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Sitemaps and Google Webmaster
Overview
Getting found by the major search engines sometimes requires a little prodding. One free tool that helps with this effort is Google Webmaster Tools. The main feature of this service is to "register" your site with Google — by sending a "sitemap" of your website's architecture — so that they explicitly know you exist, and most importantly, know how to efficiently read your content.One benefit of a PhotoShelter account is that we automatically generate, submit, and verify your sitemap with Google on your behalf using our own Google Webmaster Tools account.
- We cannot provide support on Google Webmaster-related questions. Please use the Google forums or our forums to gain advice from other users.
Sitemap Structure
We automatically generate sitemaps for all PhotoShelter users. (One exception: Any account without a completed "My Website Address" field will not receive a sitemap until the address has been finalized.)
The sitemap contains the following elements of your site architecture, presented in a way that Google can easily digest:
- Core static pages (i.e. your About page, homepage, gallery list, etc.)
- Public galleries
- Public gallery collections and the galleries included within them
- All searchable images
Your sitemap is an XML-based list of links to your content. However, if you're curious as to what your sitemap looks like, you may view it in a browser (try Firefox for best results).
The URL to your sitemap takes this format:
http://YOUR-NAME.photoshelter.com/user-sitemap/sitemap-YOUR-USER-ID/0.xml.gz
- "YOUR-NAME" is what you've selected for your website address.
- "YOUR-USER-ID" is the unique user ID created by our database when you signed up.
- Please note that if you have a CNAME, we submit two separate sitemaps for you: one with your PhotoShelter account, one with your alias, so either URL will work.
Sitemap Submission & Verification
We submit all user sitemaps to Google on a weekly basis. We also take a second step of "verifying" your website to confirm to Google that we have the authority to perform this submission.
Please note that there is a difference between submission, verification, crawling, and actual indexing of your website's content. In other words, we can guarantee that your sitemap and any updates will be sent to Google on a weekly basis, but when they actually read it and add your content to their index is another matter (over which, for the greater good of search engine fidelity, we mere mortals have no control!). To increase the number of pages that are indexed by Google, you need to focus on your SEO and building backlinks to your content.
Your Own Google Webmaster Account
Because we submit your sitemap to Google for you, there is no reason to submit your sitemap again on your own. However, if you create a Google Webmaster Tools account and enter your website address, you'll be able to see the status of the sitemap we've submitted for you -- as well as browse through many more interesting stats about your website and traffic.
To create your own account, head to http://www.google.com/webmasters and click "Sign in to Webmaster Tools". You can sign in with an existing Google account or create a new Google account to proceed.
Creating a Google Webmaster Account
Once you've created an initial account, you can add your PhotoShelter website by clicking the "Add a site" button and entering your site. Your site URL can be entered in either of the following formats:
- http://allen3.photoshelter.com
- http://archive.punkyboy.com (if you are using a CNAME with your PhotoShelter website)
Verify Site
After you add a site, you will see a "Verify ownership" screen. To prevent against malicious activity, Google requires you to verify that you control the website you entered.
Under "Verification method," select the "Meta tag" option.
fig 1: Google Webmaster verification screen
Cut and paste this code into the "Webmaster Verification Code" area of your Website Settings page.
fig 2: PhotoShelter Settings
When you've entered your verification code within your PhotoShelter account, head back to your Webmaster account and click the "Verify" button. You're all set!
View Your Sitemap
Once you have been verified, you will be able to see the status of the sitemap that PhotoShelter has submitted for you.
First, click on your site URL from Google Webmaster Tools home.
You will be taken to your site's Dashboard. On the left side of the page, click the "Site configuration" menu option, then click "Sitemaps."
In the far right corner of this page, you'll see a "Show submissions: Mine - All" link. Click the "All" link to view the list of all sitemaps that have been submitted for your site URL.
You should see our submission of your sitemap listed here (it has a format of "user-sitemap/sitemap-YOUR-USER-ID.xml.gmz). Click on the filename to see the details for your sitemap, which will include the number of URLs crawled, the date the sitemap was submitted and received by Google, etc. This should give you an idea of your site's discoverability.
We encourage you to take the time to browse through the rest of your Webmaster Tools account, using the left-hand navigation, and explore the various functionality and analytics available to you. As with all new endeavors, you may not have a lot of data at first, but as more pages are indexed and you expand your SEO efforts, your statistics will diversify accordingly. Remember, there's no reason to submit your sitemap again through your own account -- we've got this handled for you.
FAQ
What if I already have a PhotoShelter sitemap in my Google Webmaster Tools account?
We suggest that you remove this, particularly if it is in an old (pre-10 June 2010) format of your PhotoShelter site URL. To remove a sitemap:- Head to your Google Webmaster Tools account.
- Click on the name of your PhotoShelter website.
- In the left hand column, click the "Sitemaps" option (under the "Site Configuration" menu).
- Tick the box next to your sitemap's filename.
- Click Delete.