Google and Bing Emphasise the Role of lastmod in XML Sitemap

XML sitemaps are a crucial component of any website’s SEO strategy and are integral to the Yoast SEO product. Recently, both Google and Bing have stressed the importance of using the `lastmod` (last modified) tag correctly in XML sitemaps. The major search engines now recommend that site owners make proper use of this feature to improve crawling and indexing.

What is the lastmod tag in XML sitemaps?

The `lastmod` tag in an XML sitemap provides the date when a specific page on your website was last updated. This information is useful for search engines as it helps them determine which pages have had recent changes or additions. By knowing the most recent update, search engines can prioritise these pages for crawling and indexing, ensuring that the latest content is more likely to be reflected in search results. This can improve the visibility of updated pages and ensure that search engines are aware of the freshest content on your site.

The situation before

Before Google and Bing recently emphasised the importance of the `lastmod` tag, its use was optional and frequently misunderstood. Many site owners either neglected to use it or did not apply it correctly.

This misunderstanding led to inconsistencies in how search engines crawled and indexed updated content. For instance, some site owners would change the `lastmod` date every time the sitemap was regenerated, regardless of whether the actual content had been updated. This practice resulted in inefficiencies, as search engines might waste resources crawling pages that had not changed, rather than focusing on pages with new or updated content. This mismanagement of the `lastmod` tag affected the overall effectiveness of search engine indexing and the accuracy of the content presented in search results.

Recent advice from Google and Bing

Both Google and Bing have recently updated their guidelines to highlight the importance of correctly using the `lastmod` tag in XML sitemaps.

Google: Google’s updated guidelines stress that the `lastmod` tag helps the search engine prioritize pages with fresh content for crawling and indexing. According to Google’s XML sitemap documentation: “Google uses the `<lastmod>` value if it’s consistently and verifiably accurate, such as by comparing it to the last modification of the page.” Google further explains that the `lastmod` value should represent the date and time of the last major update to the page, like changes to the main content, structured data, or links. However, updates to the copyright date are not considered significant.

Bing: In February 2023, Bing also emphasized the importance of the `lastmod` tag, advising site owners to ensure that this tag accurately reflects content changes.

This renewed focus aims to improve crawl efficiency and contribute to a more sustainable approach. Efficient crawling helps reduce the computational resources used by search engines, thereby lowering their carbon footprint. By correctly using the `lastmod` tag, site owners can support more efficient crawling and contribute to environmental sustainability.

Why this matters for SEO

XML sitemaps are essential for SEO, as they assist search engines in discovering and indexing your website’s content efficiently. By listing all the pages on your site, sitemaps help ensure that important content isn’t overlooked by crawlers.

The `lastmod` tag in sitemaps shows when a page was last updated, allowing search engines to quickly re-crawl and index fresh content. This helps keep your site’s information up-to-date in search results. Including new pages in your sitemap also accelerates their indexing, which can enhance your site’s visibility.

For large or complex websites, sitemaps are particularly valuable. They make it easier for search engines to navigate extensive content and can also provide details about images, videos, and news articles, improving visibility in specialized search results.

Overall, XML sitemaps play a crucial role in SEO by making sure that search engines can discover, crawl, and index your content efficiently, which can lead to better visibility and higher rankings in search results.

With the recent emphasis on the `lastmod` tag, it now supports your SEO efforts in several ways:

– Improved Crawling Efficiency: Accurate `lastmod` dates help search engines allocate their crawling resources more effectively, focusing on newly updated content.

– Better Indexing: Updated content is more likely to be indexed quickly, enhancing your site’s visibility in search results.

– Enhanced User Experience: Keeping search engines informed with the latest content ensures that users find the most current information when they visit your site.

How to implement the lastmod tag correctly

Most XML sitemaps already include a `lastmod` tag. At Yoast, we assist over 13 million sites in creating and maintaining XML sitemaps effectively. If you use Yoast SEO, we handle the `lastmod` updates for you, ensuring that the tag is used correctly.

Here are some best practices to follow:

– Update Only When Necessary: Make sure the `lastmod` date accurately reflects the last time the page’s content was modified.

– Automate with Care: Use automated tools to update your sitemap, but configure them properly to ensure the `lastmod` tag is only updated when actual content changes.

– Monitor and Review: Regularly check your sitemap to verify that the `lastmod` dates are correct and reflect genuine updates to the content.

Yoast SEO’s support for lastmod

Yoast SEO has always supported the `lastmod` tag in XML sitemaps. Our plugin automatically adds this tag to each page and post, making sure search engines know when updates are made.

– Automatic Updates: Yoast SEO updates the `lastmod` tag whenever you make changes to a post or page, removing the need for manual updates.

– User-Friendly: The plugin integrates the `lastmod` tag into your XML sitemaps effortlessly, allowing site owners to follow best practices without needing technical skills.

By using Yoast SEO, you ensure that your sitemaps are consistently current and in line with the latest guidance from Google and Bing.

Conclusion to lastmod support by Bing and Google

Google and Bing’s recent emphasis on the `lastmod` tag highlights the need for site owners to follow best practices for creating and maintaining sitemaps. By implementing these guidelines and using tools like Yoast SEO, you can improve your site’s SEO performance and ensure that search engines find and index your updated content efficiently.