Managing Date Display in Search Results for WordPress Websites

The appearance of dates in search engine results pages (SERPs) can influence click-through rates, and businesses may seek to manage how—or if—dates are displayed. The available data indicates that while complete removal of dates from SERPs is not directly controllable, several strategies can reduce the likelihood of dates appearing, particularly for evergreen content. These strategies involve managing dates within content, structured data, RSS feeds, and WordPress configurations. The effectiveness of these methods is not guaranteed, as search engines employ multiple signals to determine date display.

How Search Engines Determine Date Display

Search engines, including Google, utilize multiple sources to determine which date to display in SERPs. According to available documentation, these sources include the visible date within the content itself, and dates specified in structured data markup. The data suggests Google does not provide a definitive answer on which source takes precedence, and can even identify dates without explicit structured data or visible dates within the content.

The presence of dates in SERPs can either increase or decrease click-through rates, depending on the content’s timeliness and user search intent. For time-sensitive content, dates are beneficial; for evergreen content, they may be less relevant.

Removing Dates from Content and WordPress

A primary approach to influencing date display is removing dates from the content itself. This includes dates added directly by the content author, dates automatically added by WordPress, dates introduced by the WordPress theme, or dates added by plugins.

For dates added directly by the author, the solution is straightforward: edit the post or page and delete the date. However, removing dates added by WordPress, the theme, or plugins requires further investigation. WordPress settings should be reviewed to determine if the platform is automatically adding dates to posts and URLs. Theme and plugin settings should also be checked for options to disable date display. If no such option exists, contacting the theme or plugin developer for support may be necessary.

Removing dates from WordPress URLs is also possible, but requires implementing 301 redirects. When dates are removed from URLs, the old URLs (containing dates) will no longer function. Implementing 301 redirects ensures that visitors and search engines are directed to the new URLs, preventing 404 errors and preserving SEO value. The “Redirection” plugin is presented as a free solution for managing these redirects. The process involves installing and activating the plugin, then using its tools to map old URLs to new URLs.

Managing Dates in Structured Data and RSS Feeds

Dates can also be included in structured data markup, which provides search engines with explicit information about the content. While adding dates via structured data is a recommendation, it is not a requirement.

For those using Rank Math, a filter can be implemented to remove the lastmod date from the sitemap index. The provided code snippet demonstrates how to achieve this.

Search engines also utilize RSS feeds to discover new content. RSS feeds contain <pubDate> and <lastBuildDate> tags, which can be used to identify content dates. To prevent search engines from crawling the RSS feed and potentially identifying dates, a Disallow rule can be added to the robots.txt file, specifically blocking access to the feed URL (e.g., /feed/).

Considerations for Evergreen Content

The data suggests that removing dates can be particularly beneficial for “evergreen content”—content that remains relevant and useful over time, such as tutorials, how-to guides, and product reviews. For this type of content, users are typically seeking answers to specific questions, rather than information about when the content was published or updated.

A Backlinko analysis of over 1 million Google search results indicated that while content age is a ranking factor, up-to-date relevance is more important than the visible publish date. Removing dates from evergreen content may increase user trust and encourage engagement, potentially leading to increased traffic and improved SEO performance.

Update Timelines for SERP Changes

After implementing changes to exclude dates, it may take time for search engines to update the SERPs. The data indicates that Google typically takes one to two weeks to update SERPs, but this timeframe can vary depending on website size, crawl budget, and any underlying SEO issues. Patience is advised, as it can take a considerable amount of time for search engines to fully recrawl a website and reflect the changes.

It is important to note that even after implementing these strategies, there is no guarantee that dates will not be discovered and displayed by search engines. Search engines employ multiple methods to identify dates, and may find them through sources not explicitly addressed by these techniques.

Conclusion

Managing date display in search results involves a multi-faceted approach focused on removing dates from various sources, including content, structured data, and RSS feeds. While complete removal is not guaranteed, these strategies can reduce the likelihood of dates appearing in SERPs, particularly for evergreen content. Businesses should focus on implementing these changes and then allow sufficient time for search engines to recrawl and update their indexes. The data emphasizes that up-to-date relevance is more important than the visible publish date, suggesting that focusing on content quality and accuracy is paramount.