Google Sitemaps - MUST READ!

[Vin DSL]

Here's something to sink 'your teeth' into...

Google Sitemaps is an easy way for you to help improve your coverage in the Google index. It's a collaborative crawling system that enables you to communicate directly with Google to keep us informed of all your web pages, and when you make changes to these pages:

• Better crawl coverage to help people find more of your web pages
  
• Fresher search results
  
• A smarter crawl because you can provide specific information about all your web pages, such as when a page was last modified or how frequently a page changes

For more info: https://www.google.com/webmasters/si.../en/about.html

Google Sitemaps generator: https://www.google.com/webmasters/si...generator.html

[Vin DSL]

Python version 2.2 must be installed on your webserver - check with your web hosting company if you are unsure.

Um... anyone know if JagPC installed the Python 2.2 executables yet?

[jason]

That Site Maps thing looks interresting. I saw it somewhere else a few days ago, although I haven't had time to really get into it yet.

Yes, Python is there. Mailmail, the CP mailing list tool is written in Python. However, last time I checked it (Python, that is) wasn't up to date.

--Jason

[Vin DSL]

Yes, Python is there... However, last time I checked it (Python, that is) wasn't up to date...

Correctemundo!

[Vin DSL]

'Tech Support' is gonnas love this, aren't they?

[jason]

With 5 gigs of storage now you could probably do your own local instal of Python without a problem...

--Jason

[Vin DSL]

Hrm... Python 2.41...

[Connie]

I have known about this for a week or two. Not something I'm real happy with it, but it will possibly help those with dynamic sites. At least as far as getting your sites crawled. This is not a magic solution for ranking. Your web pages are still going to have to be worthy to rank.

To use the new site map effectively will require more work on the part of the webmaster. You will have to update the site map every time you make a change to a web page reflecting the date of the of the change. You will need to update the site map every time you add a new page. If I understand this correctly once you use the Google site map they will only crawl your site based on the site map.

Less work for Google, more work for the webmaster. Unless I see a big difference in the way Google crawls my site I won't use it. Nearly every site should already have a site map. If you have SE friendly URLs I don't see any need (at this time) of the Google site map.

Anyway just my 2 cents worth.

[Spathiphyllum]

To use the new site map effectively will require more work on the part of the webmaster...

Ain't that the truth. And the joy of installing/managing/tweaking yet another scripting language. Life's just too short. However, if everyone starts shifting their crawling to these types of maps to keep up with Google through mimicry, it may be thrust upon webmasters whether they want it or not. Time will tell.

Less work for Google, more work for the webmaster. Unless I see a big difference in the way Google crawls my site I won't use it...

Yup.