This factor reports whether RankGear finds the Microdata attribute itemprop="datePublished" in a page’s rendered body HTML after script elements are removed. It returns 1 when the attribute is present and 0 when it is not. It is a text-pattern check, not a validation of your structured-data graph.
| Factor ID | RG-SCM-011 |
|---|---|
| Family | Structured Data — Microdata |
| Measurement | Binary presence (0 / 1) |
| Measured zone | Rendered body HTML with scripts removed |
What it measures
This factor reports whether RankGear finds the Microdata attribute itemprop="datePublished" in the rendered body after script elements are removed. That attribute is how Microdata expresses the original publication date of a marked-up creative work, so its presence indicates that the page carries a publication-date property inline in its HTML.
How RankGear measures it
RankGear performs a case-insensitive search for the literal double-quoted form itemprop="datePublished". It returns 1 when at least one match exists and 0 otherwise. The search runs against the rendered body with script elements removed; it pattern-matches the HTML text rather than parsing or validating a Microdata item graph.
What RankGear looks for
<time itemprop="datePublished" datetime="2026-01-15">January 15, 2026</time>How to optimize it
Use datePublished only as part of the truthful original publication date of the marked-up creative work. Keep the markup aligned with the visible content and with the vocabulary expected by its parent item type. Because the detector requires the attribute name, equals sign, double quotes, and property value to be contiguous, write it as the exact double-quoted form — single quotes or extra spacing around the equals sign will not match. Treat a 1 as confirmation that the property is present, not as a target to chase for its own sake.
| Value | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 1 | At least one contiguous, double-quoted itemprop="datePublished" was found in the rendered body (scripts removed). |
| 0 | No matching attribute was found — the property is absent, single-quoted, or spaced apart. |
Important considerations
- The detector pattern-matches HTML text instead of parsing or validating a Microdata item graph.
- It requires the attribute name, equals sign, double quotes, and property value to be contiguous; single quotes or added spacing do not match.
- Scripts are removed before matching, and capitalization does not affect detection.
- Validate the parent item type, property value, nesting, and structured-data eligibility independently.
- This is a prioritization signal that relates to position within a measured result set. Its presence does not, on its own, cause a page to rank — correlation is not causation.
Related factors
Part of the Factors reference · how RankGear measures · glossary.