VerdictFiller (as sold)
CategoryOn-Page
Last reviewedNovember 7, 2026
The problem
Searchers favor results that look current.
Steps
- Identify queries where freshness genuinely matters, such as tools, prices or rules that change.
- Add the year only to pages whose content is actually updated for that year.
- Update the page and the year together every time.
Evidence
Title tests show that the effect depends on the query. A year helps when people search for current information and adds nothing, or reads as clutter, when they do not.
Verdict
Filler as it is usually sold, as a blanket rule. Useful only on time-sensitive pages that are genuinely kept up to date.