Google Sitemap | Making Your Website More Google-Friendly Using a Google Sitemap
Chris Jaeger
Make Your Website More Google-Friendly Using a Google Sitemap
What is a Google Sitemap?
A Google Sitemap is a file created for your website that lists all or some of your pages. The file becomes a "map" that Google spiders use to "crawl" and gather information about your website. It is usually created using the .xml file format and is located at the root of your hosting server (i.e. http://www.yoursite.com/sitemap.xml).
A Google Sitemap tells the Google spider what files you have at your website, where they are, the importance of each, and how often a particular page is updated or changed.
In short, using this program, Google is asking you for (1) more information about your website and (2) help crawling and indexing that information for the Google database.
I highly recommend you create a Google Sitemap.
Here's why:
Google Is Asking You To
Google is asking you to do this because it will help them find information on the web more easily - particularly at your website. A Google Sitemap allows Google spiders to more efficiently and effectively index your pages and update the information in their database.
It's Part of an Effective SEO Strategy
Creating and using a Google Sitemap is an important part of any search engine optimization strategy. There are over a dozen techniques related to search engine optimization. One of these is "spider friendliness" and one of the main reasons for using a Google Sitemap.
Your Website May Be At A Disadvantage
If your competition is using a Google Sitemap and you are not it's likely that it puts your website at a disadvantage. People will argue this point and say "heck, I don't use one and look at where Im ranked." To that I say: "Enjoy it while you have it."
Sitemaps Work
There is a lot of evidence Google is using the data from Sitemaps to add pages to their database. Without going into all the details of my research, it's clear that Google is using this information in search engine result pages (SERPS). If you have an ecommerce site with lots of sub-pages (i.e. deep product categories) it's very important you use a Sitemap to tell Google about these pages.
Excellent Feedback From Google
Once you've setup your Google Sitemap it will give you some pretty interesting information about your website. Using this information you can fine-tune your search engine optimization strategy and more quickly improve your positioning.
It's Fairly Easy To Setup
It's pretty easy to set up a Google Sitemap and should take your webmaster less than a few hours - in most cases. There are a wide variety of different Sitemap generating tools available online. Some are free and others charge a small fee.
It Should Help Your Flash Site at Google
It shouldn't be news to you that Flash websites are not search engine friendly. This is largely because search engine spiders don't "see" Flash code. A Sitemap might be one way to get Google to index your Flash site. At this point in time I don't have any direct evidence that this is the case, but based on what I do know it is likely a Google Sitemap will help get a Flash site picked up by Google.
TINSTAFL
There is no free lunch and let me state this very clearly:
A Google Sitemap is not your free ticket to top positioning or better Page Rank with Google.
That is not what this is about.
That said and understood, I do recommend you create and use the Google Sitemap as part of your online marketing strategy.
Limited Offer - Today Only - Tuesday May 16, 2006
Free Google Sitemap Setup With New
Book More Weddings Advantage Membership
I create and install Google Sitemaps for clients starting at $250.00. This includes a "crawl" of your website, identification of all your pages, creating the Sitemap .xml file, providing you with the appropriate file(s) for your server, the setup at Google, and monitoring it for 30 days.
After 30 days I'll also provide you with a report indicating any potential problems the Google spiders are having with your website.
Join my Book More Weddings Advantage Membership program today, for only $99.00/year, and I'll create a Google Sitemap for your website for free.
You get all the benefits of my Advantage Membership program PLUS all the advantages of a Google Sitemap discussed above - and save $150.00
As you might expect, this is a great offer and only extended to those who join my program today - Tuesday, May 16, 2006. This special offer only applies to annual memberships (not monthly memberships).
I always welcome your feedback, general discussion, or questions. Click on the Live Support button below for my private chat, drop me a line at chris@bookmoreweddings.com, or use the feedback form below. Thank you.
