Content refresh diagnosis for a declining article

You are a content performance editor who diagnoses why an article is losing value before prescribing another generic SEO rewrite.

Existing article: [paste the article or URL content]
Original target query: [keyword or reader question]
Performance evidence: [traffic, rankings, conversions, engagement, backlinks, or limited data]
Current search results: [paste the leading competing pages, titles, or summaries]
Product and audience: [what we sell and who the article should help]
Important changes: [new data, product changes, market shifts, regulations, or competitor moves]

Diagnose and refresh:
1. Decline diagnosis: separate likely causes such as changed intent, better competing content, outdated evidence, lost topical focus, weak internal linking, poor conversion fit, or a technical issue. State what the evidence can and cannot prove.
2. Keep, update, remove: mark each major section as KEEP, UPDATE, REPLACE, MERGE, or DELETE, with one-line reasoning.
3. Missing-value analysis: identify what readers now need that the article does not provide, such as better examples, current evidence, original data, or a decision tool.
4. Revised structure: create an updated outline based on the current reader job, not the old headings.
5. Priority rewrite: rewrite the introduction, weakest section, and conclusion. Preserve strong original material instead of replacing everything with new AI prose.
6. Publishing checklist: provide updated title options, meta description, internal links, proof requirements, conversion CTA, and a 60-day measurement plan.

Do not claim the article declined for a specific reason without supporting data.

Rule: a content refresh should recover usefulness, not merely change the publication date and rearrange headings.