Is modifying already published articles a problem?

[theLotter]

Is there any problem updating the date and text of a news article if the URL remains the same?

For example, if we published a minor sports story on Monday and on Wednesday there was a small update to the story I would like to take my original article and change the date + first paragraph of the text to make it still relevant for my users to read without having to write an entirely new article since this is not a major story and there is not much new content to add.

Any SEO issues with take the original article and changing the first paragraph + title?

[loopyal]

I agree with EGOL, with the caveat that if you are using Wordpress, you should have a plugin that prevents the excessive multiple pinging of posts and pages after editing.

If you edit a story and it pings other sites, then you edit another part and it pings again, and you keep editing and saving, you will cause problems for yourself.

So I use MaxBlogPress Ping Optimizer

[EGOL]

Oh... one thing.... I don't know what content management system you are using... but with some, if you change the title it will change the URL.

Changing the URL is to be avoided - but you probably know that.

[theLotter]

Thanks for confirming what I thought (and wanted to hear)

[EGOL]

I update articles a lot.

I believe that there is more upside than risk in doing it.

Some of my articles have been updated many times over several years.   Each update adds more content, sometimes more images.

Many of these articles rank well in competitive SERPs.