{"id":194332,"date":"2025-12-22T15:32:50","date_gmt":"2025-12-22T20:32:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=194332"},"modified":"2025-12-23T06:45:29","modified_gmt":"2025-12-23T11:45:29","slug":"fresh-content","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/fresh-content\/","title":{"rendered":"Fresh Content: Why Publish Dates Make or Break Rankings and AI Visibility"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"intro-txt\">Content that stays current stays visible. Your content\u2019s publish date can be a competitive advantage or a liability.&nbsp;<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Fresh content or content freshness simply means how new or recently updated a page is. Keeping your content up to date tells Google and AI assistants that your information is current, helpful, and reliable, which helps you keep good rankings and earn more mentions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As search engines and AI assistants continue to prioritize recent information, regularly updating your content has become one of the easiest and most effective ways to stay visible and competitive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this article, you\u2019ll learn why fresh content matters for rankings and AI citations, which types of content need the most frequent updates, and how to systematically identify and refresh your outdated pages for maximum impact.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Why fresh content improves your online visibility (and stale content hurts it)\" data-section=\"why-fresh-content-improves-your-online-visibility-and-stale-content-hurts-it\"> Why fresh content improves your online visibility (and stale content hurts&nbsp;it)&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Search engines and AI assistants both favor recent information, but they do so in different ways and for different reasons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_r3fltvsxc6a5\"><\/a>Fresh content ranks higher for time-sensitive queries<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When Google\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\/glossary\/query-deserves-freshness-qdf\">Query Deserves Freshness (QDF)<\/a> algorithm detects that a topic needs current information, it boosts recently updated pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Certain search queries semantically signal the need for fresh content\u2014terms like \u201cnew iPhone,\u201d \u201clatest news,\u201d or \u201c2025 trends\u201d make it clear users want current information. But for others, the QDF algorithm looks for three signals that a topic is \u201chot\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>News sites are actively writing about&nbsp;it.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Blog posts are covering it frequently.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Search volume is spiking.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>When all three occur, Google prioritizes fresh content to give searchers the most current information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1193\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-bitcoin-shows-top-sto.jpg\" alt=\"Google search results for &quot;bitcoin&quot;. Shows top stories, news articles, and information on the cryptocurrency.\" class=\"wp-image-194363\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-bitcoin-shows-top-sto.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-bitcoin-shows-top-sto-680x396.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-bitcoin-shows-top-sto-768x447.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-bitcoin-shows-top-sto-1536x895.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>According to Google\u2019s documentation, a <a href=\"https:\/\/developers.google.com\/search\/docs\/appearance\/ranking-systems-guide#freshness\">SERP may gain or lose this feature<\/a> based on the circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_z7pe1hafe51x\"><\/a>Fresh content gets higher click-through rates<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Users naturally prefer recent content. An outdated title like \u201cBest CRM Tools 2023\u201d gets fewer clicks than \u201cBest CRM Tools 2025\u201d\u2014even at the same ranking position\u2014because users assume older content contains obsolete information or outdated recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mariehaynes.com\/navboost\/\">Research shows<\/a> Google uses click-through rate when re-ranking content. Lower clicks from stale titles create a downward ranking spiral over&nbsp;time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_okk1zco6275j\"><\/a>Fresh content prevents ranking decay<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Even when QDF isn\u2019t triggered, Google favors pages that show active maintenance signals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, my content marketing statistics article gains more traffic and gets a boost in referring domains each time it\u2019s updated, but requires regular refreshes to maintain performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1678\" height=\"892\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seo-performance-graph-showing-blue-referring-doma.png\" alt=\"SEO performance graph showing blue &quot;Referring domains&quot; and orange &quot;Avg. organic traffic&quot; over 5 years, with Google algorithm updates marked.\" class=\"wp-image-194364\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seo-performance-graph-showing-blue-referring-doma.png 1678w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seo-performance-graph-showing-blue-referring-doma-680x361.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seo-performance-graph-showing-blue-referring-doma-768x408.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seo-performance-graph-showing-blue-referring-doma-1536x817.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1678px) 100vw, 1678px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_7iqucmmu5z33\"><\/a>Fresh content increases your chances for AI citations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>AI assistants cite significantly fresher content than traditional search results. Ahrefs\u2019 study analyzing 17 million citations found that<a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/do-ai-assistants-prefer-to-cite-fresh-content\/\"> AI-cited content is 25.7% fresher than organic Google results<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1648\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-graph-showing-the-average-age-in-days-of-cited.png\" alt=\"Bar graph showing the average age in days of cited content, comparing Organic SERP versus AI assistants.\" class=\"wp-image-194365\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-graph-showing-the-average-age-in-days-of-cited.png 1600w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-graph-showing-the-average-age-in-days-of-cited-413x425.png 413w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-graph-showing-the-average-age-in-days-of-cited-768x791.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-graph-showing-the-average-age-in-days-of-cited-1491x1536.png 1491w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Breaking it down by platform:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>ChatGPT shows the strongest preference for new content, citing URLs that are 393-458 days newer than organic Google results.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Perplexity and Gemini also favor fresher content.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Google\u2019s AI Overviews behave most like traditional search, actually citing content that\u2019s slightly older than what ChatGPT prefers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1665\" height=\"1719\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-graph-average-age-days-of-urls-cited-by-ai.png\" alt=\"Bar graph: Average age (days) of URLs cited by AI assistants (Google AIO, Organic SERP, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot, ChatGPT). Publication &amp; update dates are shown.\" class=\"wp-image-194366\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-graph-average-age-days-of-urls-cited-by-ai.png 1665w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-graph-average-age-days-of-urls-cited-by-ai-412x425.png 412w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-graph-average-age-days-of-urls-cited-by-ai-768x793.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-graph-average-age-days-of-urls-cited-by-ai-1488x1536.png 1488w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1665px) 100vw, 1665px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Which content types need updating most often\" data-section=\"which-content-types-need-updating-most-often\"> Which content types need updating most&nbsp;often&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Not all content ages at the same rate. Here\u2019s what expires fastest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_hzwdlgclrk28\"><\/a>Breaking news<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Election results, stock market movements, and major incidents. These topics need immediate updates as events unfold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1464\" height=\"1690\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-ukraine-on-the-news-ta.jpg\" alt=\"Google search results for &quot;Ukraine&quot; on the news tab. Headlines cover peace talks, detained officials, and political maneuvers.\" class=\"wp-image-194367\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-ukraine-on-the-news-ta.jpg 1464w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-ukraine-on-the-news-ta-368x425.jpg 368w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-ukraine-on-the-news-ta-768x887.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-ukraine-on-the-news-ta-1331x1536.jpg 1331w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1464px) 100vw, 1464px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_lv1go5531aw4\"><\/a>Recurring events<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Black Friday deals, tax deadlines, seasonal topics. Update these before peak season to capture early search traffic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, look at how Bankrate\u2019s ebb and flow of traffic to the article on tax brackets. They update the article whenever tax rules change, which helps attract more readers when interest in the topic&nbsp;rises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1742\" height=\"896\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-graph-showing-websites-average-organic-traff.png\" alt=\"Line graph showing website's average organic traffic over the last 5 years, peaking in February 2022.\" class=\"wp-image-194368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-graph-showing-websites-average-organic-traff.png 1742w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-graph-showing-websites-average-organic-traff-680x350.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-graph-showing-websites-average-organic-traff-768x395.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-graph-showing-websites-average-organic-traff-1536x790.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1742px) 100vw, 1742px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1314\" height=\"876\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/tax-brackets-keyword-overview-keyword-difficult.png\" alt=\"&quot;Tax brackets&quot; keyword overview. Keyword Difficulty: 69 (Hard). Search volume: 110K, +3% growth.  Line graph showing search trend.\" class=\"wp-image-194369\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/tax-brackets-keyword-overview-keyword-difficult.png 1314w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/tax-brackets-keyword-overview-keyword-difficult-638x425.png 638w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/tax-brackets-keyword-overview-keyword-difficult-768x512.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1314px) 100vw, 1314px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_9kfmng9vkvb7\"><\/a>Product recommendations<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cBest laptop 2025\u201d or \u201ctop CRM software\u201d lists. These need annual updates (or even quarterly) as new products launch and old ones become obsolete.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is exactly what sites like TechRadar do with their reviews.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1492\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/techradar-page-inspection-comparing-best-laptops.png\" alt=\"TechRadar page inspection comparing &quot;best laptops&quot; articles for 2024 &amp; 2025. A heatmap shows text changes over time, with updates in May, June, and August marked.\" class=\"wp-image-194370\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/techradar-page-inspection-comparing-best-laptops.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/techradar-page-inspection-comparing-best-laptops-583x425.png 583w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/techradar-page-inspection-comparing-best-laptops-768x560.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/techradar-page-inspection-comparing-best-laptops-1536x1119.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Screenshot from the Page inspect tool in Ahrefs Site Explorer. Use to compare changes on any&nbsp;site.&nbsp;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_fcnxl5hqmcpa\"><\/a>Evolving topics<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Technology updates, regulations, industry trends. These require regular monitoring and updates as the landscape changes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s what the rankings for the keyword \u201cSEO trends\u201d looked like after we updated the article, compared with how they dropped when we let it become outdated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"727\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chart-showing-the-search-engine-ranking-of-seo-tr.png\" alt=\"Chart showing the search engine ranking of &quot;seo trends&quot; over time on Ahrefs, with an overall climb in ranking positions.\" class=\"wp-image-194371\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chart-showing-the-search-engine-ranking-of-seo-tr.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chart-showing-the-search-engine-ranking-of-seo-tr-680x241.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chart-showing-the-search-engine-ranking-of-seo-tr-768x273.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chart-showing-the-search-engine-ranking-of-seo-tr-1536x545.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Finding your refresh targets: identifying outdated content at scale\" data-section=\"finding-your-refresh-targets-identifying-outdated-content-at-scale\"> Finding your refresh targets: identifying outdated content at&nbsp;scale&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>You can do this with a free tool like <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/pl\/webmaster-tools\">Ahrefs\u2019 Webmaster Tools<\/a> (a free toolkit that gives you access to Site Audit and other features) or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.screamingfrog.co.uk\/seo-spider\/\">Screaming Frog<\/a>. You\u2019ll just need two things: the date format the site uses in its code, and the regex pattern to match it. Let\u2019s start by finding the&nbsp;code.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Open any blog post on your site that you\u2019ve updated. Then open Inspect (Developer Tools) and, in the search bar, type \u201cpublish\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Write down the properties that hold the published date\/time and the last updated date\/time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1902\" height=\"828\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/browser-devtools-showing-html-meta-tags-for-articl.jpg\" alt=\"Browser DevTools showing HTML meta tags for article publish and modified times set to &quot;2025-12-10&quot;. A &quot;publish&quot; search is highlighted.\" class=\"wp-image-194372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/browser-devtools-showing-html-meta-tags-for-articl.jpg 1902w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/browser-devtools-showing-html-meta-tags-for-articl-680x296.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/browser-devtools-showing-html-meta-tags-for-articl-768x334.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/browser-devtools-showing-html-meta-tags-for-articl-1536x669.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1902px) 100vw, 1902px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now you\u2019ll need two regex patterns. You can adjust the dates as needed and add the codes you found earlier\u2014just ask any AI assistant to help you with&nbsp;that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s the regex to find content that has never been updated since publication:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&lt;meta[^&gt;]*property=[\"']article:published_time[\"'][^&gt;]*content=[\"'](?:20(?:0\\d|1\\d|2[0-4])-\\d{2}-\\d{2}|2025-(?:0[1-5])-\\d{2})T<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>And this regex is to find content last updated before a certain date:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&lt;meta[^&gt;]*property=[\"']article:modified_time[\"'][^&gt;]*content=[\"'](?:20(?:0\\d|1\\d|2[0-4])-\\d{2}-\\d{2}|2025-(?:0[1-5])-\\d{2})T<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n<p>Combine these filters like this (I\u2019m using <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-audit\">Site Audit<\/a> here, included in Ahrefs Webmaster Tools):<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-tool-showing-advanced-filte.jpg\" alt=\"Ahrefs &quot;Page explorer&quot; tool showing advanced filters and search options for URL analysis. Regular expressions are being used for article modification and publish times.\" class=\"wp-image-194373\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-tool-showing-advanced-filte.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-tool-showing-advanced-filte-680x255.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-tool-showing-advanced-filte-768x288.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-tool-showing-advanced-filte-1536x576.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>You can also include referring domains to help you prioritize pages that already have some authority, so updates are more likely to show results faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1176\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/screenshot-of-a-page-explorer-interface-showing.png\" alt=\"Screenshot of a &quot;Page explorer&quot; interface, showing search filters like URLs, referring domains, and source code regex.\" class=\"wp-image-194374\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/screenshot-of-a-page-explorer-interface-showing.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/screenshot-of-a-page-explorer-interface-showing-680x390.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/screenshot-of-a-page-explorer-interface-showing-768x441.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/screenshot-of-a-page-explorer-interface-showing-1536x882.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n<div class=\"recommendation\"><div class=\"recommendation-title\">Recommendation<\/div><div class=\"recommendation-content\">\n<p>To automate this even further, you can enhance the data with traffic opportunity gap insights using the <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.ahrefs.com\/docs\/api\/reference\/introduction\">Ahrefs API<\/a> or <a href=\"https:\/\/docs.ahrefs.com\/docs\/mcp\/reference\/introduction\">MCP<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>You can also \u201cguess\u201d each page\u2019s main keyword by pulling it from the URL structure. It\u2019s not perfect, but it works well at&nbsp;scale.<\/p>\n<p>Ask your favorite AI assistant to build a small Python app to handle this. Here\u2019s a sample prompt you can&nbsp;use:<\/p>\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\">\n<code>Create a Python script that analyzes content performance and identifies articles that need updating based on their traffic gap.\n\n<strong>Requirements:<\/strong>\n\nThe script should:\n 1. Accept a list of URLs as input (either from a CSV file or as a list in the code)\n 2. For each URL:\n    - Extract the target keyword from the last segment of the URL slug (the part after the final slash, removing hyphens and converting to a search-friendly format)\n    - Use the Ahrefs API to fetch the page's current estimated organic traffic\n    - Use the Ahrefs API to fetch the global search volume for the extracted keyword\n    - Calculate the \"traffic gap\" = (Global Search Volume - Current Organic Traffic)\n 3. Output a prioritized list showing:\n    - URL\n    - Extracted keyword\n    - Current organic traffic\n    - Global search volume\n    - Traffic gap\n    - Priority ranking (sorted by largest gap first)\n 4. Export results to a CSV file with all the above columns\n\n<strong>Technical specifications:<\/strong>\n - Use the Ahrefs API endpoints for:\n    - site-explorer\/organic-keywords or site-explorer\/metrics to get organic traffic for each URL\n    - keywords-explorer\/overview to get global search volume for keywords\n - Refer to the Ahrefs API documentation for endpoint details and parameters: https:\/\/docs.ahrefs.com\/docs\/api\/reference\/introduction\n - Handle API rate limiting appropriately\n - Include error handling for URLs that don't return data\n - The keyword extraction should handle common URL patterns (removing hyphens, handling special characters)\n\nPlease provide well-commented code with clear variable names and include instructions for setting up the Ahrefs API credentials.\n<\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Tips for improving content freshness\" data-section=\"tips-for-improving-content-freshness\"> Tips for improving content freshness&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Obviously, refreshing content isn\u2019t just about changing dates. Here\u2019s what worked for us so&nbsp;far.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_uv4rgfdhvr1q\"><\/a>Find what\u2019s missing: Closing topical gaps<\/h3>\n<p>Manually check \u201cPeople Also Ask\u201d boxes for your target keyword to identify topics you might have missed. Look at what top-ranking pages cover that you&nbsp;don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>If you want a quicker option, try <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/ai-content-helper\">Ahrefs\u2019 AI Content Helper<\/a>. It uses AI to spot topical gaps automatically, showing which topics you\u2019re missing and scoring your coverage against the pages that rank at the&nbsp;top.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1376\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-seo-content-tool-article-seo-trends-2024-.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs SEO content tool. Article: SEO Trends 2024.  Right panel with SEO topic suggestions. Annotations point to topics with higher relevance scores.\" class=\"wp-image-194375\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-seo-content-tool-article-seo-trends-2024-.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-seo-content-tool-article-seo-trends-2024--633x425.png 633w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-seo-content-tool-article-seo-trends-2024--768x516.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-seo-content-tool-article-seo-trends-2024--1536x1032.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_hywlkhyu49ha\"><\/a>Swap stale stats for current data<\/h3>\n<p>Old statistics undermine your credibility and can signal to search engines that your content is outdated.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Replace outdated statistics with recent ones. Add new ones that add something to the&nbsp;topic.<\/li>\n<li>Update pricing information.<\/li>\n<li>Add \u201cas of [Month Year]\u201d to key&nbsp;facts.<\/li>\n<li>Link to recent, authoritative sources instead of outdated ones.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>That\u2019s exactly what my colleagues and I do with our curated statistics articles (page comparison via Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer):<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"1091\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/side-by-side-comparison-of-top-content-marketing.jpg\" alt=\"Side-by-side comparison of &quot;Top Content Marketing Statistics&quot; from 2024 (left) and 2025 (right). Highlights differences and updated stats on content marketing trends.\" class=\"wp-image-194376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/side-by-side-comparison-of-top-content-marketing.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/side-by-side-comparison-of-top-content-marketing-680x362.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/side-by-side-comparison-of-top-content-marketing-768x409.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/side-by-side-comparison-of-top-content-marketing-1536x818.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_g18br5vj3kix\"><\/a>Refresh product details to boost user engagement<\/h3>\n<p>I\u2019d say this tip is mainly about improving click-through rates and on-page user signals. You can apply it alongside other improvements, or even use it to refresh content that\u2019s already ranking in the top 10 by highlighting new updates or features in your product.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Replace screenshots showing old interfaces.<\/li>\n<li>Cover recent developments in your&nbsp;topic.<\/li>\n<li>Remove discontinued products or services.<\/li>\n<li>Address new objections or concerns that have emerged.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_muof4iain7xy\"><\/a>Target seasonal freshness windows<\/h3>\n<p>For recurring topics like the ones below, update 3 months before peak season:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>\u201cBlack Friday deals\u201d. Update August\/September.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cTax tips\u201d. Update November\/December.<\/li>\n<li>\u201cSummer destinations\u201d. Update January\/February.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Google\u2019s QDF algorithm anticipates these search patterns and favors content that is updated at the right time. For example, pages ranking at the top for \u201csummer holiday\u201d in December 2025 were last updated in early 2025 to target early planners, and again around July 2025 to reach late planners. After summer, those pages typically aren\u2019t updated again for the rest of the&nbsp;year.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1442\" height=\"1288\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/search-results-for-travel-destinations-top-result.jpg\" alt=\"Search results for travel destinations. Top results include blog posts about dream destinations, east coast family vacations, and trips to take with kids.\" class=\"wp-image-194377\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/search-results-for-travel-destinations-top-result.jpg 1442w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/search-results-for-travel-destinations-top-result-476x425.jpg 476w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/search-results-for-travel-destinations-top-result-768x686.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1442px) 100vw, 1442px\"><\/figure>\n<p>As you can see below in the search volume history for the keyword (via <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>), this content creation pattern closely follows when interest in the topic&nbsp;rises.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_qfgh5flq98vo\"><\/a>\n<figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1686\" height=\"1056\" class=\"wp-image-194378\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-screenshot-showing-keyword-summer-vacation.jpg\" alt=\"Ahrefs screenshot showing keyword &quot;summer vacation&quot; analysis. It includes search volume, keyword difficulty (Hard: 36), and historical search trends.\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-screenshot-showing-keyword-summer-vacation.jpg 1686w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-screenshot-showing-keyword-summer-vacation-680x425.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-screenshot-showing-keyword-summer-vacation-768x481.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-screenshot-showing-keyword-summer-vacation-1536x962.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1686px) 100vw, 1686px\"><\/figure>\n<\/h3>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_vtyhoq518uy6\"><\/a>Promote your refresh to earn fresh backlinks and more visitors<\/h3>\n<p>You don\u2019t have to stop at republishing the content. You can also promote it on social media, support it with paid ads, or repurpose it into a webinar or other formats. This increases your chances of earning backlinks and attracting more traffic and new visitors.<\/p>\n<p>This is exactly what my colleague Louise did with a content refresh, gaining not only more traffic but also new referring domains and viewers through a webinar on YouTube.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1678\" height=\"868\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-graph-showing-referring-domains-and-organic-t.png\" alt=\"Line graph showing referring domains and organic traffic over the last 2 years, with a sharp spike in December 2025.\" class=\"wp-image-194379\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-graph-showing-referring-domains-and-organic-t.png 1678w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-graph-showing-referring-domains-and-organic-t-680x352.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-graph-showing-referring-domains-and-organic-t-768x397.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/line-graph-showing-referring-domains-and-organic-t-1536x795.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1678px) 100vw, 1678px\"><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_qrz5sflmguxn\"><\/a>Signal freshness where it counts<\/h3>\n<p>Make your updates visible to both users and search engines:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Add \u201cLast Updated: [Date]\u201d at the very&nbsp;top<\/li>\n<li>Update the year in your title if appropriate: \u201cBest Project Management Tools&nbsp;2025\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Change dateModified in your schema markup<\/li>\n<li>Consider adding a brief note explaining what was updated and&nbsp;why<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_ixnn9qmu0q9v\"><\/a>Add internal links while you\u2019re updating<\/h3>\n<p>Content refreshes are the perfect time to strengthen your internal linking. Use <strong>Site Audit\u2019s Internal link opportunities tool<\/strong> to find relevant pages on your site that should link to the content you\u2019re updating. The tool takes the top 10 keywords (by traffic) for each crawled page, then looks for mentions of those on your other crawled pages.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1596\" height=\"1076\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-interface-showing-internal-link-opportunit.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs interface showing &quot;Internal link opportunities&quot; tool. Table with PR, source page, URL rating, and total traffic data. An arrow points to the &quot;Internal link opportunities&quot; link on the left menu.\" class=\"wp-image-194380\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-interface-showing-internal-link-opportunit.png 1596w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-interface-showing-internal-link-opportunit-630x425.png 630w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-interface-showing-internal-link-opportunit-768x518.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-interface-showing-internal-link-opportunit-1536x1036.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1596px) 100vw, 1596px\"><\/figure>\n<p>This helps distribute authority and makes it easier for users to discover related content.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_rclzg9z180r6\"><\/a>Use IndexNow for instant indexing<\/h3>\n<p>IndexNow notifies Bing and a few other search engines (not Google, though) immediately when you update content. Since ChatGPT uses Bing\u2019s index, this can accelerate your AI visibility after updates.<\/p>\n<p>You can set it up straight from Site Audit\u2019s project settings:<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1522\" height=\"946\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/indexnow-settings-panel-api-key-field-and-auto-su.png\" alt=\"IndexNow settings panel: API key field and auto-submit toggle enabled for indexable, new, redirected, and removed pages.\" class=\"wp-image-194381\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/indexnow-settings-panel-api-key-field-and-auto-su.png 1522w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/indexnow-settings-panel-api-key-field-and-auto-su-680x423.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/indexnow-settings-panel-api-key-field-and-auto-su-768x477.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1522px) 100vw, 1522px\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"further-reading\"><div class=\"reading-title\">Further reading<\/div><div class=\"reading-content\">\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/republishing-content\/\">Republishing Content for SEO &amp; AI: How to Update Posts (Not Just Change Dates)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Did it work? How to measure your content refresh results\" data-section=\"did-it-work-how-to-measure-your-content-refresh-results\"> Did it work? How to measure your content refresh results&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Track these metrics to see if your updates are working.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_r4x1rkoww0xm\"><\/a>Your target keywords increase in position<\/h3>\n<p>Check your rankings 1-3 weeks after updating to see if your target keywords have moved up in search results. Even small position gains can significantly impact your traffic, especially if you\u2019re climbing into the top 5 results.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1896\" height=\"180\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seo-data-table-with-keyword-republishing-content.png\" alt=\"SEO data table with keyword &quot;republishing content&quot; jumping from position 21 to 4, with an increase of 17.\" class=\"wp-image-194382\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seo-data-table-with-keyword-republishing-content.png 1896w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seo-data-table-with-keyword-republishing-content-680x65.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seo-data-table-with-keyword-republishing-content-768x73.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/seo-data-table-with-keyword-republishing-content-1536x146.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1896px) 100vw, 1896px\"><\/figure>\n\n<p>Start by checking your rankings in the free Ahrefs Webmaster Tools or Google Search Console. For deeper analysis\u2014like tracking competitor movements or monitoring keywords across multiple locations\u2014consider using <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/rank-tracker\">Ahrefs\u2019 Rank Tracker<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_pzhq0td7jmv3\"><\/a>Your organic traffic grows<\/h3>\n<p>Updating your content can help you rank for new keywords and, as a result, bring in more traffic. Fresh content often captures additional long-tail variations and related queries that weren\u2019t ranking before. You can use the content changes feature in <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/site-explorer\">Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer<\/a> to more easily track and report on the impact of those updates.<\/p>\n<p>In the example below, you can clearly see how a content update (marked by the large green dot) led to a spike in traffic (shown in orange).<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1350\" height=\"926\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/graph-showing-avg-organic-traffic-from-jun-2015.png\" alt=\"Graph showing &quot;Avg. organic traffic&quot; from Jun 2015 to Dec 2025. Traffic spikes in Dec 2025. Checkbox selected for average organic traffic.\" class=\"wp-image-194383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/graph-showing-avg-organic-traffic-from-jun-2015.png 1350w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/graph-showing-avg-organic-traffic-from-jun-2015-620x425.png 620w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/graph-showing-avg-organic-traffic-from-jun-2015-768x527.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1350px) 100vw, 1350px\"><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_yqtv1puzbd1f\"><\/a>Your AI citation count increases<\/h3>\n<p>Adding a fresh date to your page and improving its ranking in search results can make it easier for AI bots to discover your content. This increases your chances of being cited, meaning your links may appear in AI-generated answers when users ask related questions.<\/p>\n<p>You can check it in seconds by entering the page\u2019s URL in <strong>Ahrefs\u2019 Site Explorer.<\/strong><\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"899\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-interface-showing-top-google-searches-dat.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs interface showing &quot;Top Google Searches&quot; data. &quot;AI citations&quot; shows Google with 363 pages and &quot;Backlink profile&quot; displays DR:91, UR:10.\" class=\"wp-image-194384\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-interface-showing-top-google-searches-dat.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-interface-showing-top-google-searches-dat-680x298.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-interface-showing-top-google-searches-dat-768x337.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-interface-showing-top-google-searches-dat-1536x674.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_3bb73sakahz7\"><\/a>Your click-through rate improves<\/h3>\n<p>Fresh titles and updated meta descriptions naturally attract more clicks from search results. You can measure how your updates affect click-through rate using Google Search Console\u2014look for improvements in CTR for pages you\u2019ve recently refreshed compared to their pre-update performance.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"826\" height=\"610\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ctr-data-table-showing-a-difference-between-the-la.png\" alt=\"CTR data table showing a difference between the last 28 days and the previous 28 days, with a highlighted &quot;Difference&quot; column.\" class=\"wp-image-194385\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ctr-data-table-showing-a-difference-between-the-la.png 826w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ctr-data-table-showing-a-difference-between-the-la-575x425.png 575w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ctr-data-table-showing-a-difference-between-the-la-768x567.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 826px) 100vw, 826px\"><\/figure>\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"How to benchmark your refresh strategy against competitors\" data-section=\"how-to-benchmark-your-refresh-strategy-against-competitors\"> How to benchmark your refresh strategy against competitors&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Here\u2019s a simple way to compare how often you update blog posts versus your main competitors. This helps you identify if competitors are updating more frequently than you\u2014a sign you may need to improve your own refresh cadence to stay competitive. To keep things straightforward, we\u2019ll focus on content published between 2020 and 2024 that hasn\u2019t been updated in&nbsp;2025.<\/p>\n<p>First, set up a <strong>Site Audit <\/strong>project for your blog (if you haven\u2019t already) and for your competitors\u2019 blogs.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1520\" height=\"616\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-site-audit-showing-a-list-of-projects-wit.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs &quot;Site Audit&quot; showing a list of projects with the &quot;New project&quot; button highlighted with an arrow.\" class=\"wp-image-194386\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-site-audit-showing-a-list-of-projects-wit.png 1520w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-site-audit-showing-a-list-of-projects-wit-680x276.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-site-audit-showing-a-list-of-projects-wit-768x311.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1520px) 100vw, 1520px\"><\/figure>\n<p>Open your project in <strong>Site Audit<\/strong> and go to <strong>Page explorer <\/strong>tool. Set an advanced filter and use the \u201cURL does not contain\u201d rule to exclude blog pages that aren\u2019t articles. Take note of the number of pages found\u2014this will be your starting point for comparison.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"726\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-interface-filters-set-to-e.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs &quot;Page Explorer&quot; interface. Filters set to exclude URLs containing &quot;author&quot; or &quot;category&quot;. The tool shows 3,086 matching results after applying these filters.\" class=\"wp-image-194387\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-interface-filters-set-to-e.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-interface-filters-set-to-e-680x241.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-interface-filters-set-to-e-768x272.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-interface-filters-set-to-e-1536x545.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<p>Next, add a new group and apply the same filters shown in the image below. You\u2019ll need to paste in the following two regex&nbsp;codes:<\/p>\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&lt;meta\\s+property=\"article:published_time\"\\s+content=\"202[1-4]-<\/code><\/pre>\n<pre class=\"wp-block-code\"><code>&lt;meta\\s+property=\"article:modified_time\"\\s+content=\"202[0-4]-<\/code><\/pre>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"941\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-interface-with-advanced-filt.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' Page explorer interface with advanced filters. Several &quot;AND\/OR&quot; filter rules are set with various criteria for URLs and page source, leading to 1,612 results.\" class=\"wp-image-194388\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-interface-with-advanced-filt.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-interface-with-advanced-filt-680x312.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-interface-with-advanced-filt-768x353.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ahrefs-page-explorer-interface-with-advanced-filt-1536x706.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<p>Divide this number by the first number you noted. The result is the percentage of articles that haven\u2019t been updated in 2025. In our case, around 52% of pages published before 2025 were not updated in 2025, with some of them never updated at&nbsp;all.<\/p>\n<p>Repeat the same steps for each competitor, then compare the percentages side by side. Once you have the numbers, you can ask an AI assistant to visualize the results in a simple chart (for example, a bar chart) so it\u2019s easier to spot who updates content most&nbsp;often.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"894\" height=\"662\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-chart-comparing-percentage-of-articles-not-upd.png\" alt=\"Bar chart comparing percentage of articles not updated in 2025 between &quot;You,&quot; &quot;Competitor 1,&quot; and &quot;Competitor 2.&quot;\" class=\"wp-image-194389\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-chart-comparing-percentage-of-articles-not-upd.png 894w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-chart-comparing-percentage-of-articles-not-upd-574x425.png 574w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/bar-chart-comparing-percentage-of-articles-not-upd-768x569.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 894px) 100vw, 894px\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Five freshness mistakes that waste time\" data-section=\"five-freshness-mistakes-that-waste-time\"> Five freshness mistakes that waste&nbsp;time&nbsp;<\/div><\/div><\/h2>\n<p>Even when you understand freshness signals, it\u2019s easy to waste effort on the wrong tactics. Here are five common mistakes to&nbsp;avoid.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_kkac9su7d3ps\"><\/a>1. Just changing the&nbsp;date<\/h3>\n<p>Never update the publish date without making substantial content changes. Google can detect superficial updates and may ignore them entirely.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_qhtypo6qzttc\"><\/a>2. Updating everything<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t try to refresh your entire site at once. Focus on your top 20% of pages by traffic first\u2014these will deliver the biggest impact.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_mt9lb94imyc3\"><\/a>3. Over-optimizing for&nbsp;AI<\/h3>\n<p>Don\u2019t ignore Google fundamentals like backlinks, authority, and technical SEO while chasing AI citations. Optimize for Google first\u2014AI visibility follows naturally when you nail content freshness.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_6106n4na4mrv\"><\/a>4. Neglecting user experience<\/h3>\n<p>Always update for accuracy and user value, not just ranking signals. If your updates don\u2019t genuinely improve the content, they won\u2019t help in the long&nbsp;run.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"post-194332-_48dqql34pxl4\"><\/a>5. Ignoring opportunity cost<\/h3>\n<p>Balance freshness maintenance with new content creation. Sometimes creating something new delivers better ROI than updating existing content. Not every article needs constant updates\u2014some evergreen content can rank well for years if it still matches search intent.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2048\" height=\"836\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chart-showing-average-organic-traffic-over-time-l.png\" alt=\"Chart showing average organic traffic over time, last updated in March 2024. Traffic has increased significantly since late 2022.\" class=\"wp-image-194390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chart-showing-average-organic-traffic-over-time-l.png 2048w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chart-showing-average-organic-traffic-over-time-l-680x278.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chart-showing-average-organic-traffic-over-time-l-768x314.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/chart-showing-average-organic-traffic-over-time-l-1536x627.png 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2048px) 100vw, 2048px\"><\/figure>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final thoughts <\/h2>\n<p>The sites that consistently update their best-performing content stay visible while competitors slowly fade from rankings. The compounding effect of regular updates\u2014better rankings, more traffic, increased AI citations, and fresh backlinks\u2014makes this one of the highest-ROI SEO activities you can&nbsp;do.<\/p>\n<p>Got questions or comments? Let me know on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/mateusz-makosiewicz\/\">LinkedIn<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fresh content or content freshness simply means how new or recently updated a page is. Keeping your content up to date tells Google and AI assistants that your information is current, helpful, and reliable, which helps you keep good rankings<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":159,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,335],"tags":[],"coauthors":[412],"class_list":["post-194332","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-content-marketing","category-general-seo","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fresh Content: Why Publish Dates Make or Break Rankings and AI Visibility<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Fresh pages rank higher and earn 25.7% more AI citations. Learn how to quickly find refresh targets and get proven tips for updating content.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/fresh-content\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fresh Content: Why Publish Dates Make or Break Rankings and AI Visibility\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Fresh pages rank higher and earn 25.7% more AI citations. Learn how to quickly find refresh targets and get proven tips for updating content.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/fresh-content\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2025-12-22T20:32:50+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-12-23T11:45:29+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/google-search-results-for-bitcoin-shows-top-sto.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"2048\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1193\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Mateusz Makosiewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@m_makosiewicz\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/fresh-content\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/fresh-content\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Mateusz Makosiewicz\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/c7e64c851ecc4eabb77eaefae90a440c\"},\"headline\":\"Fresh Content: Why Publish Dates Make or Break Rankings and AI Visibility\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-22T20:32:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-23T11:45:29+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/fresh-content\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2493,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/fresh-content\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/fresh-content-why-publish-dates-make-by-mateusz-makosiewicz-content-marketing.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Content Marketing\",\"General SEO\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/fresh-content\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/fresh-content\\\/\",\"name\":\"Fresh Content: Why Publish Dates Make or Break Rankings and AI Visibility\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/fresh-content\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/fresh-content\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/ahrefs.com\\\/blog\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2025\\\/12\\\/google-search-results-for-bitcoin-shows-top-sto.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2025-12-22T20:32:50+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-12-23T11:45:29+00:00\",\"description\":\"Fresh pages rank higher and earn 25.7% more AI citations. 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