Last week was much anticipated for me, not only did the NHL hockey playoffs start (with my favorite team the Edmonton Oilers taking on the Detroit Red Wings), but Google Sitemaps also rolled out some new features. (Strange that the two get me equally excited.)
I have used Google Sitemaps pretty much since it was released. The one thing that irked me with the application was the verification process, so I'm pleased to see that Google has listened to some feedback and now offers an alternate method of
on the root page of your site. According to the Webmaster Help Center on Google's site, the process is relatively simple:
- Go to the Verification Page
- Select the add a meta tag option.
- Copy and paste the meta tag supplied into the HEAD section of your site''s home page.
- Click the "Verify" button. Google will verify that the meta tag exists in the correct location. If it does, they will show a status of VERIFIED and provide a link to your site statistics. You can view your statistics at any time after your site is verified by clicking the site link on the My Sites page.
There is also a new Summary page that provides an 'Indexing Snapshot' to tell you if your site is even in the Google index, when Google's spider last crawled the homepage, if the spider has encountered errors, and if some of the pages are only partially indexed - if so, it even tells you which ones.
Probably one of the coolest features now offered through Google Sitemaps is the fact that Google will be using the Summary page to let Webmasters know if their site is being penalized through what they call the
Notification of violations of the Webmaster guidelines. This is a great feature that helps communicate if your site has been removed from the Google index due to any violations. If your site is in violation of their guidelines, you may receive a message that states the following:
No pages from your site are currently indexed in Google�s index due to violation of the Webmaster guidelines. They will also tell you to visit their guidelines and modify your site to fit. The message informs you that once the necessary changes are made, you can apply for re-inclusion and Google will re-evaluate your site. This notification process is really handy and proves that Google is still following their motto of 'Don't Be Evil.'
Other features for Google Sitemaps that have been modified include:
- Reinclusion request form
- Spam report
- New webmaster help center
- Improved navigation via the Diagnostic tab
In my opinion, the modifications and updates that have been made to
Google Sitemaps are a bit overdue, but as the saying goes, 'better late than never.'
Oh, and by the way, the Oilers are on the verge of upsetting the league leading Red Wings in the first round of the NHL playoffs, all in all, I'd say it was a pretty good week. Now, if only the Habs could regain their step.
Jody Nimetz
Organic Search Strategist
Enquiro Full Service
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