Blogger is a popular blogging platform used by millions of individuals worldwide to express their thoughts, ideas, and expertise.
While it is user-friendly and simple to set up, some areas of customization can be difficult, especially for individuals who are not extremely tech-savvy.
One popular customization that many bloggers want is how to remove date from Blogger post URL. This tutorial will take you through the procedure step by step, ensuring that you can make the change successfully and efficiently.
Why Remove the Date from Blogger Post URLs?
Before we get started, you should understand why you might wish to remove the date from your post URLs. Here are some reasons:
- Improved Aesthetics and Professionalism: URLs without dates appear cleaner and more professional. They are typically shorter and more readable, which can enhance the user experience.
- Better SEO: Search engines love shorter, keyword-rich URLs. Removing the date can help focus the URL on the most important keywords, thereby enhancing your search engine rankings.
- Evergreen material: By removing the date, your material will appear evergreen. Posts with no dates in their URLs are regarded as timeless and relevant, regardless of when they were published.
Step-by-Step Guide to How Removing Dates from Blogger Post URLs
Step 1: Backup Your Blog
Before making any modifications to your blog, make sure to back up your material. This ensures that you can return your blog to its original state if something goes wrong.
- Navigate to your Blogger Dashboard.
- Settings is located in the left sidebar.
- Scroll down to Manage Blog and click on Backup Content.
- Click Download to save a copy of your blog post to your computer.
Step 2: Access Your Blog’s Theme
To remove the date from your post URLs, edit the HTML of your blog’s theme. This is how you do it:
- In the Blogger dashboard, click Theme in the left sidebar.
- Click the Customise button under the theme you’re using.
- In the Customise screen, click the Edit HTML button in the upper right corner.
Step 3: Modify the Blog Post URL Structure
You’ll now need to find and edit the HTML code that controls the URL structure for your blog entries.
- To open the search bar in HTML editor, use Ctrl + F (or Command + F on Mac).
- Find the following line of code:
<b:if cond='data:blog.pageType == "item"'>...</b:if>
3. Within this conditional statement, look for the following line:
<a expr:href='data:post.url' ...>
4. You’ll need to change this line to remove the date. Change “data:post.url” to “data:post.id”. Your amended line should be like this:
<a expr:href='data:post.id' ...>
Step 4: Save and Preview Changes
After making the adjustments, save your theme and examine your blog to confirm that everything is correct.
- Click the Save button in the HTML editor.
- Return to your blog’s home page and click on a few posts to test the new URL format.
Step 5: Redirect Old URLs to New URLs
To avoid broken links and keep your SEO rankings, you must set up 301 redirects from the old URLs (with dates) to the new URLs (no dates).
- Go to your Blogger dashboard and click Settings.
- Scroll down to Errors and Redirects.
- Select “Custom redirects.”
- Click the “Add a new redirect” button.
- In the From field, insert the old URL path (for example, /2024/07/post-title.html).
- In the To area, insert the new URL path (for example, /post-title.html).
- Check the Permanent box and then click Save.
Additional Tips for Maintaining SEO
Removing the date from your Blogger post URLs is an excellent method to improve your site’s design and SEO. However, there are a few more things you can take to keep your SEO strong:
- Update Internal Links: After you’ve changed your URLs, be sure to update all internal links on your blog to reflect the new format.
- Update Sitemap: If you use a sitemap for SEO, make sure it includes the new URLs.
- Monitor for 404 Errors: Use tools such as Google Search Console to keep track of any 404 errors that may occur as a result of the update and respond to them as soon as possible.
Conclusion
Removing the date from your Blogger post URLs can improve both the appearance and SEO performance of your site.
By following the procedures provided in this article, you can confidently make this modification and ensure that your blog continues to perform well in search engines.
To maintain your SEO rankings, backup your blog before making any changes, and redirect old URLs as needed. Happy blogging!
FAQ’s
Why should I remove the date from my Blogger post URLs?
1. Improved Aesthetics: Date-free URLs appear cleaner and more professional.
2. Improved SEO: Shorter URLs containing keywords can boost search engine ranks.
3. Evergreen Content: Content looks timeless and always relevant.
Will removing the date affect my blog’s SEO?
Yes, it can improve your SEO by making URLs more keyword-focused and user-friendly. However, you must implement proper 301 redirects to avoid losing any existing SEO benefits.
How do I backup my Blogger blog?
Go to your Blogger dashboard, select Settings, scroll down to Manage Blog, choose Backup Content, and then Download.
What if I make a mistake while editing the HTML?
You can revert to your previously saved backup. Before making any changes to the HTML code, ensure that you have a recent backup.
How do I redirect old URLs to the new URLs without dates?
Go to Settings, then Errors and Redirects, Custom Redirects, and create new redirects from the old URLs (with dates) to the new URLs (without dates). Make sure you label them as permanent.
