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Apr 29, 2025
Updating XML Sitemap Dates Doesn’t Help SEO – Latest Updates
In the ever-evolving world of SEO, myths and misconceptions often lead businesses and marketers to spend time on tactics that yield no real benefit. One such widespread myth is that updating the <lastmod> date in an XML sitemap will boost SEO rankings or help pages get reindexed faster. Recent updates from Google clarify this further, making it clear: changing the sitemap dates without real content updates has no positive impact on SEO.
What is an XML Sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a file that helps search engines discover and index the pages of a website. It typically includes information such as:
- URLs of your web pages
- The last modified date (<lastmod>)
- The frequency of content changes (<changefreq>)
- The priority of each page (<priority>)
xml site map coding format:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://www.example.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2025-04-28</lastmod>
<changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
<priority>1.0</priority>
</url>
<url>
<loc>https://www.example.com/blog/seo-basics</loc>
<lastmod>2025-04-25</lastmod>
<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
</urlset>
The purpose of this file is to guide search engine bots through your website’s structure, ensuring that all important pages are crawled and indexed.
What’s the Role of <lastmod>?
The <lastmod> tag tells search engines the last time a particular page was updated. In theory, this helps bots decide whether they should re-crawl the page. But here’s the catch: it only works if the page content has actually changed.
For years, some webmasters have tried to “game the system” by frequently updating the <lastmod> dates, even if no real changes were made to the page content. The assumption was that this would signal to Google that the page was “fresh” and worth revisiting.
Google’s Latest Clarification
In recent guidance (2024–2025), Google’s Search Relations team, including John Mueller and Gary Illyes, have reiterated an important point:
"If the <lastmod> date is updated without any meaningful content change, it will be ignored."
This means that Google is smart enough to detect fake freshness. Simply tweaking the <lastmod> tag doesn’t fool their algorithms. In fact, if Google sees that a page’s last modified date is frequently updated but the content remains the same, it might reduce trust in the sitemap altogether.
Why Do People Still Do It?
Many people are still misled by outdated SEO advice or rely on automated plugins and tools that automatically change the sitemap dates regularly. Some developers assume that keeping dates recent makes the site look “active” to search engines.
But this is a waste of time and server resources. Google doesn’t reward activity that doesn’t bring actual value. Instead, the focus should be on real content improvements that truly deserve reindexing.
When Does Updating Sitemap Dates Actually Help?
Updating the <lastmod> date is helpful only when the content on the page has significantly changed. Here are legitimate scenarios where it adds value:
- A blog post is updated with new information or statistics
- A product page is modified (e.g., new price, specs, or images)
- A service page is restructured or rewritten
- Meta data or internal linking is updated meaningfully
In such cases, Google might use the updated sitemap as a signal to prioritize crawling that URL.
Best Practices for Sitemaps in 2025
Keep Your Sitemap Accurate
Only include canonical, indexable URLs. Exclude 404 pages, redirects, or noindex pages.
Use <lastmod> Honestly
Update it only when real changes are made to the content. Don’t automate it unless your system can detect meaningful edits.
No Need for <changefreq> or <priority>
Google largely ignores these tags, so they’re optional and not useful for most modern SEO strategies.
Submit to Google Search Console
Make sure your sitemap is submitted and regularly updated in Google Search Console so the search engine is aware of new and updated content.
Focus on Quality Content
Instead of playing with XML files, spend time improving the actual page content. That’s what truly moves the needle in SEO.
Final Thoughts
Updating your XML sitemap’s <lastmod> tag without real content changes is not just ineffective – it could harm trust in your sitemap. In 2025, SEO is less about technical hacks and more about user-centric content, structured data, mobile performance, and genuine value.
If you're serious about improving your search visibility, focus on what’s on the page—not just what’s in the sitemap.
