Why Timestamping Your Online Content Is So Important

Timestamps allow readers to quickly gauge the freshness and relevance of blog content. Timestamped posts with timely information are the gold standard, while timestamped posts with updates to ensure freshness, timeless information, and outdated information all have their place. Undated posts, however, require additional detective work on the readers' part and can be off-putting. Timestamped content is an important trust signal for brands, with freshness and relevance being key indicators of quality.

When producing content, publications should require cited research to be no greater than three years old, and periodically update posts to keep them relevant. Timestamped posts with timeless information should also be periodically updated to show that the content has been vetted for relevance. Finally, timestamped posts with outdated information should be clearly labeled to avoid wasting readers' time.

Content timestamps are an important aspect of building trust with customers. Just as expiration dates are seen as quality indicators for food, timestamps can be viewed in the same light. Taking the time to create quality content and keeping it updated and timestamped shows readers that they can trust the information they are receiving.