Content Freshness

Content Freshness refers to how recently content was created or updated. AI systems consider freshness when selecting sources to cite, particularly for topics where information changes over time.

Why Freshness Matters for AI:

1. Accuracy: Recent content more likely to be accurate
2. Relevance: AI prefers current information
3. Trust Signals: Updates show content is maintained
4. Training Data: Newer content may be in more recent training runs

Freshness Signals AI Systems Use:

• Publication date in metadata
• Last modified date
• Visible date on page
• Content about recent events
• References to current data

Types of Content by Freshness Needs:

High Freshness Need

• News and current events
• Product pricing and features
• Statistics and data
• Technology updates
• Regulatory information

Medium Freshness Need

• How-to guides
• Industry trends
• Best practices
• Company information

Lower Freshness Need

• Foundational concepts
• Historical information
• Definitions
• Evergreen tutorials

Content Freshness Best Practices:

Display Dates Prominently

<time datetime="2026-01-21">Updated January 21, 2026</time>

Regular Updates

• Review content quarterly
• Update statistics annually
• Refresh screenshots and examples
• Add new developments

Indicate Update History

• Show original publish date
• Show last updated date
• Consider changelog for major updates

Schema Markup

{
  "datePublished": "2025-06-15",
  "dateModified": "2026-01-21"
}

Maintaining content freshness signals to AI that your information is current and reliable, improving citation likelihood.