Installation Instructions for a typical Sitemap Generator, XML datasource page

Sitemap, The use of Sitemaps, an XML page, another SEO Subject in the nutshell.

SEO and Installation tips and instructions for most Sitemap Generators, XML.  These installation instructions are to supplement the gaps in most Read Me file instructions, to help clarify the things they don’t tell you, such as permissions, installation, and getting them to work!  Combine this advise with your Read Me File for required information on set up page address of your Sitemap Generator.

Sitemap XML File, Files Created From Sitemap Generator Software

White hat SEO has a lot of opportunity with the tools available for fast and effective Search Engine Optimization positioning.  These great tools are recommended for fully effective indexing by the search engines too.  One of the most valuable is the Sitemap.  The sitemap is an XML generated page, which allows the ability for an accurate and up to date inventory of pages on your site to be generated to an XML page, then is set up to notify the search engines of the website changes in real time.

Do not manually add any script on an XML page except the provided brief page definition.  Once the empty XML Dataset page is uploaded to your chosen website folder in your server, (in our case) along with a sitemap.xml.gz, the XML Sitemap Generator will process the current scripted list of pages within your site.

For our primary SEODomainNames.com site, we are adding information via a blog software format, and our preference is WordPress.  Other open source blog software include Joomla and Drupal as examples.  I prefer WordPress for the ability to interlink to a vast amount of tools such as these.  WordPress allows a platform that accept excellent Sitemap Generators for you, as well as many other great plug ins.  WordPress is a free open source blog software, that has evolved to a well written, easy update, and very plug in friendly software that allows for the addition of many variables including a huge directory of contributed themes for look, SEO plug ins for “pretty URLs” that include your title as well as category and date, (see our titles to our pages as this example), as well as plug ins for easy add adsense ads or your favorite php script, but in the case for this editorial, the sitemap.xml

Several Sitemap plug ins are available for WordPress, and even if you do not use WordPress or any of these type of blog programs, and only use static pages, you can find Sitemap Generators on the web.  Simply type in the keywords: Sitemap Generator, or Free Sitemap Generator.  Google links to one too.  We have chosen a Sitemap plug in that works with WordPress, the credits and links for you are included in our Sitemap.  I have broken the sitemap link below for your view, but you will have to correct the obvious.  The reason I do not want to link the sitemap here, or anywhere on our site, is it will index it in the search engines.  I prefer not to index our sitemap, rather list it through our sitemap option in our accouns, and if set up correctly, will take care of your listing for you without indexing the sitemap itself.  Ours has no CSS style to it, although is available to do so through our sitemap generator plug in we use.

For you to see as an example, our sitemap is:

• seodomainnames.com/seoblog/sitemap (dot) xml

We chose to install the sitemap generator folder in the seo blog folder above, then installed sitemap.xml separately in that same location outside the folder.  You can put it in your root folder, the put your sitemap.xml in your root if you choose, root being the same area that your index or home page is.

The software can be accessed through the credit links it generates for your use if you choose. I have done one extra thing that I think is important.  I have added the front index page to the links manually in my plug in so it will include the remainder of the site.  I do have it in the blog sub folder, as this area of the web is changed more frequently due to its ability of interactivity, again my word press section should grow much faster than static pages now as this evolves.

The results of an XML script driven Sitemap is the immediate listings with search engines in real time for rapid SEO.  Any changes to your site is reflected in the Sitemap.xml generated page, and notifies search engines of your changes.  With an account at Google, Yahoo, MSN Bing, and others, you can notify them of your sitemap url on your Search Engine/Webmaster account that hopefully you have signed up for and gotten friendly with.

There are many XML Sitemap Generator tools on the web, of which many are free.  The Installation might vary with recommendations, but for the most part the installation instructions for an XML Sitemap Generator is the same as the one we use.

FTP Software and Ability Required:

1. FTP uploading to your site on the server.  Your FTP program will require that ability that allows the right click on folders and files, and the properties at the bottom show a CHMOD change ability.  choose 777 for the files for full read and write permissions to these files, or check all read and write options, typically 9 total permissions, as an XML file is an empty page address that a dataset will be “fed to”, to be displayed.
2. HTML editor such as dreamweaver, microsoft product, or any product that will allow adding sitemap.xml and sitemap.xml.gz files with these titles and add code for you.  You can get the basic XML code on line or pages might be included in your software you choose.

Simple install of Sitemap.xml Software.

1. Install the software from the XML Sitemap Generator website, and put it on your computer at home, in a file you can find.  I save it to my website file, and when I upload, I have it there too.  If it is a zip file, highlight and look for the words extract files to at the top, to unzip these files to the folder you choose on your computer. Once it is successfully in your computer, there is typically a readme file that you can open for instructions, but will continue.
2. Open your ftp program with the server side open, and open the file that you wish to upload your Sitemap Generator to.
3. If it is in the root folder, you may open your computer side of the FTP program, and transfer or slide the entire folder of these files over to your server with your FTP method you use to upload folders to your website.
4. If it is a sub folder, just simply open that sub folder, and put the folder of your Sitemap Generator there.  Remember you need to include the folder in all cases of application and to open to see, as well as what address that you will want to put in your SE accounts.  It will only sitemap from the sub folder down, but in the case of a blog software driven program such as wordpress, most programs will allow the addition of your home page in “additional pages”.
5. Before you continue, See if your folder in your computer includes a sitemap.xml, and or sitemap.xml.gz, or similar files.  Sometimes the software company will put example.sitemap.xml.  Simply open and save as sitemap.xml.  same with related files as .gz.    You will add these separately, outside the sitemap generator file, in the root file or file folder you choose such as your blog folder.  These need to be accessed without going to your sitemapgenerator folder, but should be accessed directly with the address, such as: www.yoursite.com/blog/sitemap.xml
6. Again before you leave your ftp client, highlight and right click these files, go down to CHMOD properties, and give 777 permissions or “all 9 boxes of full permissions for read and writable, as these will be written automatically by the Sitemap Generator.
7. In your read me file, it should give you an address for special settings.  If you have wordpress it is easy as a plug in, with a settings link included in some sitemap generators that opens a full options panel.
8. Type in your sitemap.xml address to test, once all is loaded to your website, and all permissions are set, and you have found the readme file and executed your changes and options you choose.
9. For added benefit, Yahoo requires a long code in many cases for it to work. Get an account with Yahoo, and register a sitemap for your site by filling in the required information.  With theYahoo provided long code, then you can enter it in the option box if provided by your sitemap generator program so they match up.  Google too has a webmaster website section that you should also sign up for, and once you add a site to Google through this account, then you can find the sitemap section and add it with the specific address (noting folder) of your sitemap.

This took me forever to get. Here are some installation tips for your Sitemap Generator. It seems everywhere I looked, and how many times I installed my Sitemap.xml page, I could never get it to work. I hope these tips help you outside your Sitemap Generator Installation instructions.

1. Never put anything on the Sitemap page.  The generator should do it for you.  Simply add those separately where in the folder you want them to be found.  Always refer to that address which you provide those empty xml data set files.
2. With your ftp client or software, remember to give permissions to the primary folder of your sitemap generator, as well as your new sitemap.xml and sitemap.xml.gz files you have made or put in the places you want them.  All should be set as described above, 777 or full permissions with all 9 boxes.  This allows permission for the Sitemap Generator to add the script to the provided page.
3. Get the address exact when checking.  As a rule, always use lower case behind the dot com/.  Sitemap.xml and sitemap.xml are two different addresses!
4. Some programs require a set up page to be visited, so that you can click on a link that says, “Generate your first page”.  It should also show how it is working with provided search engines, as well as a vast array of settings that can add or delete pages to prevent multiple listings of same information.  Only choose one place to list information, rather than all options that reflect multiple content.  Many blogs will provide a dozen addresses or ways to get to the same info.  For those sitemaps it is best to only click category or post.
5. Finally, check to see your /sitemap.xml page is working, then sign up with google, yahoo, bing, and others so you can list your site in their respective webmaster tools areas, and enter your sitemap to be found.

The results to this tool is the immediate or quick entry in all search engines, not too differently than real live web news.

SEO with Sitemap XML Generator Dataset

If you would like your site to be treated similar to a news cast, enjoy the SEO benefits of a Sitemap.  With good SEO implementation, your site can now be found by Search Engines in seconds, “rather than daze”…

provided by: SEO@seodomainnames.com