XML sitemaps are essential for every site’s SEO strategy and are a big part of our core Yoast SEO product. Both Google and Bing have recently renewed emphasis on properly using the lastmod (last modified) tag in XML sitemaps. The leading search engines now advise site owners to use this feature properly for better crawling … Read more
In a recent LinkedIn discussion, Gary Illyes, Analyst at Google, revealed that the search engine takes a binary approach when assessing a website’s lastmod signal from sitemaps. The revelation came as Illyes encouraged website owners to upgrade to WordPress 6.5, which now natively supports the lastmod element in sitemaps. When Mark Williams-Cook asked if Google … Read more
Now that Google is encouraging publishers to use proper lastmod dates in their sitemap files, what happens if your lastmod **** is incorrect and shows the wrong ****. Gary Illyes from Google said either Google trusts your lastmod **** or doesn’t, there is no in between. As a reminder, Google (and Bing) recommended sites upgrade … Read more
Google and Bing recommend that WordPress users upgrade to version 6.5, which natively supports lastmod dates in the sitemap files. In fact, Fabrice Canel from Bing says this is a “game-changer.” Gary Illyes from Google posted on LinkedIn saying, “The lastmod element in sitemaps is a signal that can help crawlers figure out how often … Read more
WordPress version 6.5 now supports including the lastmod element within sitemaps files, which can help search engines understand which pieces of content are new or updated. This can help improve crawl efficiency for search engine crawlers and reduce server load on your website. Lastmod. Lastmod is an element that you can add to your sitemap … Read more
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