Ping Your Sitemaps

For many years, like most webmasters, I believed that the only way to submit a sitemap was through Google Search Console. We would upload our sitemap, cross our fingers, and hope that Google's web crawlers would do their job. This process, while straightforward, often felt like a shot in the dark. We were at the mercy of Google's crawling schedule, with no real way to expedite the process or ensure our latest updates were being indexed promptly.

However, a recent article I came across on SE Round Table has shed light on a potentially game-changing approach. The article, which references several tweets and Google documentation, suggests that it's possible to send a GET request to Google to notify them of changes to a sitemap. This method, if effective, could revolutionize the way we think about sitemap submission and indexing.

Here's the link to the article for those interested: Search Engine Round Table Article

The concept of "pinging" Google with a GET request is intriguing. Essentially, it's a way of nudging Google and saying, "Hey, I've made some updates to my sitemap. Please take a look." This proactive approach could potentially lead to faster indexing of updates and changes, which is crucial for SEO and overall website visibility.

However, as with any new method, it's important to approach with a healthy dose of skepticism. While the documentation and tweets referenced in the SE Round Table article seem to support this method, I'm not entirely convinced of its effectiveness just yet. Over the coming weeks, I plan to test this method myself to see if it holds up to its promise.

If this method proves to be effective, it could be a valuable addition to any webmaster's toolbox. The ability to prompt Google to crawl updated sitemaps could mean faster indexing, improved SEO, and ultimately, better visibility for our websites. It's an exciting prospect and one that could potentially change the way we approach sitemap submission and indexing.

In conclusion, while the traditional method of submitting sitemaps through Google Search Console is still a valid approach, it's always worth exploring new methods and techniques. The world of SEO is constantly evolving, and staying ahead of the curve requires adaptability and a willingness to try new things. I look forward to testing this new method and will be sure to share my findings in a future post. Stay tuned!