Published and Updated Dates

Published and updated dates are the dates a page shows to tell readers and search engines when content was first released and when it was last meaningfully changed. Google can display a date in search results, and clear, honest dates help people judge whether information is current.

Written by Paul Hoda, SEO consultant since 2005. Last updated 8 November 2026.

How Google uses dates

Google may show a date next to a result in the search snippet. Google has said it does not rely on a single factor to choose that date. It looks at several signals, including the date visible on the page and dates in structured data, and its documentation recommends making these consistent.

Dates also matter for topics where recency counts. For searches covered by query deserves freshness, such as news or annual events, newer content often has an advantage. For evergreen topics, the date matters much less.

Why dates matter

  • Searchers often skip results that look out of date, which affects click-through rate.
  • A visible updated date shows that someone maintains the content, which supports trust.
  • Clear dates help AI search tools and news systems decide how current a source is.

How to show dates properly

  1. Show a visible date near the top of articles, labelled clearly as Published or Updated.
  2. Add datePublished and dateModified to your Article schema markup, using the ISO 8601 format with a time zone.
  3. Make sure the visible date and the structured data date match.
  4. Avoid showing several conflicting dates on one page, such as an old date in the sidebar and a new one in the header.
  5. Change the updated date only when you make a meaningful edit, not when you fix a typo.
  6. Keep the lastmod value in your XML sitemap accurate as well.

How to check your dates

Search for one of your articles and see which date Google shows, if any. If it is wrong, look at the page source for every date it contains: theme templates, comment sections, related post widgets and structured data can all add dates you did not intend. Test the page in the Rich Results Test to confirm the structured data dates are read correctly. On WordPress and similar systems, check whether your theme shows the published date, the modified date or both, and whether an SEO plugin outputs its own dates.

Fake freshness

Some sites change the date on old articles without changing the content, hoping to look current. Google’s guidance warns against this, and readers notice when a post marked as updated this month still refers to old prices or events. It is better to do a genuine content refresh: check facts, update examples and add new sections, then change the date.

Should every page show a date?

Not always. News, blog posts and guides benefit from dates. Service pages, product pages and evergreen reference pages often do not need a visible date, and a very old date there can put off visitors. Decide by page type, and think about whether the date helps the reader. Good content freshness comes from real updates, not just new timestamps.

Further reading: Google on publication dates.

Key Takeaways

  • Published and updated dates tell readers and search engines how current a page is.
  • Google uses several signals to choose the date shown in results.
  • Keep visible dates and structured data dates consistent.
  • Only change the updated date after a meaningful edit.
  • Dates matter most for news and time-sensitive topics, less for evergreen pages.

Related Terms

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