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Google gives customers faster Site Search service

Those who use the service to give their sites a search interface now can tell Google when to update its index so new Web pages can be searched.

Stephen Shankland Former Principal Writer
Stephen Shankland worked at CNET from 1998 to 2024 and wrote about processors, digital photography, AI, quantum computing, computer science, materials science, supercomputers, drones, browsers, 3D printing, USB, and new computing technology in general. He has a soft spot in his heart for standards groups and I/O interfaces. His first big scoop was about radioactive cat poop.
Expertise Processors, semiconductors, web browsers, quantum computing, supercomputers, AI, 3D printing, drones, computer science, physics, programming, materials science, USB, UWB, Android, digital photography, science. Credentials
  • Shankland covered the tech industry for more than 25 years and was a science writer for five years before that. He has deep expertise in microprocessors, digital photography, computer hardware and software, internet standards, web technology, and more.
Stephen Shankland

Google has launched a feature called On-Demand Indexing that lets customers of its Google Site Search service more rapidly include new pages in search results.

With Site Search, Google indexes customers' publicly available Web sites and powers a search engine on those customers' sites. With the new option, customers get an "index now" button that will direct Google to index specific pages so they'll be available in search results within hours, Google said Thursday.

The move extends the greater customer control Google began offering in June with Site Search. To see how it works, check the screenshot below, in particular the "index now" button at the bottom.

Site Search costs $100 a year for an company with up to 5,000 Web pages and 250,000 searches per year, with prices gradualling rising to $2,250 a year for up to 300,000 pages and 500,000 queries per year. Beyond that, customers have to set up a custom relationship with Google.

On-demand indexing lets Google Site Search customers tell the search engine when to update its index. (Click to enlarge.)
On-demand indexing lets Google Site Search customers tell the search engine when to update its index. (Click to enlarge.) Google