Does anyone have suggestions for a good XML Sitemap Generator?
-
Does anyone have any suggestions on a good XML Sitemap Generator? Also interested in best practices and tips for updating the XML Sitemap.
I typically have relied on my web developers to do this however it seems that they have not been setting this up with SEO in mind.
-
Google will look for /sitemaps.xml. This is pretty standard.
Some people may not name it that way - not advised. But if you're using the other sitemaps for images, videos, etc, then you can use the robots.txt file to tell search engines where they are explicitly.
Also, be sure to set up an account at http://www.google.com/webmasters/ and submit your sitemaps there.
-
Thanks for the info! I'm working on loading up the xml-sitemaps software now.
What is the purpose of a link to all the sitemaps in a robots.txt file?
-
If you have ftp access to the root, you can simply overwrite the current one with a new one. Google will pick it up.
Also, you should include a link to all your sitemaps in a robots.txt file - also in the root. If you look at SEOMoz's robots.txt file, you can see how to do that. http://www.seomoz.org/robots.txt
-
there is already a sitemap on my server that was generated by my web developers. What is the best practice for overriding an existing site map?
-
Thank you Cyril. Based on my research as well this seems to be a good option. Google webmaster tools also recommends it.
-
Thanks Jbrock!
That really helps to see how yours is set up. My website developer currently has a sitemap set up however I don't think its taking advantage of all the features possible.
-
You can probably set it to ignore parameters you don't want added to the sitemap. Here's a screenshot from my standalone version to give you an idea of the settings.
-
I bought the standalone version of http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/standalone-google-sitemap-generator.html in 2007 or 8 and have really liked it. They've really kept the product updated, but the $19.99 price hasn't changed since.
It gives you a high degree of control, supports really large websites, generates multiple sitemaps (xml, image, video, news, mobile, ror, etc.) and more. Plus, updates are free for life once you purchase.
Use the free generator on the homepage to see how it works.
-
Hey Nathan,
I've used this one in the past <cite>www.xml-sitemaps.com/ </cite>
It works pretty decently for me, but you have to make sure you edit it after its created. Look for pages that no longer exist or are redirected somewhere else. Also make sure you aren't listing any pages with search query's in them, (www.url.com/index.php**?xxxx**) if you use search query's that way.
Updating is just what it is, every time you create a new page on your site, you need to update the site map.
Got a burning SEO question?
Subscribe to Moz Pro to gain full access to Q&A, answer questions, and ask your own.
Browse Questions
Explore more categories
-
Moz Tools
Chat with the community about the Moz tools.
-
SEO Tactics
Discuss the SEO process with fellow marketers
-
Community
Discuss industry events, jobs, and news!
-
Digital Marketing
Chat about tactics outside of SEO
-
Research & Trends
Dive into research and trends in the search industry.
-
Support
Connect on product support and feature requests.
Related Questions
-
Anyone had an Extensive Look at Hubspot SEO Features and Tools ?
Mozz, Some co-workers are looking into some of the of tools that Hubspot offer as part of there marketing package, I understand it is part of a bigger picture for the hubspot software and moz is much more focused on technical seo etc, But i am just wondering if anyone had spent any extensive time using the hubspot software and has any feedback on the tools? Is there anything (Just the seo section) that moz cannot ? there are alot of really great moz tools i use that i haven't seen in the hubspot software, like the crawl test, the onpage grading doesn't look at as many aspects as moz, link information and opportunities looked limited compared to moz/majestic seo , no landing page tool like the one built into moz analytics campaigns and hubspot just generally seemed to provide less information ? Any advice or feedback would be grealy appreciated ? Thanks James
Moz Pro | | Antony_Towle0 -
High Page Authrority, low Domain Authority. Good?
I am seeking links from real estate content sites to promote a free course I have about apartment investing. The response has been good from the first five sites I approached, with three granting links. In putting the linking pages on Open Site Explorer though I noticed on had a PA of 40, but a DA of 28. Of course I am grateful for the link, but usually it is the DA that is higher. What does it mean when the PA is higher than the DA, and would a link from this page help me? Any help is much appreciated.
Moz Pro | | HankR0 -
Newsletter Optimization Help - Anyone know someone?
Hi Moz'ers! I am looking for some help and possibly a referral. My organization has a massive newsletter, 180k subscribers but the performance of the newsletter has been decreasing over the past couple of years with a really poor CTR. I am looking for someone to help optimize and provide recommendation on how we can better the newsletter performance again. We are in the international education and travel business, primary audience is college students within the US/UK/AUS. If anyone has a recommendation of an agency or consultant specializing in newsletters optimization, that would be amaze-balls!
Moz Pro | | GoAbroadKP0 -
Wher is the API id and key? I tried generating it several times but I get nothing...?
Wher is the API id and key? I tried generating it several times but I get nothing...?
Moz Pro | | breezego0 -
I can't find any inbound links that I know I have on open site, ahref or majestic. Does anyone know why?
Since the linkscape update before Christmas I have built a couple of links to fairly high quality sites. I can't find them on open site though or the other tools I mentioned. I'm a bit concerned there is an issue with my site. Does anyone have any idea why? I'm stumped. My site: www.emporiumofmanliness.co.uk
Moz Pro | | EmpofMan0 -
How can I submit my sitemap file to SEOmoz? (I mean the same file I send to google and bing, not the sitemap page)
I'm new to SEOmoz. As far as I understand, SEOmoz goes out to my site and crawls it to find all the pages. Is there anyway I can submit my sitemap page to SEOmoz just like I submit it to Google or Bing? Thanks for your help! Fernando
Moz Pro | | fsantospt0 -
Dot Net Nuke generating long URL showing up as crawl errors!
Since early July a DotNetNuke site is generating long urls that are showing in campaigns as crawl errors: long url, duplicate content, duplicate page title. URL: http://www.wakefieldpetvet.com/Home/tabid/223/ctl/SendPassword/Default.aspx?returnurl=%2F Is this a problem with DNN or a nuance to be ignored? Can it be controlled? Google webmaster tools shows no crawl errors like this.
Moz Pro | | EricSchmidt0 -
Google Algorithm Update July 30, 2012 - Anyone else notice a major drop in keyword rankings
From July 30th to the 31st many of my keyword rankings in Google plumited 30 spots or more. Has anyone else notice this on their site? Does anyone have any idea for the presumed penalty? I can PM my site information if needed for further assistance. As always thank you for the assistance, and any help in this matter is greatly appreciated!
Moz Pro | | BethA1