The date on your blog posts might be a very small detail but it can have a proportionally large impact on your potential readers. More often than not, you might have left this decision on the automatic system of your blog’s post upload (there are always plugins for anything!).
In this regard, an informed decision can be much more effective for the ‘stickiness’ of your posts, in their current time and even years after their post date. The pros and cons related to posting dates with your blog posts, is enlisted here with details.
The debate over ‘dated’ and ‘timeless’
It is a basic fact of matter that most readers will automatically glance at your post dates (if you put one in), when they read your posts or even when they select it out of the search engine page. Current events or news, that concerns itself with the ‘hotness’ of the topic, should always come with date stamps.
However, many posts on the internet that have tips or suggestions do not have any bearing on the time. For instance on our discount coupon blog that features weight watchers and ediets discount deals, the discount coupons themselves are time sensitive (they might expire), but the blog posts that talk about weight loss and dieting tips are timeless content in nature.
When you put a date stamp on these types of posts, you might inadvertently pull back the readers’ attention to the ‘hotness’ factor while the ideas are ‘timeless’ enough to be considered in any period.
The choice between putting and not putting in the dates on your posts depends on your blog – Blog style, blogging frequency and the niche. However, each of these choices has some positives and negatives going for them.
Option to date or time stamp – Reasons
Blogging, like any other innovative sphere, has taken roots and now moving fast. There are so many new developments in the field, launched every day. New tools to make your blogging experience smoother, new social media sites to help you promote your posts in exciting new ways and finally there are many new events and trends in the world that directly affect your blog posts.
In the face of such a continuous shift, it might be that some of your posts can be better understood with reference to the period of its posting. The other important reason that might incline your decision towards putting in dates is that your growth as a blogger is framed in your posts from the start of your blog, till date.
The chronology of the posts might better present this growth for your readers that have been following you since your blog’s inception, as well as for readers that have just freshly caught on with your blog.
Option to (Not) Date or time stamp – Reasons:
Non news/current events related blogs do not have to put in dates. This does not mean that our blog posts are completely devoid of the time perspective. More accurately, in this case the posts do not have an expiry period. What is relevant now might change due to new principles or developments on the field, however, the foundation of the posts will remain as informative, even later.
However, even among these posts, you might find some that need to be attached with the relevant time; you can always include the date with the title of these posts.
Even when your options mainly include these two points, you are not restricted in any way by any set rules. You can just as well decide and make up your own rules for posting on dates. You can choose to post dates on particular posts while avoiding it for others. However, try to maintain certain uniformity about the action (Your readers will notice).
Instances to consider for dates on posts: You might edit the visibility of posting via your blog authorship system. You might want to just put in the dates on the newer posts while omitting it for the older ones. Readers can immediately spot that the posts are new ad the older posts escape the tag of being ‘dated’.
You can create a completely new page/category for current events posts. This way you can isolate the date stamps on just these posts while you leave the other posts un-adorned likewise. You might also consider putting in dates but on reverse-highlighting principle. Just tone down the conspicuousness by placement alterations or even color subtlety.
The best option will completely depend on your blog and you, however; the information mentioned here will definitely make the choice clearer.
Jane enjoys sharing blogging tips that she learned from her own blog. Her blog is in the diet niche. On Weight Loss Triumph she offers a Diet to Go coupon. For a Weight Watchers coupon go here. Diet to Go is a reputable meal delivery service in the US for people who want to lose weight without sacrificing on taste and food enjoyment. Weight Watchers is an award winning weight management program that teaches you a healthy way to live.
Great post Jane ! Dates of posts really plays a vital role in the increase of readers .
PrIyAnGsHu @ MoneyEarningSecrets.Com recently posted…Goaddy $1 Domain Offer ( Coupon Code ) – November 2011
Great post Jane ! You have shown the real importance of dates in this post . Thumbs up !
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Only one word for this article Ultimate. Very good article Jane and Atish and I really loved reading this article. The way you explained this article was real superb.
Once again Thanks.
Thanks Durgesh for your comment.
Hello, thank you for the guest post! Very revealing. There are more elements to consider behind time-stamping than I realized. Personally I have looked at the time stamp on articles and become biased to the accuracy of the information within the post.
In the www, technology and websites change so quickly that it is hard to value a two year old post over a two month old post. Then again, a site without time stamps lacks the trust that comes with transparency. Again, great post! Makes me think…
When it comes to SEO, you should include a date and time in your article because Google is constantly changing its Search Engine Algorithm. It is important for readers to know that they are getting accurate updated information rather than some useless info from 2005.
Thanks for your valuable information Mike.
I favor to mention the publish date on your blog so that readers can check freshness as new post will up to date with lates changes while old post may not be sufficient enough with today’s scenario.
Aaron @ Goa Holiday recently posted…Goa Trip
I think there is nothing bad in displaying the publish date with the post and almost every blogger do it.
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Yes There are no harm but Jane described it beautifully about its Pros and Cons.
Hi Jane, you have clearly stated your insights in here. Dates on blog posts are very vital in connecting with your readers. Sometimes, it helps them understand what you are talking about especially when your posts come in series. Thanks for sharing this.
Personally, I think no matter what kind of niche the blog is about, posting dates on blog posts are super important, it’s an indicator to let visitors know if the blog is updated regularly.
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Thanks For Opinion Peter Lee.
really great topic selected and points are really awesome and can be understood by any one.I will go with posting the time on the site as it matters the readers as how much new the article is.
junaid @ Technology Blog recently posted…Gmail Is No Longer On BlackBerry.
good post jane date and timeless is a hot topic for debate and sometimes it turns into verbal disputes also because people who prefer comfort time and date bother them and who all know the value of time they prefer time, but mentioning date in blogs can be reasonable so that people who belongs to technical field they can easily get impressed because with that a blogger can show that he has systematically written the blog.
Hi Dior that’s the point. What if the blogger is not so systematic with updating blogs? That is where the issue of posting dates come into picture, especially if the blogger doesn’t want to “reveal” that he/she is irregular in updating their blog.
Jane @ Successful blogging recently posted…StumbleUpon: Use It Right For Your Blogging Success
A great share Jane … Enjoyed reading the pros and cons of posting date and time stamps
Salman @ Tech Blog recently posted…Getting the Best out of your HDTV Experience
Great elucidation of date-stamp pro’s and con’s. An important detail in the pile of details that equals a successful blog. Great stuff!
I personally use the dates when I post on my blog.
Why?
It’s simple, because my readers often search for my new content since they love it so much so I help them by sorting the content by the date.
By not posting dates you are more misleading your readers than helping them
My 2 cents
Athony
Athony Herry recently posted…Honda Oil Change Coupon
Sure Anthony I completely understand. That is why we need to identify what is called a timeless content and what is not. For timeless content (like beauty tips, weight loss tips etc.) ignoring dates is fine.
Thanks for your insightful comment.
Jane @ Blogging Success recently posted…Google Personalized Search: Who Decides Your Site Visibility?
Doing research on the topic right now and came across this post. My question is how can anyone truly say their content is timeless. Even someone writing about beauty and weight loss tips is assuming no one will build upon their tips and use new advancements to compose better tips. I’ve yet to come across a scenario where content is truly timeless.
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Jane, I had never given any thought to not showing the post date before. It will be something to consider.
For my current blog I think I will continue to date them.
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I personally date my posts, but only so people can tell if it is active or not, I can’t say I am as on top of myblog as I would like to be, but…. I can see where one might not want or need to date their posts.
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Yes Hilary, for those who regularly work on their blogs and can assure regular updates, dating posts won’t be an issue. You are good to go 🙂
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Thanks Jane!
Hillary recently posted…The Things Children Say!
Great elucidation of date-stamp pro’s and con’s. An important detail in the pile of details that equals a successful blog. Great stuff!
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Great!!! I never thought about this. I just posting on debate but never focused on its freshness. Obviously people like fresh information that running with time. Thanks for giving useful stuff.