Danny Sullivan, Google’s Search Liaison, posted a PSA on Twitter that you shouldn’t delete previous content material out of your web site since you assume Google Search would not like previous content material. He stated it isn’t true, Google Search can discover older content material to be useful. So do not delete useful previous content material.
Danny Sullivan wrote, “Are you deleting content material out of your web site since you by some means imagine Google would not like “previous” content material? That is not a factor! Our steering would not encourage this. Older content material can nonetheless be useful, too.”
He then posted a hyperlink to the official useful content material documentation on Google Search.
This could not shock anybody, Google has been saying this for years. Listed below are some older tales I wrote about this subject:
Right here is that tweet:
Are you deleting content material out of your web site since you by some means imagine Google would not like “previous” content material? That is not a factor! Our steering would not encourage this. Older content material can nonetheless be useful, too. Study extra about creating useful content material: https://t.co/NaRQqb1SQx
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) August 8, 2023
Right here is the comply with up:
The web page itself isn’t more likely to rank nicely. Eradicating it would imply when you have an enormous web site that we’re higher in a position to crawl different content material on the positioning. But it surely doesn’t imply we go “oh, now the entire web site is so a lot better” due to what occurs with a person web page.
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) August 9, 2023
Delete what you do not wish to preserve – common upkeep and cleansing up is at all times good. Simply do not assume that deleting one thing solely as a result of it is previous will enhance your web site’s search engine optimisation magically.
— John Mueller (official) · #MaybeABot (@JohnMu) August 9, 2023
Equally, take into account that simply because one thing would not get a variety of views (eg, previous information, obscure info) doesn’t suggest it isn’t useful for individuals who do view it. Deal with the distinctive worth, not on the age, view-count, and so on.
— John Mueller (official) · #MaybeABot (@JohnMu) August 9, 2023
If you’re questioning why Danny Sullivan tweeted this within the first place, learn CNET Deletes Hundreds of Previous Articles to Recreation Google Search at Gizmodo.
Wasn’t the primary time I have been requested about this not too long ago, so it felt helpful to do some mythbusting. Positively admire the article and hope it spreads the phrase this is not one thing we’re by some means telling individuals to do. Additionally to among the quotes within the piece….
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) August 9, 2023
“Simply because Google says that deleting content material in isolation doesn’t present any search engine optimisation profit, this isn’t at all times true”
Which … is not what we stated. We stated that if persons are deleting content material simply because they assume *previous content material is by some means unhealthy* that is — once more — not a factor.
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) August 9, 2023
Again to the story, this assertion: “Many corporations reside or die by their efficiency on Google Search, however Google is tight-lipped in regards to the workings of its algorithms.” We now have many, many pages designed to assist creators. A very good beginning place is our Search Necessities…
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) August 9, 2023
Discussion board dialogue at Twitter.