From time to time, clients have asked us whether or not hiding their blog post publish dates, hurts the SEO of their WordPress websites with respect to Google’s SERPs.
Over the years, this very question has been a common topic of debate across the internet. Some argue that displaying the publish date creates a sense of freshness and authority, while others believe it can make content appear outdated and less relevant, especially for older, yet still valuable, evergreen content. This then leads to the big question: Does Google penalize WordPress posts with no publish dates?
The short answer from Google is apparently “no”, they do not explicitly penalize blog posts without publish dates. This inevitable leads to another obvious question.
Can Hiding Publish Dates for Blog Posts Be Beneficial for SEO?
There could be a number of good reasons why you might consider hiding your blog post publish dates. Here are a few of them.
Evergreen Content
On popular reason for hiding dates is to make evergreen content appear more timeless. That is, when you write posts or articles on general topics like “What is a Tomato?” or “How to Scramble Eggs”, these are subjects that are not necessarily dependent on a time stamp for relevance. As such, they remain relevant for extended periods of time. So, displaying an old date could discourage users from reading them, even if the content is still accurate.
Strategic Updates and Republishing
If you regularly update older content to ensure accuracy and relevance, hiding the date and strategically “republishing” the post can be a good strategy.
Perceived Relevance
A dated post might be perceived as outdated, even if the content is still relevant. This can lead to lower click-through rates (CTR) from search results or increase the bounce rate.
Aesthetics
There may be some website owners who simply prefer a cleaner, less cluttered look.
Potential SEO Downsides from Hiding Your Blog Post Publish Dates
Loss of Freshness Signal
Google values fresh and up-to-date content. The publish date is a clear signal to search engines about the age of the content.
Reduced User Trust
While some users might be put off by an older date, others might find it helpful in determining the reliability and newness of the content in your blog post. Thus, hiding the publish date could make your visitors think that you are being disingenuous in the way you publish your blog posts.
Potential Impact on User Experience
Users often rely on dates to choose the most relevant content. Hiding them can make it more difficult for users to quickly determine if the information meets their needs, leading to a potentially frustrating user experience.
Best SEO Practices for Managing Publish Dates
Prioritize High-Quality, Up-to-Date Content
This is the most important factor. Regardless of whether you choose to display dates, ensuring your content is accurate, comprehensive, and well-written is crucial for SEO success.
Regularly Review and Update Content
Make a habit of reviewing your old posts and updating them with fresh information, when appropriate.
Consider Using “Last Updated” Dates
Rather than hiding your blog posts’ publish dates, consider displaying the “last updated” date to signal freshness to both users and search engines, such as Google.
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