Freshness
Freshness is a Google search engine update that was implemented in November 2011. The modified algorithm has since been strongly influenced by the current relevance of websites. As a result of the update, the search engine is able to decide how important the factor “up-to-date” is for a search operation.
Impact
The Internet is a continuously growing medium because there is no expiration date for websites. Thus certain websites lose current relevance over time and consequently significance. As with any other update, the satisfaction of its users is Google’s focus of attention with the Freshness update. It is therefore understandable that Google does not want to include any outdated information in the search results.
If an event occurs at certain time intervals and inspires the interest of people time and again, then currentness of the information is of great importance. The new event displaces the previous one in the minds of people. An example would be the Olympic Games that spark only passing interest among viewers. This displacement process should also be reflected in the Google ranking. This phenomenon can be observed in Google News very well. Very current events and news are brought to the fore. Website content can become outdated even after a very short time. For example, price comparisons are only useful when they are completely up-to-date.
Relevance to SEO
Google points out that current relevance is just one of many components. The quality of content should never be disregarded. To ensure the current relevance of a website, the content must be regularly reviewed and monitored. Manipulation of freshness by adapting the URL is associated with great effort and not necessarily successful. In addition, it should be in one’s own interest to provide users with valuable information.
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