Definition
The Freshness Update, deployed on November 3, 2011, modified Google's algorithm to give a ranking advantage to recently published or updated content, particularly for queries related to news, recurring events, and rapidly evolving topics. Google estimated this update affected about 35% of all search queries. It built on Caffeine's foundations to leverage the fresher index available. The Freshness Update encouraged publishers to regularly update their content and maintain a sustained publication cadence to remain competitive in the SERPs.
Key Points
- Deployed November 3, 2011, affecting about 35% of queries
- Favors recent content for news queries and evolving topics
- Encouraged regular content updates as an SEO practice
Practical Examples
News queries
For a query like 'election results', Google favors articles published in the last few hours over older in-depth articles, even if the latter have more backlinks.
Rapidly evolving topics
For 'best smartphone 2026', Google favors recently updated comparisons over previous year articles, even at equivalent domain authority.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not necessarily. The Freshness Update primarily affects queries where freshness is relevant (news, evolving topics). Well-optimized evergreen content remains competitive for timeless queries. Ideally, combine evergreen content with regular updates.
No. Google can detect whether content was truly modified in a meaningful way. Changing only the date without adding real value may be seen as manipulation and will not produce lasting improvement.
Go Further with LemmiLink
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Last updated: 2026-02-07