XML Sitemap for Large Sites

In my previous two articles (How to Generate XML Sitemap for Your Website and Submit XML Sitemap to Google, Yahoo and MSN), I explained how you can generate XML sitemaps and submit them to search engines.

What if your website has a large number of pages? How do you create and submit XML sitemaps for large websites?

An XML sitemap file can contain up to 50,000 URLs and should be smaller than 10 MB. So, if your site is larger than these limits, you need to break your sitemap into several smaller XML sitemaps. You then need to list all the sitemaps in a sitemap index file. Please note that XML sitemap index file cannot contain more than 1,000 XML sitemaps.

The XML sitemap index file has a similar format to that of regular XML Sitemap file. The Sitemap index file uses the following XML tags:

sitemapindex: the parent tag surrounds the file and contains the individual sitemaps
sitemap: the individual XML Sitemap
loc: the location of the sitemap
lastmod: the last modified date of the sitemap

Sample XML Sitemap Index

Here is an example of how an XML Sitemap index file looks like:

< ?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
- < xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
- < sitemap>
< loc>http://www.yoursite.com/sitemap.xml< /loc>
< lastmod>2008-12-06T13:51:06+00:00< /lastmod>
< /sitemap>
- < sitemap>
< loc>http://www.yoursite.com/sitemap2.xml< /loc>
< lastmod>2008-12-06T13:51:06+00:00< /lastmod>
< /sitemap>
- < sitemap>
< loc>http://www.yoursite.com/sitemap3.xml< /loc>
< lastmod>2008-12-06T13:51:06+00:00< /lastmod>
< /sitemap>
< /sitemapindex>

You can write a script that helps you automate the XML sitemap generation and updates. The script can append new pages to the XML sitemap as they are created. However, you need to set up a rule to make sure that your sitemap does not go over its maximum size. Once a sitemap is reached its quota, a new one should be created and appended to the XML sitemap index file.

Nima Asrar Haghighi, SEO Expert

Google AdWords Consulting Might Just Save Your Campaign

If you have every used Google AdWords to run PPC advertising campaigns, you have noticed that Google AdWords has a very user friendly and intuitive PPC management interface. You can basically set up an AdWords account and send your marketing campaign live in a matter of hours if not minutes.

However, running Google AdWords campaigns are deceptively easy. Even though it is easy to setup and run a campaign, it’s not as easy to run a successful campaign.

Working as an AdWords Consultant and managing PPC campaigns for over 100 web properties, I should say no two accounts are exactly the same. Each pay per click campaign is different and needs specific strategies and tactics. However, if you use the right methodology, you can increase your chances of winning results with Google.

Running a successful Google AdWords campaign starts with understanding your objectives, setting KPIs for success (e.g., conversion rate, page view/visit, cost/sales), conducting keyword research (using paid or free keyword research tools), segmenting keywords into various Ad Groups, writing multiple targeted Ad Copies and sending traffic to the most relevant landing pages.

Even though it is crucial in the success of your campaign, setting up the AdWords account is just the first step. The secret to run a successful PPC campaign that meets your objectives and generates great ROI is the ongoing management of PPC bids, A/B testing of ad copies and landing pages, expanding or eliminating keywords, adding negative keywords and measuring visitors’ behaviour on your site using Web Analytics applications such as Google Analytics.

The principles are simple; however, if you are not a Google AdWords expert, I would highly recommend consulting with a Google AdWords Qualified Professional. A consultant can help you prevent wasting your advertising dollars and make best of your marketing campaigns.

Nima Asrar Haghighi, Search Engine Marketing Consultant