You'll see plenty of advice/tutorials on removing dates from posts. Most of the tutorials are WordPress related. It begs the question, should you remove the date from WordPress posts?
When I see this, the first thought that pops into my head is:
Don't Do It!
Why?
Before I answer that, consider the reason why you would want to remove the date in the first place. What is it about the date on posts that's got you all worked up?
You'll see that most responses to this question are that bloggers want their posts to appear current, even though they may be a few years old (or more).
Hmmm. Sounds a bit deceptive to me!
What About Evergreen Websites?
Some niches don't change much. You could check out a book from the library on an evergreen topic that is several years old and you would find enough in the book to make it a worthwhile read.
But, even evergreen niches have currency issues. For instance, you may believe organic food is an evergreen topic. No need for dates here, right?
What happens when there are changes to laws surrounding organic foods? Wouldn't you want to know how current the information is with respect to those laws? Someone could have written an article before the laws changed and could be steering you in the wrong direction.
Hopefully, you are starting to see why dates are important!
Do You Search for a Date?
When you are reading something, whether it is a blog post or a book from the library, do you check the date before you read it? If you said yes, then, does it frustrate you when you can't find a date for the material you are reading?
The Date Is Crucial When Validating Sources
I am a researcher by trade. I have said in the past that I am a writer. But, when you have been writing for any length of time, you become a researcher by extension. I learned much about research, enough to write a book on the subject. You can take a gander at the book here:
Here's an interesting twist. The book was written in 2013. Therefore, it is dated with respect to the topic. Now, let me ask you. Would you buy my book now in 2018 knowing that it is five years old? I wouldn't blame you if you didn't.
It is on my to-do list to update the book. I have plans to bring new topics and techniques into the content, and I need to refresh the links contained as some of them are no longer working.
Here's another question I have for you. Let's suppose you are looking for a book about online research. You come across my book, and suppose it shows on the cover that it is updated for 2018. You get excited and whip out the credit card. This author thanks you!
However, what if you discover after reading a few chapters, that this book still contains dated material and isn't updated at all? The only thing this sneaky author did (hey, what did you say?) is slap on a new cover. What would you think of me then?
If someone did that to me, I'd be pissed. In fact, I have seen this very tactic used with an SEO book from 2016. The author simply slapped on a new cover and didn't change one iota of the book. Amazon is supposed to flag authors for doing this. I guess it slipped by the workers there!
How Is This Any Different With Blog Posts?
We have established that you'd be pretty P.O.'d at me if I pulled this tactic with my book. Don't worry. I wouldn't blame you in the least. And, you can be sure I won't let that happen. My reputation means the world to me. If you happen to see the date of my book is updated and has a new cover, you can bet it will contain significant updates. I promise!
The key takeaway here is, why would you use this same tactic with your blog posts? Wouldn't a better approach be to update them significantly so that they offer more value and are current for the period we live in now? Just saying...
Readers Check Dates Too...
You don't need to be an official researcher to check dates. Your readers are checking the dates of your posts. If you are hiding on them, effectively forcing them to use other methods to find the dates of your posts, how long do you believe they will stick around on your website before saying Sayonara or Hasta la Vista, Baby!
I can tell you, I'm gone. If I have to spend more than a few seconds searching when something was written then - see ya wouldn't want to be ya!
How do I know other readers are frustrated with this practice? There are just as many people in forums stating their displeasure with the practice as there are bloggers who are trying to hide the dates. Okay, maybe it's not that matched. I didn't do any formal statistical tests here. But, I am almost willing to bet money that you will find plenty people on forums moaning about not being able to find the date.
Some Criteria for Validating Information
Two big factors when trying to determine valid information online is relevance and currency. There are several others as well.
Is the information relevant? How do you know this?
You consider the source. Do you recognize the author of the information? Is he or she known to be an expert on the topic? Does the author have a handle on the most current information for the topic?
That last question will prompt readers to search for the date of the information. What if it is being hidden?
You Have Good Intentions
I can't honestly find any reason to hide the date of a blog post. But, let's assume you have a valid reason. Even if it's above board, readers will still wonder what you are hiding it. It doesn't really matter if you have a valid reason. Perception is everything in life and especially on blogs. Readers can close out a browser quicker than you can blink your eyes.
What to Do Instead
Instead of hiding the dates on your blog posts, why not update them with current information and re-post with a new date? This acceptable to me and I am going to guess that readers won't have a problem with this, for the most part.
You add value to your blog instead of shrouding it in an air of deception. The adding-value proposition seems like a much better approach to take. But, what the heck do I know?
Well, I know that readers don't like to fish for dates. So, why force them to do so? Hopefully, I have convinced you to think twice about this crazy practice of hiding the dates of WordPress posts.
If you truly have a good reason to hide dates that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt readers won't view as being deceptive, please let me know in the comments below. I just cannot seem to get a handle of any valid reason.