Dynamic Data On Static Pages

[timemachined]

I run a content site that also hosts coupons. It's run slightly differently to most other voucher sites in that I write content and embed a coupon or range of, without having separate posts / urls for each new coupon.

Which is the best way to update sitemap / ping Google about updates in this instance without being spammy? The reason I ask is I see a direct correlation between updating and serps moving or attracting hits after an update. Due in part to freshness algorithm no doubt, but how best to handle pinging an update on a static page from dynamic data? Please...

[keyplyr]

I update my sitemap.xml [sitemaps.org] every time I update page content. For pages updated often, I also use the attribute <changefreq>daily</changefreq> and a high priority setting.

You can also play with your cache setting and see if Google responds.

However, I would avoid submitting the same page for recrawl in GSC too often.

High traffic sites will get more attention to the update frequency. You can post here at Webmaster World and see it in the SERP within 10 or 15 minutes usually.

[seoskunk]

I update my sitemap.xml [sitemaps.org] every time I update page content. For pages updated often, I also use the attribute <changefreq>daily</changefreq> and a high priority setting.

Google have stated they pretty much ignore priorities and change frequency so don't waste time with that, they do look at Last Modified though

[seoskunk]

Oh and before I get accused of disinformation again

Priority and change frequency doesn’t really play that much of a role with Sitemaps anymore.
John Mueller

[keyplyr]

In my experience, sitemap.xml gets pages updated in the index several days faster than not using a sitemap.xml. The fields are standard. I've never though Google or Bing payed much attention to them, but they're there and need to have a value, so it's always best to follow the standard.

Of course if you have other helpful suggestions seoskunk, I'm sure timemachined would appreciate it.

[seoskunk]

Sitemaps is a legacy to when Google thought they could index and organise the web, priorities change. Now Google is following Bing with a cleaner more slicker index its evaluating pages on a page by page basis and applying Panda and Penguin algorithms to those pages. Sitemaps are kinda insignificant unless you want to tell Google your page has been updated. That's why Last Mod field (not mandatory) is the most important one. But only if its genuine. Otherwise your entire Sitemap is likely to be ignored.

[keyplyr]

Sitemaps is a legacy to when Google thought they could index and organise the web, priorities change

Yet Google, Bing and Yandex all ask for it in their webmaster tools, although not required.

In the 30 or so sites I've recently done work on, the ones that included a sitemap.xml were updated in the index a couple days faster than those that didn't have a sitemap.xml.

For that reason alone, I continue to use it. Only takes a couple seconds to update.

[seoskunk]

In the 30 or so sites I've recently done work on, the ones that included a sitemap.xml were updated in the index a couple days faster than those that didn't have a sitemap.xml.

What site platform out of interest? were they wordpress sites?

[keyplyr]

No, in fact I've never worked on any CMS. Sites I build are hand coded as are most all the sites I fix/update for others.

Mention of these 30 sites, is related to the sites I made secure.

[seoskunk]

Interesting - static or dynamic content?

[seoskunk]

OP promise I will get back to original question soon

[seoskunk]

timemachined - just waiting on keypyr to confirm if using static content, this of course would make a major difference.

[lucy24]

Google, Bing and Yandex all ask for it in their webmaster tools

More to the point, the respective robots ask for sitemap.xml, whether or not the site has a wmt/gsc presence. So do Seznam, Exalead and Mail.ru, as well as assorted other crawlers.

In your experience, do major search engines pay attention to the <changefreq> label? I got rid of mine because I don't believe they really care what it says; they've got their own ways of judging how often your content changes.

[seoskunk]

In your experience, do major search engines pay attention to the <changefreq> label? I got rid of mine because I don't believe they really care what it says; they've got their own ways of judging how often your content changes.

When keyplyr replies regarding static or dynamic content I will be able to give a detailed explanation.

[keyplyr]

In your experience, do major search engines pay attention to the <changefreq> label? I got rid of mine because I don't believe they really care what it says; they've got their own ways of judging how often your content changes.

Lucy24 - Difficult to say exactly how much weight they apply to the different attributes. All I can can say from experience is that using a sitemap.xml significantly helps get the content indexed compared to not using a sitemap.xml.

seoskunk - Most all sites I've worked on are dynamic in one or more ways, but usually dynamic data on static pages. I can see a significant difference in the way they would be indexed if the content is updated often, more than once per day. That's why I mentioned WW. From what I've seen, the high traffic sites/pages get content changes indexed faster.