Content Freshness: Why “Last Updated” Dates Matter

2026-01-21•7 min read

Content freshness indicators showing published and last updated dates

Displaying publication and “Last Updated” dates signals that content is maintained and current. As a key Trust signal in EEAT, freshness matters. Undated content could be years old. Recent “Last Updated” dates show active maintenance. AI uses freshness signals to evaluate content reliability—especially for topics where information changes.

Key Takeaways

• Always display dates—undated content is untrusted
• “Last Updated” shows ongoing maintenance
• Topic matters—some topics need more frequent updates
• Schema dates—datePublished and dateModified
• Don't fake updates—only update date when content changes

Why Dates Matter #

Dates serve multiple trust functions:

Context: When was this written? Is it still relevant?
Currency: Does this reflect current best practices?
Maintenance: Is someone keeping this updated?
Evaluation: Can users assess information timeliness?

Undated content forces users to guess. That uncertainty damages trust.

Types of Dates to Display #

Published Date #

When the content was originally created. Important for context and citation.

Last Updated Date #

When the content was last reviewed or modified. Shows ongoing maintenance.

Last Reviewed Date #

When an expert last verified accuracy (especially for YMYL). May differ from update date.

Best Practice

Display both published and last updated dates. “Published: Jan 1, 2025 | Updated: Jan 21, 2026” shows both original context and current maintenance.

Freshness Requirements by Topic #

Different topics have different freshness expectations:

Topic Type	Freshness Expectation	Update Frequency
News/Current events	Very high	As events develop
Technology/Software	High	When platforms change
Health/Medical	High	When guidelines change
Finance/Legal	High	When regulations change
How-to guides	Medium	Annual review
Historical/Educational	Lower	As needed

Schema Markup for Dates #

Include dates in your Article schema:

{
  "@type": "Article",
  "headline": "Your Article Title",
  "datePublished": "2025-01-01",
  "dateModified": "2026-01-21"
}

Both datePublished and dateModified should be present. Google uses these to understand content currency.

Content Update Best Practices #

1Only update date when content changes: Don't fake freshness
2Review evergreen content annually: Schedule regular reviews
3Update statistics: Replace old data with current
4Fix outdated advice: Update recommendations that have changed
5Add new information: Incorporate developments since original publish

Don't Game Dates: Changing the date without changing content is deceptive. AI systems can detect when content hasn't actually changed, and this manipulation damages trust.

Summary #

Content freshness for trust:

Display dates: Published and Last Updated
Use Schema: datePublished and dateModified
Match topic needs: Some topics need more frequent updates
Actually update: Don't change dates without changing content
Schedule reviews: Regular audit of evergreen content

About the Author

Yue Zhu@Seenos.ai

Product Manager at Seenos.ai. Pioneer in AEO research since 2024, exploring the convergence of SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). Led multiple AI-powered content optimization projects that achieved 300%+ citation increases in ChatGPT and Perplexity.