Today’s new tool in SoloSEO is an integrated XML Sitemap Generator. Previously you just had to create your own, now we’ll do it for you! All you have to do is initiate the process by clicking a button, and the Sitemap is created while you go on with your SEO. We’ve made it easy to have the most up-to-date sitemap with a small PHP file that calls the XML from our server, but puts it on your own. Google (and the others I am guessing) require the sitemap to reside on your server.
What is an XML Sitemap?
Most people know a sitemap as a page that lets you see the whole site at a glance, like a map. An XML Sitemap has links to the whole site, but because it is XML it is more so intended for a computer rather than a person. Google, Yahoo, and MSN search engines will all take this file and will use it to supplement their crawl of your site. Some people call this search engine submission 2.0, where 1.0 was submitting page URLs to search engines.
Why do I need an XML sitemap?
If you’re a new site, this is one of the fastest ways to get noticed by the search engines. This is the first thing I do (along with Adwords and Analytics) for any new site I create. Typically I find my new sites indexed within a matter of days of doing this.
For not so newer sites, you may not have your whole site indexed by the major search engines (for some reason or another that you should look deeper into), and the XML Sitemap will help Google et al. to see your whole site.
In my opinion, anything that can increase the level of trust by Google et al. to your site, will help you. It’s hard to know if submitting your XML sitemap has any actual effect on your rankings, but if Google trusts you more because of it, I’m in.
But aren’t there tons of free XML Sitemap Generators?
Yes there are! But many of these services, like many free SEO tools, are not maintained, updated, or have just vanished! There is one that I like, XML-sitemaps.com. I paid for the download and it works great, but they have a free version that would work fine for most anyone. With our new tool you can create and update your sitemap with just a simple click, and if you have multiple sites you manage in SoloSEO, it makes it that much easier. Then all you need is to install the 3 or 4 line PHP file on your server, and it will automatically grab your sitemap XML from our server for Google et al. to see.
Try it out for yourself, it will make your SEO life easier.
Don’t forget to check back Thursday and Friday for a new tool each day!
