Do post dates matter to SEO?

[mugatea]

I have my dates on my blog posts removed, is that ok? Or should I put them back on?

 

[fisicx]

Makes no real difference. Google knows when the page was indexed so doesn't really care what date you put (or don't put) on the page.

 

[StephenSumner]

It can help if you put an update date on a post, not just from a Google angle but from a user perspective too!

 

[fisicx]

It can help if you put an update date on a post, not just from a Google angle but from a user perspective too!

Google doesn't care. And it depends on if the information in your blog posts are date dependant (many aren't).

 

[StephenSumner]

I think that is a slightly sweeping generalisation. I was being specific about "updates" in which adding a date certainly does help Google and the user (which again is a signal to Google).

It also depends massively on how proactive you are in your content strategy. Google rewards content that is fresh or updated to be more relevant and adding a date to say you have refreshed something helps that process, as I also say it helps the user.

 

[fisicx]

I can add a new date to a 5 year old post and google will take no notice at all. Same as adding an update to a post. Google is only interested in the original posting date.

Google no longer rewards new content the way it used to. Old content can often rank higher than new because longevity is becoming a strong trustmark. If the old content is updated with the latest information then its value increases.

And yes I agree that the posting date can help visitors but it's not always necessary. For example, if your posts are for events, the date of the event is more important than the date of posting.

 

[webgeek]

One of the biggest impact changes I ever made was inserting the following at the start of each blog post:

Updated January 9, 2018

(or whatever the date is)

If you've got meta descriptions not manually set (and use the first paragraph of the blog post like I sometimes do, because it's optimised for search and readers), then doing this will force the date to appear in the excerpt of your /blog/ or /category/ pages snippet - giving the post date at a glance.

Don't believe this trick makes a difference - fine - I'm not going to defend the impact, but if you've got any sense, you'll try it yourself and see.

 

[webgeek]

@fisicx - I think you might find that Google Fresh gives updated posts whose content has changed, and whose date includes an updated date some preference.

 

[fisicx]

I agree with you. But just changing the date on an old post without updating anything won't achieve much. Google needs to see that something has updated to give it the boost.

 

[webgeek]

True dat. There's no point changing a post date without refreshing the content. That is an exercise destined to fail.

 

[HazelC]

Personally, and non SEO related, (and bearing in mind I probably look at blogs more in depth coz I do it for a business) I think dates are good on posts. It shows he reader you are active on your website and regularly update.

To me it shows that you are a company that keeps it fresh, if I can see you post once a week on a Wednesday I know I can do to your website on that date and see more content.

We do one blog post every other day (this slowed down over Xmas) and it is dated so people can see we practice what we preach.

 

[justinaldridge]

I think posts should always have a date, especially if they contain any sort of data or advice. If I'm reading a post about the rules of something and not knowing that the post was written in, say, 2013, is a problem as the rules/laws may have changed. I want the latest information.

Updating blog content and the post date does help to get the post ranking again.

Freshness signals are very important ranking factors these days and that's why they also display post dates in search results snippets.

 

[Simon.P]

Personally, and non SEO related, (and bearing in mind I probably look at blogs more in depth coz I do it for a business) I think dates are good on posts. It shows he reader you are active on your website and regularly update.

Very valid point! There are so many people who set up Twitter, FB and all that guff, post once, never to return. Surely its either all or nothing!

 

[HazelC]

Very valid point! There are so many people who set up Twitter, FB and all that guff, post once, never to return. Surely its either all or nothing!

That is very much my opinion; but it is a bias opinion!

 

[websensejim]

Really depends on what the content is - some topics are naturally evergreen (e.g how to make/cook XYZ) while others are very time sensitive. For example, some of my clients are in the travel industry so a lot of the articles/blog posts need to be up-to-date. If customers are researching a destination they want to read an up-to-date guide. If your article has a date which is a couple of years ago or longer, that will put many people off. The update and change date strategy does work - it has a big impact on click-thrus.

 

[StevePoster]

I have my dates on my blog posts removed, is that ok? Or should I put them back on?

Let's say its an old posts on the blog that are removed. I recommend not to because those content posts has the possible to surface in the SERPs if the search engine finds it as a reliable source to the users.

 

[navi17]

Personally, and non SEO related, (and bearing in mind I probably look at blogs more in depth coz I do it for a business) I think dates are good on posts. It shows he reader you are active on your website and regularly update.

To me it shows that you are a company that keeps it fresh, if I can see you post once a week on a Wednesday I know I can do to your website on that date and see more content.

We do one blog post every other day (this slowed down over Xmas) and it is dated so people can see we practice what we preach.

Yes, I agree with Hazel that a date plays a very crucial role more from a user perspective because when any user visits your blog and see that the post with current month date or any recently updated content date, this will increase his confidence reagarding the information you have published.

 

[Killua7]

I think it doesn't matter to SEO, because all Goole need to know is when your post is indexed

 

[RjMaan]

I think dates are good to be displayed not only for SEO but for visitors as well.

 

[The Longley Sales Academy]

I'd keep the dates on and keep the content fresh - it's a strong signal for the visitors that your website is active and up-to-date.

 

[Darren Johnson]

try Yoast for SEO