XML Sitemaps is a standard url submission method – How to make Sitemap.xml – Usefull Links and explanation!
In order to create a valid xml sitemap I realized I had to do certain things. Some sites offer an online Site Map Generator which I found a convenient way to get around this ‘must’.
Try here: Sitemapdoc.com On this site I can cover all the bases regarding this issue. There I’m able to create xml sheets out of any type of website including a good old fashioned html site.
Or try here: XML Site Map Tools On this page I found a collection of helpful Sitemap tools. As matter of fact, this page contained everything I needed to know including sofware.
So what is an xml Sitemap? I asked that myself once and found the following; It’s an index of selected, or all, pages and posts within a website’s url (domain name/ web address) written in .xml format. This .xml page is then parsed by web crawlers (bots) that Google and Yahoo send out to my sites. This process makes it fast and easy for both the search engine and the webmaster to get the pages indexed. Previously it could take months to get a web site indexed.
The actual .xml file can be read, edited and saved by any plain-text text editor like word pad, notebook, PSPad or BBedit on a MAC (not Microsoft Word).
It’s important to keep the Sitemap clean in the sense of that only one base web address should be represented on it. If I for example mix www.website.com with something-else.website.com Google will complain when parsing it. When I once got the sitemap.xml saved and ready I have to upload it to my website’s root folder. Then it’s time to call a visit to certain pages on the web where I may submit my new sitemap.xml for a fast indexing into the desired directory. The important pages to visit are:
Google: Webmasters Tools
Yahoo: SiteExplorer
For WordPress (CMS) I recommend this plugin:
Google Sitemap Generator It makes things very easy for me as the plugin automatically not only rewrites the Sitemap but also submits it to Google, Yahoo and Ask. And more, it creates a robot.txt file as well as it allows me to manually include additional pages. All from one control-panel in the WordPress dashboard.
With above information I got my sites indexed without to much problems. From the day I first entered Google’s Webmaster Tools it was a fast learning process as Google clearly explains the procedure, step by step.
:::rich:::
