content pruning advice?

i keep running into people talking about content pruning

i have a few articles that are candidates, but some of them are what i'd consider "foundational" in that they are a core part of my niche. some of them dont get any traffic but leaving them out would seem like a major gap in my content. ive tried rewriting it twice with no change

which brings me to the questions: how relevant is pruning, what's your experience with it, and how is it meant to affect my overall seo?

what do you suggest i do with these "important" articles that don't rank?

If it is foundational keep it. Updating alone wont save it. Rethink the angle add real value push internal links. Pruning kills dead pages not pillars. If it is weak fix it. Never cut your own legs.

If the content is foundational, don’t prune it optimize it. Try reframing the topic, updating with fresh insights, and connecting it better through internal links.

If the content is foundational but not ranking, try repurposing it: update titles, add internal links, embed media, or merge it into broader, high-performing content. Pruning helps overall SEO by reducing dead weight, but don't delete core pieces optimize or consolidate instead.

Prune low-value pages to boost SEO. Keep your core articles and update them with fresh info and links. Merge or refresh weak posts into stronger ones. A lean site ranks better.