I Just Don’t Get Google (But I’ll Take the W?)

The Ghost of Blog Posts Past

In 2015, I published a short post on how Dropbox and Adobe were making it easier to edit PDFs. It was useful at the time. Mobile workflows were clunky, online file sharing was evolving, and collaborative editing wasn’t what it is today.

But now?

We live in a world of LLMs and drones. PDF editing has been solved ten times over. And yet, somehow, Google decided now was the moment to bring that blog post back to life.

Zero Clicks, 39 Impressions — and a Lot of Questions

Here’s the funny part. The post hasn’t been updated. I haven’t touched it. I barely remembered it existed.

But over the past few weeks, it’s received 39 impressions and sits at an average position of 61.7 — not exactly front page, but not buried either. It’s peeking its head out, like a meerkat from a forgotten corner of the internet.

Why? I’ve been trying to figure that out. And I’ve got a few theories.

1. Google Likes to Test Stuff (A Lot)

Sometimes, Google runs experiments in the search results. Maybe a newer article disappeared or didn’t satisfy intent. So Google, being the patient librarian that it is, dusted off my old post and threw it into the mix.

Think of it as a brief spotlight moment:

“Let’s see if this old thing still works.”

Spoiler: It probably doesn’t. But Google gave it a shot.

2. Content Longevity Is Real

Here’s the thing about content: if it solves a problem — even an old one — it doesn’t disappear. People still search how to edit PDFs. And while the tools may have changed, the question hasn’t.

Google may have detected that my post was still technically accurate, had decent structure, and wasn’t trying to game the algorithm. That makes it fair game to show, even years later.

3. There’s Less Competition Than You Think

Not every keyword has ten new blog posts written about it every day. For niche or semi-abandoned topics like “edit PDFs in Dropbox,” the landscape may be surprisingly quiet. That creates room for older content to reappear — especially if it’s on a fast site with a clear answer.

4. Freshness Doesn’t Always Mean New

Ironically, Google’s “freshness” signal doesn’t always reward new content. It rewards content that feels still useful. And it sometimes confuses that with “stable,” “unchanged,” or “not spammy.”

So maybe, just maybe, my post benefited from being boring and old rather than flashy and clickbaity.

So… What Now?

I won’t pretend this is a case study in viral SEO. But it does remind me of something I tell clients all the time: never underestimate the long tail. That blog post is doing nothing, but it’s doing something. And sometimes, that’s enough of a reason to keep your old content around.

I might update it — or not.

I might add a note at the top saying “Yes, this is from 2015, and yes, PDFs are still annoying.”

Or maybe I’ll just leave it as is and see what happens.

Final Thought

I’ve worked in marketing and tech long enough to know how search engines work. But every now and then, Google does something that makes me smile and shrug in equal measure. This was one of those moments.

So if you’ve got old content sitting on your site — don’t delete it just yet. Someone (or some algo) might be looking for it. Even in 2025.

– Remco

PS: Curious what content on your site might be quietly coming back to life? I do SEO audits and content strategy sessions for founders and creators. Let’s talk.

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