Content decay
The gradual decline in a page's search traffic as it ages, competitors update, intent shifts or the underlying information goes out of date.
ContentContent update
Content refresh
Substantively updating an existing page — new data, corrected facts, restructured sections — to restore or improve its relevance and rankings.
In full
A real refresh changes the content, not just the visible date; Google has repeatedly warned against artificially updating dates to appear fresh. The most effective refreshes re-check the SERP for intent drift, add information the current top results lack, remove obsolete sections, and update internal links. Refreshing should be prioritised by opportunity: pages with impressions but falling CTR or position usually pay back faster than new content.
Example
A 'best project management tools' post is rebuilt with 2026 pricing, three new entrants removed or added, and fresh screenshots.
Related terms
Freshness systems (QDF)
Google's systems that boost recent content for queries where recency matters, such as breaking news, sports scores or evolving topics.
SERP intent match
The practice of inferring what Google rewards for a query by analysing the page types, formats and features currently ranking, and…
Content pruning
Systematically removing, merging or noindexing low-value pages so a site's indexed footprint reflects only content worth ranking.
Information gain
The amount of genuinely new information a document adds beyond what the user has already seen in other results for the same query.