Google is well known for changing its algorithms on a reasonably frequent basis, and it has done it again! Known as the Google Freshness Update, this new algorithm is Google’s way of increasing its search results’ relevance further. For example, if you search for “football results,” the chances are that you are interested in the most recent results, perhaps even the half-time results of a current match. You will unlikely be looking for results from matches played a couple of weeks ago.
The Google Freshness Update has changed the search results to display how old some top-ranked results are. This way, you will see that a certain result was posted only 13 minutes ago and will be very up-to-date. It is likely to mean that some good but much older content is slipping down the rankings.
Google's Freshness Update Algorithm
Google is constantly updating its algorithms to provide the best search results for its users. One of the most significant updates that Google has made is the Freshness Update. This update changed how Google ranks search results, and website owners and digital marketers need to understand how it works.
The Freshness Update has had a negative impact on website owners, resulting in decreased website rankings for many. To address these effects, it is highly recommended to regularly create relevant and up-to-date content.
What is Google Freshness Update?
The Freshness Update is a significant algorithm update that Google implemented in 2011. The update aimed to improve the search engine’s ability to deliver fresh and relevant content to users. Before the update, Google would prioritise older and more established websites, even if their content was outdated. The Freshness Update changed this, giving newer and more recent content a better chance of ranking higher in search results.
How does the Google Freshness Update Work?
Due to the Freshness Update, recent content has a greater impact on search result rankings on Google. To determine how recent and relevant a piece of content is, Google uses a “freshness score”. The score considers various factors, including the date a page was published or updated, the frequency of updates, and the importance of the content.
The Google Freshness Update also emphasises trending or hot topics, breaking news, and recent events. Another example is if there’s a major news event, Google will prioritise content related to that event, even if the content is from a relatively new website. This means that website owners and digital marketers must stay up-to-date with current events and trends to ensure their content is relevant and timely.
How to Optimise for the Google Freshness Update to Boost Organic Traffic?
To optimise your website for the Freshness Update, website owners and digital marketers need to focus on creating fresh and relevant content regularly. This means updating existing content, creating new content, and staying up-to-date with industry news and trends.
It’s also important to use social media and other channels to promote your content and drive traffic to your website. When determining the freshness score of a page, Google also takes into account social signals such as likes, shares, and comments.
The Google Freshness Update algorithm considers publication dates to enhance the accuracy of search results. The update has proven beneficial to those searching for current information, as they are more likely to find what they are looking for higher in the ranking than before.
To boost organic traffic from blog creation, it is essential to review the content on a regular basis to ensure that it is up-to-date and relevant.
The goal of the Google Freshness Update algorithm is to display search results that are both relevant and up-to-date. Not only does it help us understand current events better, but it also encourages us to think more creatively about how we access and consume information. This algorithm provides a new way of exploring the web, making us more agile in our quest for knowledge and understanding. With the Google Freshness Update, we can easily explore the most recent and relevant results in our searches.
Ranking Factor
The Google Freshness Update has certain factors that will improve the ranking of recently published content. The algorithm considers the age of the page or post and other factors such as the frequency of updates to a page or site, how often it is shared on social media, and how often it is linked to other websites. Additionally, the algorithm looks at the relevance of a page or post to the search query. All these factors help Google determine which pages should be ranked higher for a particular search query.
Overall, the Google Freshness Update has proven to be beneficial for those searching for current information and news, as they are more likely to find what they are looking for.
Fresh Content
By creating fresh and relevant content regularly, staying up-to-date with industry news and trends, and promoting content through social media and other channels, website owners can optimise for the Freshness Update and improve their search engine rankings.
As Google continues to make changes, it is important for website owners to stay up-to-date with the latest updates. To ensure your webpages are optimised for the Freshness Update, consider linking related content together, as this can help boost relevance and ranking. Additionally, use keywords in titles and meta descriptions, as this can increase the chances of being found by search engine crawlers. The most important thing you need to keep in mind is to always focus on giving your users fresh content.
What do you think of the latest changes?
Websites slipping down the rankings have not all been pleased with the update. While this is understandable, it could also be argued that people looking for the latest information should be directed to the most recent articles and posts on any subject. This is what Google is trying to do with its Freshness Update, and it must be commended for trying to make search results more relevant.
Displaying a "Last Modified Date" on Your Blog
To optimise for the Freshness Update, it is recommended that website owners and digital marketers display a last modified date on blog posts or webpages. This will indicate to Google when the content was last updated, which can help your page rank higher in search engine results. Furthermore, displaying the last modified date gives readers an understanding of when the content was published and updated, allowing them to decide whether the information is still relevant.
Adding a “last modified” date in WordPress can be done easily with the help of a plugin. There are some plugins like “WP Last Modified Info” or “Change Last Modified Date” and many other options. Just make sure that the plugin you are downloading is compatible with your current theme.
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