Why I Treat My Articles Like Software, Not Literature (The "QDF" Protocol).
⚡ Key Takeaways:
The Algorithm: Google’s QDF (Query Deserves Freshness) algorithm prioritizes recently updated content for fast-moving topics.
The Decay Rate: In the AI Era, the "Half-Life" of a fact is about 3 months. After that, Gemini flags it as "Stale."
The Fix: Stop publishing new posts. Start treating your pillars as "Living Documents" (Software) that get patched and updated versions.
The dream of "Passive Income" was built on a lie: "Write it once, rank forever."
That might have worked in 2015.
In 2026, if you leave an article untouched for 6 months, it rots.
In the Infomly Lab, I track the "Decay Rate" of my content.
I noticed a pattern: My rankings don't drop because my content is bad. They drop because my Timestamp is old.
AI models like Gemini and ChatGPT are obsessed with the "Now."
They are trained to answer: "What is the best tool currently?"
If your post says "Updated: 2024," you are invisible.
The Science: Query Deserves Freshness (QDF)
Google has a specific ranking signal called QDF.
It detects when a topic is "Hot" or "Evolving."
Low QDF Topic: "Who was Abraham Lincoln?" (History doesn't change. Static content is fine).
High QDF Topic: "Best AI Coding Tools." (Technology changes monthly. Static content dies).
The Trap:
Most "Solo Capitalists" write about Tech, Money, or Strategy. These are ALL High QDF topics.
If you treat them like History, you lose.
The "Living Document" Mental Model
I stopped thinking of Infomly as a "Blog" (a chronological diary).
I now think of it as a Software Product.
When Replit releases a new feature, they don't launch a new app. They release "Version 2.0."
You must do the same with your content.
The "v2.0" Protocol:
Instead of writing a new post about "Gemini Updates," I go back to Post #3 (Gemini vs. ChatGPT) and rewrite 30% of it.
The Signal: Google sees the "Last Modified" date change.
The Crawl: The bot rushes back to index the changes.
The Rank: My "Freshness Score" resets to 100%.
The "Data Patch" (How to Update Without Rewriting)
You don't need to rewrite the whole thing. You just need to Patch the Data.
Here is the checklist I use for my "Monthly Maintenance":
The "Current Year" Check: Scan the text for "2025." Change it to "2026" (if accurate).
The Pricing Audit: Did Replit raise its price? Update the table. (AI loves accurate pricing data).
The "New Feature" Injection: Add one bullet point about a new feature released this month.
The "Changelog" Note: At the top of the post (inside the Zero-Click Box), add a line: "Last Updated: [Today's Date] to include the new 'Agent' features."
Why this works for Navboost:
When a user sees "Updated 2 days ago," their Click-Through Rate (CTR) skyrockets.
Higher CTR = Higher Navboost = Higher Rank.
The "Pruning" Strategy (Digital Hygiene)
Sometimes, updating isn't enough. Sometimes, you need to Delete.
In Post #16 (Vector Density), we talked about keeping your topic tight.
If you have 50 old, low-quality posts from 3 years ago, they are dragging down your site's "Freshness Average."
The Lab Rule:
If a post hasn't received traffic in 6 months and isn't worth updating... Kill it.
Redirect (301) it to a relevant "Living Document," or 410 (Delete) it.
A small garden of live flowers is better than a large forest of dead trees.
Final Verdict: Be a Gardener
Amateurs are Factory Workers. They try to produce as many widgets (posts) as possible.
Pros are Gardeners. They spend 50% of their time planting (new posts) and 50% of their time pruning and watering (updating old posts).
Your "Pillar Posts" (like the Solo Stack) are your assets.
Don't let your assets rust. Polish them.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Does changing the date without changing content work?
No. Google calls this "Artificial Freshening." It might give you a 24-hour boost, but when the AI scans the text and sees nothing changed, it will penalize you. You must make Substantive Changes (at least 5-10% of the text).
How often should I update?
For "Money Pages" (like Tech Stacks or Reviews), update Quarterly. For "Strategy" pages (like Navboost), update Annually.
What is a Changelog?
A Changelog is a list of updates. Adding a small "Update History" at the bottom of your post signals to the AI that this document is historically maintained and trustworthy.