Google has confirmed that crawling over the new HTTP/2 architecture will start for some websites in November as it looks to cut down on the resources used during the process.
In a tweet posted on the Google Webmasters account late last week, the search giant announced that its Googlebot is now “learning a new HTTP dialect”.
HTTP/2 is a new standard that is faster while being more reliable and efficient than the former HTTP, which is an acronym for Hypertext Transfer Protocol.
HTTP is designed primarily for comms between web browsers and servers, though it does have other uses.
Google is now ready to switch to the newer HTTP/2, which is built on more advanced architecture that will deliver more feature-rich experiences.
“With h2, Googlebot is able to open a single TCP connection to the server and efficiently transfer multiple files over it in parallel, instead of requiring multiple connections,” Google said.
It added that the reduction in open connections translates to fewer resources being used.
This means that Googlebot does not have to spend as much time crawling content on webpages.
The switch to HTTP/2 will not just happen overnight though as Google is planning a slow and steady rollout.
The first phase will see HTTP/2 prioritised for a select number of sites before a gradual expansion over the coming months.
Sites that support HTTP/2 and have been crawled regularly by Googlebot are likely to be among those that could see a connection upgrade before the end of the year.
Google also stressed that site owners cannot do anything in advance to prepare and that there is no penalty or drawback for HTTP crawling.
The switch will not have an impact on search engine rankings either.
Google advised webmasters to read its FAQs on HTTP/2 to find out more information.
