WordPress Google Maps Plugin

Monday, April 4th, 2011 at 9:39 pm

Using WordPress site maps for greater search engine rankings

It's fairly common knowledge that the use of site maps are an important part to get your website or blog ranked highly in search engines. They help search engines find and index all content, you get the opportunity to create keywords loaded internal links, and also help your real world visitors to find what you want.

There is some confusion on the subject yet - Mostly because there are really two very different types of site maps (or Sitemaps) to be used at each site.

The good news for users WordPress is that there are a few plugins that make it easy for you to take advantage of the two types of sitemaps. Let's take a look at the two types of site maps and how implement them by WordPress.

Maps on the website

The first type of sitemap is what most people are most familiar. This Sitemap is simply a page of your site has a link to any page on your site. This is useful for search engines as you follow the links to find all content so you have all the list content in one place makes it easier for them to find all your pages. This type of sitemap is also helps visitors find the content they are seeking.

XML Sitemaps

Sometimes referred to as "sitemaps" instead of "maps site, this type of site is similar in that it is a list of all pages of your site. However, instead publishing this as a page on their website, also provides an opportunity to tell what the most important pages and how often your pages change.

Furthermore, using systems site of the major search engines, also, and much more. Be sure to check Google Webmaster Tools, Webmaster Tools Bing, and Explorer Yahoo's Site.

WordPress Plugins

As is the case, WordPress makes it very easy to implement these two types of site maps through a pair of relatively simple plugins. Both plugins automate much of the process of releasing their time to focus on other areas of your website. For example, both update site maps automatically adding new pages or messages. Just configure the plugins and then the system will handle everything from there!

The plugins I use for my maps on the website is called "Dagon Design Sitemap Generator Plus. This plugin gives your hand a number of options for the site map, as if show pages or messages, or both, how you want ordered, if there are pages that do not want to include and whether to use a site map of several pages larger sites.

Once you have installed and configured the plug-in, simply take the "short code" that provide, create a new page in your WordPress called "Sitemap" and paste the short code in the content area. Then the system will replace abbreviated site map real when users click on that page. With this plugin, the site map will always be updated as you add or delete new pages on your site.

XML Sitemaps I use the "Google XML Sitemaps" plugin, which now also works with Yahoo, MSN and Ask.com . This plugin will automatically build the XML sitemap for the entire site and publish it directly to the search engines once it is created. This plugin provides several options settings to customize how the plugin operates on the basis of their particular site and preferences.

There you go, install and configure these plugins and will have an automated system to ensure that search engines and your visitors be able to find all content. Your site ranked high in search engines more work, but this is a simple step you can take that certainly can strengthen their efforts.

Best of luck!

About the Author

Philip Light is the founder of WordPress Central Station - a single place to learn WordPress yourself or to have WordPress Professionals help you along. Check out our illustrated
Using Site Maps with WordPress guide
for step-by-step help setting up the plugins mentioned above.

Custom Google Maps Plugin with WordPress Thesis Theme