Should I make my blog post date visible?
I think I’m going to make my blog post date visible the next time I write something!
Oh boy, Here we go. The answer is “No.”
Really?
Yes, do not do it.
It seems like showing the date will let people know the post is new!
No, the fact that the post is now there and wasn’t there before will have the same effect.
It will show that we actively update our blog, won’t it?
Yes, and exactly zero people ever have said, “This blog looks to be frequently updated…I’m coming back tomorrow!”
Ha! You’ve written that regular content is like catnip to search-engine crawlers. What about that, smart guy?
Yes, and those crawlers will get all the necessary information, including the date of the post, from meta information.
The Ironclad, Rock Solid Argument Against Showing the Date on Blog Posts
Clients often ask if they should post the publish date on blog posts and our answer is always the same: no. We have yet to see an actual, measurable benefit to making the date of the post visible. We have, however, encountered a number of downsides to making the date visible. Oftentimes a question with two opposing answers can be difficult to answer. Usually, both answers have both benefits and drawbacks. That is simply not the case when it comes to making the date visible on your posts.
Making the date visible is all negative. Here are four reasons why.
Making the post date visible shows how infrequently you post
The number one reason to avoid making the date visible on posts is that you run the risk of showing how infrequently you post. Aside from poor writing, nothing will turn a reader off faster than seeing that you update your blog every few weeks or even every few months.
This type of infrequency in posting signals that your blog is an afterthought instead of a priority. Certainly you have visited a blog and thought, “no one is paying attention to this. There are weeks between posts.” Why would a reader come back to visit your blog regularly if you have shown that there might not be anything new for them to discover?
Making the post date visible shows your posting is not organic
Showing the post date can actually make your blog less-human to readers. It is not unusual for content teams or their agencies to post on a regular schedule. Being organized is a great way to maintain consistency in your posting habits!
But showing the date on each post will signal this structure to your readers. If a visitor notices that you add new posts on Tuesdays and Fridays, for example, it can be a bit of a turnoff. If a blog is adding a post every Friday morning then it can be taken as a sign that the blog is being done in a formulaic way because the publisher feels obligated to post. Removing the date can give the appearance that posts are released when they are relevant and ready, not because of some internal calendar.
Making the post date visible creates friction in reading the post
As a combination of the two points above, making the post date visible can distract your reader from the post itself. They might notice that the post date is incongruous to the content (“Five ways to jump-start your week!” posted on a Friday morning). They might notice that the post is your first post in many weeks and wonder why. The reader might even notice that the post is published on the same day of the week as the previous post, and the post before that, and the post before that.
Anything that distracts your reader’s attention is bad. Creating friction between the reader seeing the title, clicking on the post, and actually reading the post is not in your best interest.
Making the post date visible needlessly ages your content
Finally, it is important to note that making the post date visible shows the age of a post. Surely you have experienced going to a post, seeing an older date, and thinking “this post is two years old….hmmm.” Nevermind that the content is likely still useful and relevant. Seeing the date elicits a negative reaction. That negative reaction devalues the content of the post, in some cases driving the reader away completely.
No one who posts to a blog wants their hard work to be dismissed after a few weeks or months as being old and outdated. With so much content being useful weeks, months, and years later, there is no reason to age your posts for no reason. A blog post is not a wine bottle where a specific vintage creates more value. Quite the opposite happens when showing the date on a post.
The Two Exceptions to this Rule
There are two, and only two, reasons to make the date of a post visible.
The first is when showing the date is material to the content. For example, let’s say you are blogging from a conference and posting a review of a keynote, a particular session, or your experience in the exhibit hall. In this case, date-stamping your post is part of the content that you want the reader to consume.
In the same vein, significant global events – think people storming the U.S. Capitol or an active shooter nearby – certainly warrant having a date displayed on a post so that readers know which information is the most relevant or up to date. In situations where things are happening quickly and circumstances are evolving, sharing the date and time can be useful. If the date is part of the content then posting it is acceptable.
Of course, there is an argument to be made that a blog is not the place to create such content, but in some cases, a blog is the only tool or platform available.
The second exception to the rule is when a sequence of dates is material to a series of posts. For example, an author or team may challenge themselves to post every day for a month or choose to publish a series like “Seven Days to More Online Sales.” In such a case, showing the publish date on the post makes sense. Granted, that visibility does not actually add any value to the content. However, showing the date gives a little context and accountability to the series.
Showing post dates is all downside, no upside
For the thousands of posts we have authored over the years, we have always recommended that the post date be hidden. Content can and should have a long life, even in a fast-paced world. Making a date visible detracts from the content in both overt and unconscious ways. With that in mind, why in the world would you create anything except the most positive environment from which your hard work can flourish?
Understanding how to get the most out of your blog is a neverending journey and tends to be as much art as science. If you can do even a small thing, like making the date invisible, to increase the chance of reader engagement, then you should do that thing. The case is clear: hiding post dates brings multiple benefits.