Glossary
Freshness
How recent and up-to-date your content is. For some topics, search engines prefer newer content because it's more likely to contain current information.
Freshness is a ranking factor that measures how current your content is. For certain types of searches—like news, trending topics, or rapidly changing information—search engines prioritize recently published or updated content. This is because newer content is more likely to contain accurate information on evolving subjects. Not all content needs to be fresh. Topics are generally divided into three categories: trending (requires very recent content), regularly changing (needs periodic updates), and evergreen (remains relevant over time). News events need immediate freshness, product reviews benefit from regular updates, while basic how-to guides might remain accurate for years. To maintain freshness when needed, regularly audit your important content to identify outdated information. Update publication dates only when making substantial changes, not for minor edits. Add new information, statistics, examples, and images to keep content current. For important pages, establish a regular update schedule. Creating a blog with frequent posts can also signal to search engines that your site is actively maintained, even if your core pages don't change often.