This isn’t just in reference to the information that the new Bing powered by GPT gets wrong — though we’ve seen it get things wrong firsthand. Rather, there have been some instances where the AI-powered chatbot has completely broken down. Recently, a New York Times columnist had a conversation with Bing (opens in new tab) that left them deeply unsettled and told a Digital Trends writer “I want to be human (opens in new tab)” during their hands-on with the AI search bot.
BING
IndexNow is a Major Change to Search Engine Indexing
Microsoft announced IndexNow, a major evolution in how all search engines can discover and index content. IndexNow is open source and open to all participating search engines. When content is published or updated on a website, IndexNow notifies all participating search engines, dramatically reducing the time to indexing.
The IndexNow sharing between search engines will begin on November 2021. There is a limit of 10,000 URLs per day.
The IndexNow protocol is open to all search engines with a noticeable presence in at least one market.
Evolution of Search Indexing from Pull to Push
There are two ways for search engines to obtain web page data: Pull and push.
Pull is when a search engine crawler visits a site to request web pages and “pulls” the data from the server. This is how search engines traditionally work.
What IndexNow does is changes content discovery to the push method where a CMS like WordPress tells the search engines when the content has been published or updated.
The benefit to publishers is that they no longer have to wait for search engines to crawl and discover the content.
Search engines know about it right away and visit the site to fetch the new or updated pages.
According to the Microsoft announcement:
“…historically one of the biggest pain points for website owners has been to have search engines quickly discover and consider their latest website changes.
It can take days or even weeks for new URLs to be discovered and indexed in search engines, resulting in loss of potential traffic, customers and even sales.
…once search engines are notified of updates they quickly crawl and reflect website changes in their index and search results.”
Who is Behind IndexNow
IndexNow was created by Microsoft and Yandex. The protocol is open source and open to all search engines to participate.
When one search engine is notified of an updated or changed web page all participating search engines will be notified.
“IndexNow is a new protocol created by Microsoft Bing and Yandex, allowing websites to easily notify search engines whenever their website content is created, updated, or deleted. Using an API”
How IndexNow Benefits Publishers
IndexNow benefits publishers because it will reduce crawling demands on the server, search engines won’t need to conduct exploratory crawls to check if web pages have been updated and it reduces the time for content to be discovered and indexed.
Reducing server load helps the server perform optimally without the added burden of redundant serving of web pages that search engines already have.
Ultimately it benefits the world by reducing the energy demands of crawling and indexing and helping to reduce global warming pressures.
Bing’s announcement notes:
“IndexNow is an initiative for a more efficient Internet… website owners provide a clear signal helping search engines to prioritize crawl for these URLs, thereby limiting the need for exploratory crawl to test if the content has changed…
In the future, search engines intend to limit crawling of websites adopting IndexNow.”
Large Companies are Adopting the New Protocol
Microsoft announced that large companies like “eBay, LinkedIn, MSN, GitHub, and Bizapedia” are planning to migrate to IndexNow from the Bing URL submission API.
It is presumed that other larger companies will follow suit because the benefits of the new system are clear.
Because of that smaller companies may wish to consider also adopting the new protocol in order to stay competitive and improve their indexing.
How Does the New Protocol Work?
There are three ways suggested for submitting URLs.
1. SEO Integration of IndexNow
The first way, OnCrawl and Botify have plans to integrate IndexNow.
2. Direct Submission through API
The second way is a direct submission through an API.
Developers can use an API to automatically submit URLs to IndexNow.
The announcement describes it like this:
“1. Generate a key supported by the protocol using our online key generation tool.
2. Host the key in text file named with the value of the key at the root of your web site.
3. Start submitting URLs when your URLs are added, updated, or deleted. You can submit one URL or a set of URLs per API call.Submit one URL is easy as sending a simple HTTP request containing the URL changed and your key.
https://www.bing.com/IndexNow?url=url-changed&key=your-key"
3. Integration with CMS and CDNs
But the third way may be how most sites will interface with IndexNow, accessing the new protocol through a function that is native to the core of whatever CMS a publisher uses.
Wix and Duda recognize the benefit to users and are already on-board with plans to provide the new feature to their users.
Cloudflare and Akamai are supporting the new IndexNow protocol as well.
Waiting for WordPress?
While competitors like Wix and Dude have recognized the importance of IndexNow, WordPress appears to be dragging its feet on the new protocol.
Maybe WordPress is going to adopt it, but for the past seven months the core developers have been discussing the proposal with no apparent resolution.
According to the public WordPress development ticket there appears to not be a decision on it yet.
Nevertheless, Microsoft has submitted the IndexNow open-source code to WordPress for inclusion into the core.
If adopted by WordPress this will make it automatic that a publisher can opt into submitting their URLs via IndexNow.
In response to a question by WordPress core developers, Microsoft disclosed that publishers will be able to choose which search engines to submit their changes and new URLs to.
That means they can block specific search engines from receiving the data about their pages.
According to the WordPress development ticket, the Microsoft representative said:
“WordPress and other CMS admins will be able to able to select which actors in the industry they want to notify, including everybody via centralized services if they want to notify all.”
IndexNow is the Evolution of Search Indexing
IndexNow is a big deal because it’s a major change in how search engines can discover updated and newly published documents.
It benefits publishers with fast indexing and less server load from bots constantly crawling their web pages.
Adoption by major search engines will be an evolution in the relationship between publishers and search engines that benefits both.
Citations
Read the Microsoft Announcement
Announcing IndexNow – Instantly Index your Web Content in Search Engines
Visit the IndexNow website
IndexNow WordPress Development Ticket and Pull Request
Instantly index WordPress web sites content in Search Engines
Official IndexNow WordPress Pull Request
BING
Top Bing Ranking Tracker Tools in 2023
As the digital landscape continues to grow, businesses are increasingly turning to online operations to expand their customer base and reach. Search engine optimization (SEO) plays an integral role in online marketing, and tracking your website’s search engine rankings is vital to improving visibility and driving traffic to your site. This is where a Bing Ranking Tracker comes in.
A Bing Ranking Tracker enables you to monitor your website’s performance on Bing’s search engine results pages (SERPs). These tools provide valuable insights into your website’s ranking positions for specific keywords and enable you to track changes over time. By monitoring your website’s performance, you can identify areas where improvement is needed and take corrective action to boost your search engine rankings.
This article will review the best Bing Ranking Tracker tools available in 2023. We will delve into their features, pricing, and benefits to help you make an informed decision about which tool is best suited for your business.
Contents
Ahrefs
Ahrefs is one of the most popular Bing rank tracker tools available. It’s also a comprehensive SEO tool that includes features like keyword research, backlink analysis, and content analysis. Ahrefs’ rank tracker tool allows you to track your Bing rankings over time and see how they’ve changed.
One of the key features of Ahrefs’ rank tracker is the ability to track your rankings for multiple countries and languages. This is especially useful if your business operates in multiple markets.
Previously, Ahrefs used to offer a 7-day trial of all its tools and features for a mere $7. However, currently, there is no provision to test Ahrefs before purchasing a subscription.
SEMrush
SEMrush is another comprehensive SEO tool that includes a Bing rank tracker. The tool allows you to track your Bing rankings over time and compare them to your competitors. You can also track your rankings for specific keywords and see how they’ve changed over time.
SEMrush’s rank tracker also includes features like local search tracking, which allows you to see how your website is ranking in different locations. This is useful if your business operates in multiple locations.
SEMrush offers a 7-day trial for $7, after which plans start at $119.95 per month.
SERPWatcher
SERPWatcher is a dedicated rank tracker tool that allows you to track your Bing rankings over time. The tool includes features like daily rank tracking and keyword grouping. You can also track your rankings for multiple locations and devices.
One of the key benefits of SERPWatcher is its user-friendly interface. The tool is easy to use and allows you to see your rankings at a glance.
SERPWatcher offers a 10-day trial, after which plans start at $29 per month.
Rank Tracker
Rank Tracker is a dedicated rank tracker tool that allows you to track your Bing rankings over time. The tool includes features like keyword research, backlink analysis, and website auditing.
Rank Tracker’s rank tracker tool allows you to track your rankings for multiple search engines, including Bing. You can also track your rankings for multiple locations and devices.
One of the key benefits of Rank Tracker is its affordable pricing. Plans start at $13.50 per month.
ProRankTracker
ProRankTracker is another dedicated rank tracker tool that allows you to track your Bing rankings over time. The tool includes features like daily rank tracking, keyword research, and competitor analysis.
ProRankTracker’s rank tracker tool allows you to track your rankings for multiple search engines, including Bing. You can also track your rankings for multiple locations and devices.
One of the key benefits of ProRankTracker is its scalability. The tool can accommodate businesses of all sizes, from small startups to large enterprises.
ProRankTracker offers a 30-day trial, after which plans start at $19 per month if you decide to upgrade, otherwise the account switches to a free-forever account with 20 terms quota and basic daily rank tracking features enabled.
AccuRanker
AccuRanker is a dedicated rank tracker tool that allows you to track your Bing rankings over time. The tool includes features like daily rank tracking, keyword research, and competitor analysis.
AccuRanker’s rank tracker tool allows you to track your rankings for multiple search engines, including Bing. You can also track your rankings for multiple locations and devices.
One of the key benefits of AccuRanker is its accuracy. The tool uses real-time data to ensure that your rankings are accurate and up-to-date.
AccuRanker offers a 14 days free trial, with 100 keywords.
In conclusion, choosing the right Bing rank tracker tool can help you improve your website’s search engine rankings and ultimately drive more traffic to your website. We hope this article has provided you with valuable insights into the best Bing rank tracker tools available in 2023. Remember to consider your business needs, budget, and the features offered by each tool before making your final decision.
BING
Bing ChatGPT goes off the deep end — and the latest examples are very disturbing
The ChatGPT takeover of the internet may finally be hitting some roadblocks. While cursory interactions with the chatbot or its Bing search engine sibling (cousin?) produce benign and promising results, deeper interactions have sometimes been alarming.
BING
New Microsoft Bing Travel Search Features
Microsoft Bing announced new travel search features including suggested itineraries and inspiration, 360 immersive views, drink and dining information and coupons and deals. This currently is live in the United States.
Here is what is new with these new travel search features in Bing.
Suggested itineraries & inspiration
You should see a section named “What to see & do” for the trip duration to get an idea of what your trip might look like, Microsoft said. You can also click on “Book flights” or “Book hotels” to get a full-page booking experience.
Here is a screenshot:
Coupons & deals
Microsoft partnered with various sites to show competitive rates for your travel. They also offer packages of bundled hotel and flight experiences. You can also scroll down to the “Coupons & Deals” section to browse cost-conscious options for flights, trip packages, and more.
360 immersive views
Bing also shows “stunning landscapes” it says when you click “Experience in 360” to check out immersive views. Here is a screenshot:
Drink & dining information
There is also the “Eat & Drink” search carousel to start getting excited about the dishes and beverages you can expect to taste, Microsoft said. Here is what this looks like:
Forum discussion at Twitter.
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