SEO Tactics for Google Sitemaps

You've done all your SEO homework: keyword research, keyword optimization, onsite SEO (META tags, alt tags, keyword rich content, etc), offsite SEO (linking strategies: articles, press releases, blogs, forums, directories), advertising and so on. There's one more thing you need to complete your efforts: SEO with Google Sitemaps.

You should know what a Google Sitemap is not: a guarantee of getting high ranks in the Google search results or higher PageRanks. A Sitemap isn't a tool that forces Google robots to crawl on demand. It is a tool that makes the crawler more effective by providing a clear structure of your website.

Google Sitemaps is first and foremost a tool that helps Google index web pages faster. This Sitemap tells Google about the most important web pages of your site and how often you change them. Basically, you're helping Google crawl your pages smarter. You can see how Google indexes your website, which of your pages are indexed by Google, how many pages refer to your website and how many link to your website.

Although there is a 200-site submission limit, this service has already proven its efficiency. Sitemap statistics will allow you to see what queries and keywords people use when they find your website. You'll know whether people find you for the keywords you have been targeting or for other keywords. If visitors find your website for only one or two fractions of your content - let's say home-made wine - that's an important niche and you should probably consider expanding its content to keep visitors interested.

In conclussion, this is a great tool that enables you to see the thought process of a Google searcher.

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Jerry West is the Director of Internet Marketing for WebMarketingNow. He has been consulting on the web since 1996 and has assisted hundreds of companies gain an upper-hand over their competition. Visit Web Marketing Now for the latest in marketing tips that are tested and proven.

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