What is a Google Sitemap?
How do I create a Google Sitemap?

This page forms part of my "First Page Google Course" where I explain in step-by-step detail how to get your web site onto First Page Google. Creating a sitemap is one of the many important steps in getting your site into that magical First Page Google position.

Learn how to improve your Google Ranking - submit your site to Google Webmaster Tools today! I will show you, using screen-shots in step-by-step detail, how to submit your sitemap to Google. 

You and every website owner wants to improve their ranking on Google but most people have no idea where to begin. Google Webmaster Tools is a powerful starting point that helps you ensure that all of your site's pages are successfully crawled by Google search engine bots. Plus, it gives you useful information about your site that can help you develop a strategy that will improve your ranking position using your Google Sitemap.

Benefits to you:

• Find out any problems Google might be having searching your site.
• Speed up discovery of new and important pages by resubmitting a new sitemap.
• Learn how to better manage and market your website using free analyses from Webmaster Tools, including what keywords were used to find your site.
  

The steps shown below are instructions using our www.Design-Own-Web.com web design software

Overview

1. Create a Google Sitemap
2. Verify your website
3. Add a sitemap to your Google account

If you’ve made a lot of changes to your website, you can also resubmit your sitemap.

1. How to create a Google Sitemap

1. Click 'Edit Site' -> 'My Pages' ->'Power Tools'.
2. Click 'Google Sitemaps'.
3. You'll then see a list of your website's pages. Including all hidden pages and any subpages (e.g. if you have a catalog page, every product page it links to is listed).
   
   This is all automatically created for you within our webdesign software.

4. Check the boxes beside the pages you'd like to include in your sitemap. Make sure you include the most important pages.
5. Choose the frequency you'd like each selected page to be searched by Google. If you have pages that are updated often, increase the frequency.
6. Select the priority for searching each page. Most important pages, like your homepage, should be a higher priority.
   (Everytime you update a web page the date is automatically recorded. This helps the search engine spiders to know which of your web pages need to be crawled again)
7. Click 'Create Google Sitemap' to create your sitemap.
8. You have now submitted a sitemap to Google and need to verify your website
   

2. Verify Your Web Site

To verify your sitemap, you'll have to log in to Google Webmaster Tools, which you can access from the page you're already on after submitting your sitemap. Through Google Webmaster Tools, Google provides several services to make managing your website easier.

1. Click on http://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps. the log in page for google Webmaster Tools will open up in a seperate browser window.
2. Log in to your Google account. If you don't have a Google or Gmail account, you will have to create one.
   To register a Google account facility is FREE. The Google Sitemap submission is also FREE.

3. Once you've logged in to you Webmaster tools account, you'll be asked to enter your website's address or URL. Please enter the complete website URL using the domain name if you have one. It should look like this: http://www.yoursite.com/ 
   After you enter it click 'Add Site'.

4. Click 'Verify your site'.

5. From the drop down box that says 'Choose verification method...', click'Upload an HTML file'.

6. The page will extend and you'll see a combination of letters and numbers, followed by '.htm'. Select and copy it, without the '.htm'.

7. Go back to the browser window displaying your website.
8. Enter the copied text into the box provided.

9. Click 'Create Google Sitemap' again to verify your website.
10. Go to your Google browser window and click 'Verify'. It should tell you that your website has been successfully verified. You now have to add your sitemap to your Google account.

IMPORTANT: When you create a sitemap, a new page called 'Google Site Map Verify' is automatically created for you. When you are in the 'Manage Pages' part of your website's editor, you will see this page listed as 'Hidden from Index'. DO NOT EDIT THIS PAGE. Doing so will make the Sitemap ineffective.

 3. Add a Sitemap to Your Google Account

1. Log into your Google Webmaster account and click on 'Dashboard' at the top of the page.

2. Under 'Sitemap' click 'Add'.

3. From the drop down box that says 'Choose type...', click 'Add General Web Sitemap'.

4. Add this extension into the box provided: google_site_maps.htm

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