use the diagnosis report.
Only recommend changes supported by evidence.
If a change is based on judgment rather than data, label it "editorial judgment".
Do not write the updated article yet.

The plan should be approved before drafting.

Step 5: add GEO answer blocks

A GEO answer block is a short, direct section that answers a real prompt. It should help readers first. AI extractability is a side benefit.

Use this format:

## Short answer

[Answer the prompt in 2-4 plain sentences. Name the topic, the problem, the recommended action, and one constraint.]

For problem-solving prompts, use a diagnostic table:

| Symptom | Likely cause | What to check | Fix |
|---|---|---|---|

For comparison prompts, use a decision table:

| Situation | Choose this | Why |
|---|---|---|

Prompt Hermes:

Create GEO answer blocks for the approved refresh plan.

For each answer block, include:
1. The prompt it answers
2. The recommended location in the article
3. The answer block text
4. Any supporting table or checklist
5. Evidence or source needed

Rules:
- Keep the answer direct.
- Do not add unsupported claims.
- Do not use vague language like "improve visibility" without explaining how.
- Make the answer useful to a human reader.

Example:

## Short answer

If your page has high impressions but low clicks in Google Search Console, the page is visible but not persuasive enough in the search result. Check the top query, title tag, meta description, current snippet, and whether the page actually matches the user's intent. Start with a title/meta test before rewriting the whole article.

Step 6: refresh the title and meta description carefully

Title and meta changes can help CTR, but they can also mislead users if they overpromise. Ask Hermes for tests, not final answers.

Prompt:

Create title and meta description test options for this refreshed article.

Use the GSC query data and refresh plan.

Return:
1. Current title and meta, if available
2. Three title options
3. Three meta description options
4. Query or intent each option targets
5. Risk of overpromising
6. Recommended option

Do not stuff keywords.
Do not promise outcomes the article cannot deliver.

Decision table:

Step 7: update internal links

Old articles often lose performance because they are isolated. Hermes should check both directions:

1. Which pages should link to the refreshed article?
2. Which pages should the refreshed article link to?

Prompt:

Create an internal link update plan for this refreshed article.

Use:
- Existing page inventory
- Current article
- Refresh plan
- Target cluster

Return:
1. Source pages that should link to this article
2. Target pages this article should link to
3. Suggested anchor text
4. Reason the link helps the reader
5. SEO benefit
6. GEO benefit
7. Risk of irrelevance

Avoid repetitive anchor text.
Do not force links that do not fit the section.

Internal link table:

| Source URL | Target URL | Anchor text | Reader reason | SEO role | GEO role | Approval |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|

Keep links natural. A bad internal link is a distraction, not an optimization.

Step 8: draft only the changed sections

Beginners often ask Hermes to rewrite the whole article. That can erase useful parts. Start with changed sections only.

Prompt:

Rewrite only the approved sections from refresh-plan.md.

Rules:
- Preserve sections marked "keep".
- Only edit sections marked "update" or "add".
- Keep the original useful examples unless they are outdated.
- Add answer blocks where approved.
- Add tables or checklists only where they improve clarity.
- Mark any claim that needs source verification.
- Return the updated sections, not the full article.

After the section edits are approved, ask Hermes to assemble the full article.

Assemble the refreshed article using:
- Original sections marked keep
- Approved rewritten sections
- Approved new sections
- Approved internal links

Return the full Markdown draft and a change log.

The change log matters:

## Change log
| Section | Change | Reason | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|

Step 9: run the refresh QA gate

Create qa/content-refresh-gate.md:

# Content refresh QA gate

## Data and diagnosis
- [ ] Refresh was based on GSC, GA4, crawl, or prompt gap evidence.
- [ ] Missing data was marked as missing.
- [ ] The plan was approved before rewriting.

## SEO
- [ ] Search intent is clearer than before.
- [ ] Title/meta options do not overpromise.
- [ ] Internal links are relevant.
- [ ] No cannibalization risk was introduced.

## GEO
- [ ] High-priority prompts have direct answer blocks.
- [ ] Entities are named clearly.
- [ ] Evidence, tables, or examples support important claims.
- [ ] FAQ questions are based on real prompts or queries.

## Safety
- [ ] No invented statistics.
- [ ] No fake citations.
- [ ] Outdated facts were updated or removed.
- [ ] Technical changes were approved by a technical reviewer.
- [ ] Final draft is approved before CMS update.

Prompt:

Review the refreshed draft against qa/content-refresh-gate.md.

Return:
1. Pass/fail for each item
2. Specific sections that fail
3. Claims needing source verification
4. Overpromising title/meta risks
5. Internal link concerns
6. Whether the draft is safe to publish after human review

If the QA gate fails, do not publish. Ask for section-level fixes.

Step 10: measure after publishing

Refresh work needs follow-up. Add a measurement note before publishing.

# Post-refresh measurement plan

Page:
Publish date:
Baseline period:
Comparison period:
Primary SEO metric:
Secondary SEO metric:
Primary GEO prompt:
Secondary GEO prompts:
Conversion or engagement metric:
Next review date:

Recommended check windows:

Prompt Hermes:

Create a post-refresh measurement plan for this page.

Use the baseline data from GSC, GA4, crawl, and prompt checks.

Return:
1. Metrics to watch
2. Baseline values if available
3. Review dates
4. Expected signals
5. What to do if performance improves
6. What to do if performance does not improve

Do not expect instant results. The point is to create a feedback loop.

Beginner example: refreshing a low-CTR article

Scenario: An article about GSC and GA4 reporting has good impressions but weak CTR.

Hermes recommendation:

This is a targeted refresh. It is not a full rewrite.

Common mistakes

Auspia take

Content refresh is one of the best first uses for Hermes because the inputs are concrete. You have an existing article, performance data, prompt gaps, and a visible page structure. Hermes can compare those inputs and propose precise fixes.

The useful pattern is not "make this better." The useful pattern is: diagnose, plan, approve, rewrite changed sections, QA, publish, measure.

If you make that loop repeatable, old content stops being a backlog and becomes a compounding asset.

FAQ

Should Hermes rewrite the full article during a refresh?

Not at first. Ask Hermes to diagnose the article, create a refresh plan, and rewrite only approved sections. Full rewrites can remove useful content and introduce new errors.

What data should I use for a content refresh?

Start with the current article, GSC query/page data, GA4 landing page behavior, crawl data, and GEO prompt gaps. If some data is missing, Hermes should mark it as missing instead of guessing.

What is a GEO answer block?

A GEO answer block is a short, direct answer to a real AI search prompt or reader question. It usually appears near the top of a section and may include a table, checklist, or diagnostic summary.

How often should old articles be refreshed?

Review important pages every 3-6 months, or sooner if GSC shows a large drop in clicks, impressions, CTR, or query coverage. Refresh based on evidence, not just age.

Can updating a title hurt performance?

Yes. A title change can reduce relevance if it no longer matches the page or query intent. Treat title changes as tests and record the baseline before publishing.

How do I know if a refresh worked?

Track GSC clicks, impressions, CTR, average position, GA4 engagement, conversions, and GEO prompt visibility after publishing. Use 14-28 days for early search signals and 30-60 days for stronger behavior signals.

Can Hermes publish the refreshed article automatically?

Do not automate publishing in a beginner workflow. Hermes can prepare the refreshed draft and QA report, but a human should approve the final version before CMS updates.

Continue the Hermes SEO/GEO series

• Start here: Hermes SEO/GEO operator guide .
• Previous guide: How to build a GEO prompt map from SEO keywords .
• Next guide: How to use Hermes for internal linking and site architecture .
• Closely related: How to build a GEO prompt map from SEO keywords , How to use Hermes for weekly SEO/GEO monitoring .

Author: Miles Carter, Content Decay Analyst Across 10k+ URLs at Auspia. Miles writes about updating old posts, content decay, freshness planning, and evidence-led refresh workflows.