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Did you know that google provides a way for you to tell Googlebot about every page on your website?  It is called an “XML Sitemap.”

Although there is some debate about just how important an xml sitemap is, many search engine specialists consider having an up-to-date xml sitemap to be an SEO “best practice.” [1] 

If your artist website doesn’t have an xml sitemap, and you want one, the first thing you have to do is create one.  The technical specification of the xml sitemap is pretty complicated and looks like so:

Fortunately, you don't have to create your sitemap by hand.  Many website systems automatically create your xml sitemap for you.  For example, if you're a FASO customer, we automatically create a properly formatted sitemap for every artist website we host.  (FASO custs:  You can see your sitemap by going to http://(yourwebsite.com)/sitemap.xml.  As an an example, here's Kevin Macpherson's xml sitemap.)

If you're not a FASO customer, ask your webmaster if your setup automatically generates a sitemap.  If it doesn't, or you manage your website by uploading your own html files, then your going to have to create one youself.  There are many services listed in Google that offer sitemap generators.  Click here to choose one if you need to generate a sitemap.

After you've generated your XML Sitemap, you have to let Google know about it.  I'll cover that in the next installment, however as a side note for FASO customers - you don't have to worry about submitting your sitemap to Google, we automatically create and submit your xml sitemaps for you.  So the bottom line is (for FASO customers), you don't have to do anything to take advantage of xml sitemaps!

Sincerely,

Clint Watson

FASO Founder, Software Craftsman and Art Fanatic

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[1]  Most people who follow my writings know that I don't think SEO is worth spending a lot of time on for most artists, but I do understand it, and I do know quite a bit about it [and have achieved many great rankings by applying SEO to FASO :-) ].  Since I don't think most artists should spend much of their valuable time on it, we, at FASO, do everything we can to automate as many SEO elements as we can.