Google Site Maps | Yahoo Site Maps

I'm not SEO expert, (working on becoming one) but I do know one of the best ways to get your entire site indexed is with a site map. A site map is simply a listing of all the pages on your website in a single file. It is a lot like an index to a book. Google and Yahoo allow you to setup accounts and designate where your site map is located on your site. They use this site map as a guide of what pages to index, how often, and to determine if new pages have been added.

Yahoo seems to prefer the map in txt format with no information other than the urls of the pages on your site. Google prefers the site map in xml format and allows you to enter other info such as the page's importance and how often the page changes.

You will need the following link to setup your google site map. Here is the link to set up your yahoo site map. Both google and yahoo require you to authenticate the site is yours before allowing you to link to a site map on your site. The authentication process involves placing a auto generated file in your root directory. This process is pretty easy and is explained in detail on both sites.

Now once you have signed up with accounts on both search engine, the most important thing is actually creating the site maps. I have one site with over 600 pages. The idea of manually creating a site map is like a horror movie. You can find some software to help you, but who wants to pay for another software program?

Luckily, I ran across GSiteCrawler last night. I can't say enough about this program. And best of all, it is free! If you are as impressed as I was you can leave a donation for the software's programmer John Mueller.

The program has so many features it can be a little tough to figure out at first. The documentation is also a little limited. But if you are pretty good with software, 15 minutes later you should have the entire thing figured out. This program creates both Yahoo and Google site maps and automatically ftps them to your site. It is sophisticated enough to use the websites robots.txt file to exclude the pages you don't want to be searchable. This program is top shelf.

Once your site maps are loaded on your site, you just revisit the google and yahoo webmaster's account you created and notify both search engines of your site map location. This ensures both engines know the location of all the pages you want searched.

GSiteCrawler is the best. Don't forget to pay them a visit.

Posted by: Brent Crouch on 13 Apr, 2007No Comments »