In October, Microsoft announced the development of a new crawling protocol called IndexNow. The protocol promises to make crawling and indexing more efficient. Google has remained silent about whether they will adopt it or not until now.
A Google spokesperson issued a statement affirming that Google will be testing the new IndexNow protocol.
IndexNow
Microsoft Bing and Yandex recently launched a new open-source protocol called IndexNow that allows publishers to notify search engines when a web page is updated or a new page is added.
IndexNow provides a service that allows publishers to automatically update their websites without having to use a search engine-friendly crawling tool. This saves bandwidth at the search engine’s end and on the publisher’s side.
Major content management systems, Content Delivery Networks, and search engine optimization companies have announced support for the new protocol.
The list of companies adopting IndexNow protocol includes:
- Wix
- Cloudfare
- Botify
- Yext
- Onely
Google is Already Proactive on Crawl Efficiency
The widespread acceptance of IndexNow has somewhat hinged on what Google would do. They have not commented, so it is unclear how they will treat IndexNow in their search engine.
Sustainability and efficiency are top concerns at Google so it would seem that IndexNow would be a good fit.
Google Announces It Will Be Testing IndexNow
Google appears to be taking a measured approach to the new protocol. Crawling the web is the backbone of a search engine, so any changes in protocol should be accompanied by clear benefits.
Waiting for WordPress
The next most influential entity is WordPress. WordPress encourages plugin development and is in no rush to integrate it into the WordPress core itself. It is also looking for wider industry buy-in, which of course means Google but also other search engines.
Final Thoughts
The IndexNow tool is being adopted by Google. If the tool proves to be effective, this would have a big impact on the entire industry. Perhaps, it will even move WordPress to include it into their core. There is no word as to how long this testing will last.