What is a Sitemap file and why should I have one?

I found this information while doing some research. Google has an amazing amount of very informative information this is just one of many articles.

I though it was a really good entry to my blog. This is for those of you who have a website that has a lot of diversified pages. Not all website need a sitemap it just depends on what pages you really want indexed. Some SEO experts (I have read differing opinions as I have researched) believe that you only want your main pages index - and that will give you a higher rating.

Other feel it doesn't seem to matter.

Quoted from http://www.google.com/support/webmasters/bin/answer.py?answer=40318&hl=en:

What is a Sitemap file and why should I have one?

What is a Sitemap file and why should I have one?

In general, there are two types of sitemaps. The first type of sitemap is a HTML page listing the pages of your site - often by section - and is meant to help users find the information they need.

XML Sitemaps - usually called Sitemaps, with a capital S - are a way for you to give Google information about your site. This is the type of Sitemap we'll be discussing in this article.

In its simplest terms, a Sitemap is a list of the pages on your website. Creating and submitting a Sitemap helps make sure that Google knows about all the pages on your site, including URLs that may not be discoverable by Google's normal crawling process.

Sitemaps are particularly helpful if:

• Your site has dynamic content.
• Your site has pages that aren't easily discovered by Googlebot during the crawl process - for example, pages featuring rich AJAX or Flash.
• Your site is new and has few links to it. (Googlebot crawls the web by following links from one page to another, so if your site isn't well linked, it may be hard for us to discover it.)
• Your site has a large archive of content pages that are not well linked to each other, or are not linked at all.

You can also use a Sitemap to provide Google with additional information about your pages, including:

• How often the pages on your site change. For example, you might update your product page daily, but update your About Me page only once every few months.
• The date each page was last modified.
• The relative importance of pages on your site. For example, your home page might have a relative importance of 1.0, category pages have an importance of 0.8, and individual blog entries or product pages have an importance of 0.5. This priority only indicates the importance of a particular URL relative to other URLs on your site, and doesn't impact the ranking of your pages in search results.

Sitemaps provide additional information about your site to Google, complementing our normal methods of crawling the web. We expect they will help us crawl more of your site and in a more timely fashion, but we can't guarantee that URLs from your Sitemap will be added to the Google index. Sites are never penalized for submitting Sitemaps.

Google adheres to Sitemap Protocol 0.9 as defined by sitemaps.org. The Sitemap Protocol is a dialect of XML for summarizing Sitemap information that is relevant to web crawlers. Sitemaps created for Google using Sitemap Protocol 0.9 are therefore compatible with other search engines that adopt the standards of sitemaps.org.

While a standard Sitemap works for most sites, you can also create and submit specialized Sitemaps for certain types of content. These Sitemap formats are specific to Google and are not used by other search engines. They're a good way to give Google detailed information about specific content types. For example, publishers can use News Sitemaps to give Google information that can appear in Google News search results, such as publication date, keywords, and stock ticker symbol. Sitemap formats include:

• Video Sitemaps
• Mobile Sitemaps
• News Sitemaps
• Code Search Sitemaps
• Geo Sitemaps

Announcing - Creating Wealth

I am now hosting my own blog with Word Press – I have decided this will be the Ultimate blog (I will still keep this blog however!). I took this amazing course on Web2.0 and I am convinced that Word Press is the blog to use so here we are. Why am I convinced, you ask? Because Word Press was developed with open source code (called .php) it can be used by all developers and does not require any expensive licenses and copy right infringement doesn't apply – so Word Press is FREE! Moreover, who doesn't like that 4 letter word!! With the tons and tons of plug-ins that are developed and being developed for Word Press you can have all types of fun and useful things that add functionality to a Word Press blog. I have downloaded various plug ins (quite cool I must say) but as with all new toys (or nightmares…) I have re-done, reworked and generally pulled out my hair all weekend trying to get this “perfect”. The first thing I did was change the theme (and style sheet) and put up my own banner, I am a designer after all!! Then came the SEO pieces and on and on we go. Now I am at the point I can start writing in my blog with great benefits. Oh and one more thing – I found a great little plug-in for Word Press that will actually allow you to ping this blog in an impressive array of places as you update content… Wow what a concept! Check it out – I still have a long ways to go. I will be developing a lot of pages, products and tutorials but – I will be letting you know my adventures on this blog and be sure and keep track of my new blog to get the latest and greatest in Creating Wealth Online!! You can sign up to receive my new blog by email – look at the side bar! To Your Success Pamela Jacob – Artista Design

Fantastic Squidoo lens – you must read!

I found this amazing lens on Squidoo called the power of writing articles. It is fantastic and will take you step by step into the process of writing a powerful article. I know some of you are experts in the field of writing but many of you are a little intimidated as well. Don’t be! Once you read this lens you will find inspiration guaranteed!! http://www.squidoo.com/articlehowto To your success Pamela Jacob Artista Design

Effective Website Copy – Simple Strategies that Work!

Where do I start? What do I do, I am so overwhelmed…

This is what I hear from clients time and again.

Just trying to structure the pages/copy that is needed when you are trying to develop your website can seem difficult a best.

As humans we can make the simple seem really complicated, I do this myself – but it doesn’t have to be. Sit down and really look at your business goals and what you want to accomplish with your website. There are really very few things a website can do.

Think about it a website can: 1. Market you or your business 2. Provide the image that you want for your business (brand you and/or your business) 3. Sell a product or service 4. Provide information 5. Collect information

It can do one or a combination of all of these things depending on what is needed.

Pretty simple right! Most of us have one of two types of businesses a service to render or a product to sell – and we believe or should believe that what we have to offer is better than the competition. You do believe that what you have to offer is better than your competitor’s right? If not your are at a dis-advantage -- Note: You need to be authentic, if you are just going through the motions guess what? People will get it, they will be able to sense that even you don’t believe in what you are trying to sell them. IF you don’t believe in what you are doing, stop right here and find something else you believe in. Don’t waste your money in building this business. Spend some more time and find your passion… IF you do believe you are unique and offer something that is superior then move on and answer these questions. Why are you superior, what makes you or your product(s) unique? The answer to these questions should be the basic text for all your marketing material(s) be it your website – brochures – flyers or anything that you are putting together to market your business.

Research your competition – see what you like about what they have to say and notice what you don’t think is so great. Do not steal from them, do take away ideas that you think can help you in forming the text you will be adding to your website.

Now go back to the original question: Why are you unique – why is your product unique? What makes you head and tails above the rest? Make a list – some examples can be: · Superior Quality · Amazing Talent · Unprecedented customer service (in my opinion all businesses should offer this no matter what!) · Free shipping · 24/7/365/ Service · Money back guarantee · Higher Quality – You get what you pay for… · Better Price · Unique Items · Free support after the contract is finished · Free Consultation · Experience in your field This is truly step one and once you have this step down then you need to start the process of writing the copy/text of your website and all other materials needed to market your business. Make sure you have your visitor in mind. Do not, I repeat do not worry about how great or grand you are frame the text in what you can do for your potential client/customer. Asking questions when starting out on the web page is a great way to engage your visitors they will actually start thinking about what you can do for them.

What is the pain that a prospective visitor may be feeling?

What problem(s) are they having, how can you solve those problems for them with your products or services?

In my case, a person may have had a frustration with a previous web designer. So they come to my website to see how I can solve this problem for them.

Ask Questions…

Are you frustrated with an unfinished website project? Did you have a designer who just couldn’t get the job done? Are you disappointed because your website isn’t giving you what you wanted?

Show them you know the frustrations they are feeling… So many businesses hire a web developer who will promise them the world and then disappear when the contract just doesn't go as promised.

Some businesses hire a so called Internet professional only to be let down by bad advice and an unmarketable website. Or worse yet your website may not be functioning properly or you urgently need to upgrade to add to your website and your web developer cannot be found…

Give them a solution to the problem...

Well worry no longer, Don’t let any of these examples stop you from creating a dynamite on-line presence. I will pick up and complete your website, or adjust it to give you the results you’re seeking.

Don’t let any of these examples stop you from creating a dynamite on-line presence. I will pick up and complete your website, or adjust it to give you the results you’re seeking. Contact me to get your web site working for you today! Simple - Concise - To The Point

That is what you need to do when putting together the text for your web pages. Of course their are exceptions to every rule and if you are putting together medical advice or Questions and answers for your clients write on - you get the point...

No pun intended!!

This article should help you in pulling together your website and making it a really effective tool for your success.

Memory Refresher:

What is the one other thing you absolutely have to have on your website – I cannot stress it enough?? An opt-in box – give your visitors something of value so that they have something to remember you by and you have a targeted potential database: name and email(s) for future campaigns, sells and promotions – your database is gold…

To Your Success!

Pamela Jacob Artista Design