Last Updated Date

TL;DR

Your page may be missing trust signals that help both humans and LLMs evaluate credibility. Add clear attribution, dates, sources, and transparency around claims where appropriate. Use Oversearch AI Page Optimizer to rescan and confirm the trust benchmarks improve.

Why this matters

LLMs increasingly weigh evidence and trust signals. Transparent sourcing and attribution reduce misquotes and improve confidence.

Where this shows up in Oversearch

In Oversearch, open AI Page Optimizer and run a scan for the affected page. Then open Benchmark Breakdown to see evidence, and use the View guide link to jump back here when needed.

Should I show last updated date?

Yes. Showing when content was last updated signals freshness and builds trust, especially for topics where information changes.

An “Updated: February 2026” line tells readers the content has been reviewed recently. Search engines use dateModified as a freshness signal.

• Show “Last updated: [date]” alongside or instead of the publication date.
• Only update the date when you make meaningful content changes.
• Include dateModified in Article schema.
• Do not change the date without actually updating the content (date manipulation).

If you use Oversearch, open AI Page Optimizer → Benchmark Breakdown to check date freshness signals.

How often should I update content?

Update whenever the information changes, best practices evolve, or data becomes outdated. For fast-moving topics, review quarterly. For stable topics, annually.

The right cadence depends on your topic. Technology and SEO best practices change frequently. Legal definitions or historical facts change rarely.

• Fast-moving topics (tech, SEO, AI): review every 3-6 months.
• Stable topics (fundamentals, definitions): review annually.
• Always update when you know the information has changed.
• Set calendar reminders for content reviews.

If you use Oversearch, open AI Page Optimizer → Benchmark Breakdown to check freshness.

Can changing dates without updates hurt trust?

Yes. Changing the “updated” date without meaningful content changes is date manipulation, and search engines can detect it.

Google compares the old and new versions of a page. If the date changed but the content did not, the date signal may be discounted or the page penalized for manipulation.

• Only update the date when you make substantive content changes.
• Minor typo fixes do not warrant a date change.
• Document what changed in the update (e.g., “Updated for 2026 guidelines”).
• Consider a changelog or “What changed” note for transparency.

If you use Oversearch, open AI Page Optimizer → Benchmark Breakdown to verify.

How can I verify the fix after I change the page?

Check that the updated date is visible on the page and matches the dateModified in your Article schema.

• Confirm “Last updated: [date]” is visible near the top of the article.
• Check Article schema for a dateModified value that matches.
• Validate with Google’s Rich Results Test.

If you use Oversearch, open AI Page Optimizer → Benchmark Breakdown to confirm the benchmark passes.

Common root causes

• No author/organization attribution or credentials.
• No sources for claims, or sources are low-quality/unclear.
• Missing publication/updated dates.
• No clear separation of opinion vs fact.

How to detect

• In Oversearch AI Page Optimizer, open the scan for this URL and review the Benchmark Breakdown evidence.
• Verify the signal outside Oversearch with at least one method: fetch the HTML with curl -L, check response headers, or use a crawler/URL inspection.
• Confirm you’re testing the exact canonical URL (final URL after redirects), not a variant.

How to fix

Understand when to update dates (see: How often should I update content?) and avoid date manipulation (see: Can changing dates without updates hurt trust?). Then follow the steps below.

1. Add clear author or organizational attribution and link to an author profile/about page.
2. Show publication date and last updated date.
3. Link key claims to credible sources and provide data where possible.
4. Add a short methodology or ‘how we evaluate’ note when benchmarks are referenced.
5. Run an Oversearch AI Page Optimizer scan to confirm trust signals improve.

Verify the fix

• Run an Oversearch AI Page Optimizer scan for the same URL and confirm the benchmark is now passing.
• Confirm the page is 200 OK and the primary content is present in initial HTML.
• Validate with an external tool (crawler, URL inspection, Lighthouse) to avoid false positives.

Prevention

• Add author + update metadata to every guide template by default.
• Create a sourcing standard: what needs a citation and what doesn’t.
• Separate opinion from fact consistently (labels, wording).

FAQ

How do I show ‘Last updated’ in my CMS?

Most CMS platforms have a ‘modified date’ field that can be displayed in templates. In WordPress, use get_the_modified_date(). In Astro, use the frontmatter field. When in doubt, add a lastUpdated field to your content model and display it in the template.

Should I update dateModified in schema every time I edit?

Only for meaningful content changes. Minor typo fixes do not warrant a date update. Update when you add, remove, or revise substantive content. When in doubt, ask: ‘Would a returning reader notice the change?’ If yes, update the date.

Can I show ‘Reviewed on’ instead of ‘Updated on’?

Yes. ‘Reviewed on’ is useful for content that was checked but not changed. It signals freshness without implying changes were made. When in doubt, use ‘Reviewed’ when you checked without changes and ‘Updated’ when you made edits.

Does Google detect fake date manipulation?

Yes. Google compares cached versions of pages. If the date changes but the content does not, the freshness signal may be discounted. When in doubt, only update dates when you make real content changes.

How often should I review content for staleness?

Fast-changing topics (tech, SEO): every 3-6 months. Stable topics (fundamentals): annually. Set calendar reminders for reviews. When in doubt, check your most important pages quarterly.

How can I verify the update date fix?

Confirm ‘Last updated’ is visible, matches dateModified in schema, and reflects a genuine content update. When in doubt, run an Oversearch AI Page Optimizer scan.