Danny Sullivan, Google’s Search Liaison, posted a PSA on Twitter that you shouldn’t delete previous content material out of your website since you assume Google Search would not like previous content material. He stated it’s not 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 website since you in some way consider Google would not like “previous” content material? That is not a factor! Our steerage 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 website since you in some way consider Google would not like “previous” content material? That is not a factor! Our steerage 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 prone to rank effectively. Eradicating it’d imply if in case you have a large website that we’re higher capable of crawl different content material on the positioning. Nevertheless it doesn’t imply we go “oh, now the entire website 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 need 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 website’s search engine optimisation magically.
— John Mueller (official) · #MaybeABot (@JohnMu) August 9, 2023
Equally, remember the fact that simply because one thing would not get lots of views (eg, previous information, obscure info) does not imply it is not useful for individuals who do view it. Deal with the distinctive worth, not on the age, view-count, and many others.
— 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If you’re questioning why Danny Sullivan tweeted this within the first place, learn CNET Deletes Hundreds of Outdated Articles to Sport Google Search at Gizmodo.
Wasn’t the primary time I have been requested about this just lately, so it felt helpful to do some mythbusting. Undoubtedly recognize the article and hope it spreads the phrase this is not one thing we’re in some way 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 individuals are deleting content material simply because they assume *previous content material is in some way unhealthy* that is — once more — not a factor.
— Google SearchLiaison (@searchliaison) August 9, 2023
Again to the story, this assertion: “Many firms dwell or die by their efficiency on Google Search, however Google is tight-lipped concerning the workings of its algorithms.” We have now 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.