NEWS

IndexNow Elicits Mixed Reactions Including Skepticism via @sejournal, @martinibuster

Published

3 years ago

October 20, 2021

indexnow value questioned 616fd6a250924 sej

While major companies like Wix, Duda and Cloudflare announced enthusiastic adoption of the new open source IndexNow indexing protocol that promises instant indexing, it was also confronted with questions over whether the IndexNow was necessary, worth the trouble adopting and doubt as to whether any of its benefits will be realized.

What is IndexNow?

IndexNow is an open source project that is attempting evolve how search engines discover and index content in a way that benefits both search engines and publishers.

IndexNow also promises to rapidly speed up the process of re-indexing content that has been updated and indexing content that is brand new.

Lastly, IndexNow promises to be more energy efficient because they will be crawling websites less often.

The old way of discovering web pages and indexing content is largely unchanged for decades.

Crawlers check web pages on the Internet over and over, regardless if a web page is unchanged or does not exist.

While search engines employ strategies to reduce how many pages are crawled, crawling an unchanged web page can be seen as a profligate use of electricity, like watering a lawn during a rainstorm.

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IndexNow claims to solve that problem by eliminating redundant crawls and focusing just on the pages that are new or updated.

But not everyone is convinced.

Some in the search community have expressed doubts about every single benefit IndexNow claims to provide, including the claim that less pages will be crawled.

Yoast Declines to Adopt IndexNow

Joost de Valk, founder of Yoast WordPress SEO plugin tweeted a series of statements questioning the value offered by IndexNow. He stated that the Yoast plugin would not be adopting the IndexNow standard.

He tweeted why Yoast is not adopting IndexNow:

“We’ve not added support to @yoast SEO for it yet, for the simple reason that we don’t see the value yet.”

Yoast: IndexNow is Not Needed

Joost next laid out the case that IndexNow is solving a problem that already has a solution.

He claimed that XML sitemaps already accomplish what IndexNow is trying to do.

He tweeted:

“Ever since XML sitemaps were conceived, URL discovery as far as we’re concerned is a “solved problem”.

For most sites, getting search engines to crawl content is not a problem.

Yoast SEO generates XML sitemaps and it can even ping search engines when those change.”

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IndexNow Is Useful for Large Websites

Someone responded to Joost and said that the Bing API for fast indexing provided value for sites they worked on like Groupon and GitHub.

She tweeted:

I have used the Bing API WordPress plugin on numerous sites and developed a feed for the API for both Groupon and GitHub and saw the value.
No need for Yoast to incorporate it when Bing makes their own plugin though.

— SEOGoddess @GitHub 😏🤔😷 (@SEOGoddess) October 19, 2021

Joost Acknowledges that IndexNow Benefits Big Sites

He tweeted:

“For large sites like that I definitely see the value.

But to do this and make it a default for 12 million sites, most of which have less than 100 pages, seems overkill.”

Duda Explains Why IndexNow Provides Value

One of the companies that is supporting IndexNow is Duda, a professional site building platform that competes with WordPress and Wix.

Duda is a website building platform that allows web professionals to create a web presence that performs well out of the box.

But it’s also flexible similar to WordPress and allows customers to build custom widgets, embed the website builder within their own software (SaaS) or migrate legacy sites entirely in large scale.

I asked Russ Jeffery, Director of Strategic Integrations at Duda to explain why XML sitemaps are not enough and why IndexNow provides value:

“There is a delay between publishing, crawl, index, and finally showing in search results.

Right now search engines must re-crawl all pages of a site to find new content and not on the update schedule of an actual site update.

The difference here is that you’re telling Bing to only crawl these updated pages and do it now. A push, rather than a pull, approach is a widely accepted best practice of updating data/content between different systems efficiently.”

I pointed out to Russ how Joost insisted that XML sitemaps were good enough and that IndexNow was a better value for large sites.

Russ responded:

“I do agree with Joost that for a lot of websites, it is not the most important capability to have at the moment.

But, I think this approach to indexing is a lot better than the traditional sitemap system and the industry should move towards ‘pushing’ content to search engines for them to crawl.”

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Waiting for Google to Adopt IndexNow

I turned to longtime UK search marketing expert Ammon Johns (@Ammon_Johns) for his opinion. Like Joost, he too was not enthusiastic about IndexNow and didn’t feel it offered anything substantial.

Ammon acknowledged the elephant not in the IndexNow room, which was Google.

He said:

“Unless and until Google sign up for a Bing led protocol, it’s not a huge deal.

But if Google do go along for some reason (rather than make their own), we’ll certainly all have to revisit a lot of understanding about crawl prioritization”

Promise of Less Crawling in Doubt

Ammon downplayed any benefit of less crawling, saying that they’d likely use the freed-up resources to go out and crawl lower priority web pages that would not ordinarily be crawled.

He said:

“Even if this were to free up some resource allocated to crawling more than can be crawled (the state of the web currently, and growing exponentially), I can’t see the search engines not simply crawling more of the lower priority, or re-crawling the absolute highest with more frequency.

…Microsoft don’t even actually promise they’ll grab it at once, only that it will be indexed ‘soon’ or ‘quickly’.”

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He then pointed out that adopting the IndexNow protocol will eliminate a latent signal of what pages Google or Bing feel are most important.

IndexNow May Remove a Data Point

Ammon noted:

“One of the major reasons I never, EVER, use submission tools is that seeing when content gets crawled on its own is far too useful.

There’s no other way to see ‘importance’”

There are multiple things that influence how often a web page is crawled, links being one of them. How often a page or section of a website changes can also influence how often a web page is crawled.

Whether fast indexing is worth it to give up seeing which pages a search engine feels are more “important” is up to the individual and their priorities. Ammon feels it’s not worth it for him.

Will the Web Adopt IndexNow?

Joost’s initial post stated that they haven’t decided to adopt IndexNow yet because they don’t see the value in it.

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Yesterday Microsoft Bing introduced IndexNow, a new standard to “instantly index” content. They do so in conjunction with Yandex.

We’ve not added support to @yoast SEO for it yet, for the simple reason that we don’t see the value yet.

🧵 1/6

— Joost de Valk (@jdevalk) October 19, 2021

One of the important features of the Yoast SEO plugin is the ability to automatically create XML sitemaps, something that Joost feels is sufficient for most websites.

Should Google adopt the IndexNow protocol, which at the moment seems remote, XML sitemaps might lose a fair bit of their importance, which might dampen the shine on what is currently an important feature of the Yoast plugin.

Should Google adopt IndexNow it raises the odds that WordPress might follow through and include it into the core, eliminating the need for Yoast to turn it into a plugin feature.

So it seems for Yoast there is relatively little to any value from IndexNow.

It’s up to the search community to decide for themselves. There is some opposition and skepticism of IndexNow.

But there are also many big companies like Cloudflare who are integrating IndexNow enthusiastically.

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Joost acknowledged that IndexNow is useful for big companies but also pointed out that in his opinion there’s less value in it for the smaller sites.

Perhaps as Ammon noted, for some in the search community, particularly the smaller sites, unless Google adopts IndexNow, the decision for them is going to feel like it’s optional and not a necessity.

Searchenginejournal.com

NEWS

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

Published

2 months ago

August 21, 2024

Max

OpenAI Introduces Fine-Tuning for GPT-4 and Enabling Customized AI Models

OpenAI has today announced the release of fine-tuning capabilities for its flagship GPT-4 large language model, marking a significant milestone in the AI landscape. This new functionality empowers developers to create tailored versions of GPT-4 to suit specialized use cases, enhancing the model’s utility across various industries.

Fine-tuning has long been a desired feature for developers who require more control over AI behavior, and with this update, OpenAI delivers on that demand. The ability to fine-tune GPT-4 allows businesses and developers to refine the model’s responses to better align with specific requirements, whether for customer service, content generation, technical support, or other unique applications.

Why Fine-Tuning Matters

GPT-4 is a very flexible model that can handle many different tasks. However, some businesses and developers need more specialized AI that matches their specific language, style, and needs. Fine-tuning helps with this by letting them adjust GPT-4 using custom data. For example, companies can train a fine-tuned model to keep a consistent brand tone or focus on industry-specific language.

Fine-tuning also offers improvements in areas like response accuracy and context comprehension. For use cases where nuanced understanding or specialized knowledge is crucial, this can be a game-changer. Models can be taught to better grasp intricate details, improving their effectiveness in sectors such as legal analysis, medical advice, or technical writing.

Key Features of GPT-4 Fine-Tuning

The fine-tuning process leverages OpenAI’s established tools, but now it is optimized for GPT-4’s advanced architecture. Notable features include:

Enhanced Customization: Developers can precisely influence the model’s behavior and knowledge base.
Consistency in Output: Fine-tuned models can be made to maintain consistent formatting, tone, or responses, essential for professional applications.
Higher Efficiency: Compared to training models from scratch, fine-tuning GPT-4 allows organizations to deploy sophisticated AI with reduced time and computational cost.

Additionally, OpenAI has emphasized ease of use with this feature. The fine-tuning workflow is designed to be accessible even to teams with limited AI experience, reducing barriers to customization. For more advanced users, OpenAI provides granular control options to achieve highly specialized outputs.

Implications for the Future

The launch of fine-tuning capabilities for GPT-4 signals a broader shift toward more user-centric AI development. As businesses increasingly adopt AI, the demand for models that can cater to specific business needs, without compromising on performance, will continue to grow. OpenAI’s move positions GPT-4 as a flexible and adaptable tool that can be refined to deliver optimal value in any given scenario.

By offering fine-tuning, OpenAI not only enhances GPT-4’s appeal but also reinforces the model’s role as a leading AI solution across diverse sectors. From startups seeking to automate niche tasks to large enterprises looking to scale intelligent systems, GPT-4’s fine-tuning capability provides a powerful resource for driving innovation.

OpenAI announced that fine-tuning GPT-4o will cost $25 for every million tokens used during training. After the model is set up, it will cost $3.75 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens. To help developers get started, OpenAI is offering 1 million free training tokens per day for GPT-4o and 2 million free tokens per day for GPT-4o mini until September 23. This makes it easier for developers to try out the fine-tuning service.

As AI continues to evolve, OpenAI’s focus on customization and adaptability with GPT-4 represents a critical step in making advanced AI accessible, scalable, and more aligned with real-world applications. This new capability is expected to accelerate the adoption of AI across industries, creating a new wave of AI-driven solutions tailored to specific challenges and opportunities.

GOOGLE

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Published

3 months ago

June 30, 2024

Entireweb News Bot

This Week in Search News: Simple and Easy-to-Read Update

Here’s what happened in the world of Google and search engines this week:

1. Google’s June 2024 Spam Update

Google finished rolling out its June 2024 spam update over a period of seven days. This update aims to reduce spammy content in search results.

2. Changes to Google Search Interface

Google has removed the continuous scroll feature for search results. Instead, it’s back to the old system of pages.

3. New Features and Tests

Link Cards: Google is testing link cards at the top of AI-generated overviews.
Health Overviews: There are more AI-generated health overviews showing up in search results.
Local Panels: Google is testing AI overviews in local information panels.

4. Search Rankings and Quality

Improving Rankings: Google said it can improve its search ranking system but will only do so on a large scale.
Measuring Quality: Google’s Elizabeth Tucker shared how they measure search quality.

5. Advice for Content Creators

Brand Names in Reviews: Google advises not to avoid mentioning brand names in review content.
Fixing 404 Pages: Google explained when it’s important to fix 404 error pages.

6. New Search Features in Google Chrome

Google Chrome for mobile devices has added several new search features to enhance user experience.

7. New Tests and Features in Google Search

Credit Card Widget: Google is testing a new widget for credit card information in search results.
Sliding Search Results: When making a new search query, the results might slide to the right.

8. Bing’s New Feature

Bing is now using AI to write “People Also Ask” questions in search results.

9. Local Search Ranking Factors

Menu items and popular times might be factors that influence local search rankings on Google.

10. Google Ads Updates

Query Matching and Brand Controls: Google Ads updated its query matching and brand controls, and advertisers are happy with these changes.
Lead Credits: Google will automate lead credits for Local Service Ads. Google says this is a good change, but some advertisers are worried.
tROAS Insights Box: Google Ads is testing a new insights box for tROAS (Target Return on Ad Spend) in Performance Max and Standard Shopping campaigns.
WordPress Tag Code: There is a new conversion code for Google Ads on WordPress sites.

These updates highlight how Google and other search engines are continuously evolving to improve user experience and provide better advertising tools.

FACEBOOK

Facebook Faces Yet Another Outage: Platform Encounters Technical Issues Again

Published

7 months ago

March 20, 2024

Max

Uppdated: It seems that today’s issues with Facebook haven’t affected as many users as the last time. A smaller group of people appears to be impacted this time around, which is a relief compared to the larger incident before. Nevertheless, it’s still frustrating for those affected, and hopefully, the issues will be resolved soon by the Facebook team.

Facebook had another problem today (March 20, 2024). According to Downdetector, a website that shows when other websites are not working, many people had trouble using Facebook.

This isn’t the first time Facebook has had issues. Just a little while ago, there was another problem that stopped people from using the site. Today, when people tried to use Facebook, it didn’t work like it should. People couldn’t see their friends’ posts, and sometimes the website wouldn’t even load.

Downdetector, which watches out for problems on websites, showed that lots of people were having trouble with Facebook. People from all over the world said they couldn’t use the site, and they were not happy about it.

When websites like Facebook have problems, it affects a lot of people. It’s not just about not being able to see posts or chat with friends. It can also impact businesses that use Facebook to reach customers.

Since Facebook owns Messenger and Instagram, the problems with Facebook also meant that people had trouble using these apps. It made the situation even more frustrating for many users, who rely on these apps to stay connected with others.

During this recent problem, one thing is obvious: the internet is always changing, and even big websites like Facebook can have problems. While people wait for Facebook to fix the issue, it shows us how easily things online can go wrong. It’s a good reminder that we should have backup plans for staying connected online, just in case something like this happens again.