TL;DR
Use XML sitemaps with accurate lastmod values to signal updates and ensure coverage. The sitemaps “ping” endpoint is now deprecated, so use Google Search Console and robots.txt instead. For faster discovery, especially on Bing, RSS feeds and Atom feeds can serve as sitemaps.
Search engines are designed to prioritise both coverage and freshness. But they rely on structured signals to understand when content has changed and should be re-crawled. Sitemaps and feeds are the two most reliable methods to send these signals. With recent changes, such as Google deprecating the ping endpoint and emphasising accurate lastmod values, the way we manage freshness has shifted. Leaders must now consider both XML sitemaps and RSS/Atom feeds as complementary tools for better discovery across platforms.
Why Do Sitemaps and Feeds Matter Today?
Google explicitly deprecated the “ping” endpoint, shifting the focus to the lastmod field in sitemaps. Accurate lastmod dates help search engines determine which pages need recrawling, directly impacting visibility.
Meanwhile, Bing accepts RSS, Atom, and mRSS feeds as valid sitemaps. This makes feeds a practical way to accelerate content discovery, especially for sites with frequent updates such as blogs, changelogs, or product catalogues.
What Should You Use for Coverage and Freshness?
Sitemaps remain the foundation for coverage. A sitemap or sitemap index file should be submitted in Google Search Console and declared in the robots.txt file. This ensures all important URLs are discoverable.
Feeds (RSS or Atom) are not mandatory for Google but are fully supported by Bing. They are particularly useful for updates, enabling search engines and human subscribers to receive new content notifications quickly.
How Should You Implement Sitemaps and Feeds?
- Generate and Maintain Sitemaps
Create sitemaps or a sitemap index file. Use lastmod dates only for real content changes, not routine builds. This avoids confusing search engines and ensures crawl resources are used efficiently. - Submit Sitemaps Properly
Add your sitemap URL (e.g., https://example.com/sitemap.xml) to the robots.txt file and submit it in Google Search Console. This step is critical to ensure correct discovery and ongoing monitoring. - Leverage Feeds for Faster Updates
Publish RSS or Atom feeds for your blog, news, or changelog. Submit these feeds to Bing Webmaster Tools to improve update visibility. Feeds act as an additional freshness signal while supporting subscriber engagement.
Show & Tell
- Google’s blog highlights the deprecation of the ping endpoint and the importance of lastmod.
- Documentation explains how to build and submit sitemaps correctly.
- Bing’s support for RSS/Atom/mRSS feeds expands the options for faster change discovery.
Takeaway
For reliable discovery, think of sitemaps and feeds as complementary rather than competing. XML sitemaps provide full coverage, while RSS/Atom feeds accelerate freshness signals, particularly in Bing. By aligning sitemap maintenance with accurate lastmod values and using feeds where applicable, organisations can set strong conventions for signalling updates.
Micro-Glossary
- lastmod: The date a page’s content was last significantly updated, used in sitemaps.
- RSS/Atom: Syndication formats that Bing accepts as sitemaps, useful for both discovery and subscribers.
