aeo

How to fix: dateModified or visible 'Last updated' label

Why this matters

AI engines and snippet algorithms deprioritise stale content without a clear freshness signal. A visible 'Last updated: …' label plus dateModified in your schema tells the engine 'this is current enough to cite' — even if the underlying content hasn't materially changed.

Background

AI engines and snippet algorithms deprioritise stale content without a clear freshness signal. A visible 'Last updated: …' label plus dateModified in your schema tells the engine 'this is current' — even if the underlying content hasn't materially changed since the original publish.

References

Google QDF (Query Deserves Freshness) · AI Overview freshness weighting

How to fix

Code snippet for each stack we cover. Pick the one matching your server / framework.

nginx

No server config.

apache

Same.

cloudflare

Same.

wordpress

Display 'Last updated' on every post — most themes hide it in favour of 'Published'. Set dateModified in Yoast / RankMath Schema settings.

flask

Add a visible 'Last updated: {{ updated_at.strftime(...) }}' line. Include dateModified in your Article JSON-LD.

express

Same — pass updated_at into the template and emit it both visibly and in schema.

rails

Same — use record.updated_at.

Verify it's working

Open the page. The 'Last updated' label should be visible and within the last 12 months. View source — dateModified in JSON-LD.

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