No date Update without significant content Update: Warns Google
Updating the date of your content without adding some significant data will no more be entertained by Google, warns Muller. Know why.
After rolling the “Helpful Content Update” in August this year, Google now eyes on the 2023 Editions. By 2023 Editions, I mean Google has warned the users not to update the date line of their content, unless and until some significant stuff has been added to them.
Often it so happens that creators update the date of their well performing content with minor tweaks and bring those to the top in order to garner good viewership. So there is chance that this year also the creators would do the same by updating their 2022 edition to 2023 and that’s what Google warns about. According to Google, it’s not enough if you update the date of your well-performing content, it’s mandatory that some significant stuff has been added to them.
Updating the old content to recent dates has always been a significant SEO practice since years. But it will not work anymore if not properly updated. Rather, Google says an evergreen content never requires a date update. They perform well no matter which date or year they are published.
The topic came to the front when John Muller of Google was asked on Twitter about it and he said, “Is there significantly new content? Then update the dates. Is there no significantly new content? Then don’t update the dates. We see a lot of spam & low-quality content that just arbitrarily updates dates (“Best fax machine for 2023″), it’s pretty obvious & embarrassing.” He did add “There’s nothing wrong with updating content, and when you make significant changes, updating the date (or using an update-date). Serious sites do that. Just tweaking, and saying “oh, still valid in 2023″ is not a significant update.”
Hi,@JohnMu 4/5 weeks to go to enter in 2023. So, if we start updating years on content titles and all in December how will Google act to sudden change in year which is not came yet? 😅
— Amit Saha (@amitsh053) November 26, 2022
How bout evergreen content that could be considered “new” through decades? Adding a few latest pointers along with date change should work!
— thunder jack (@junukn) November 29, 2022
So this is something the content creators must think about. Else their websites might immensely get affected.
