Use Site Maps to Help Your Rankings

One of the easiest things you can do to improve your search rankings is to create a site map. Google and other search engines prefer an XML file but since it's actually a computer-to-computer file type it's not really intended for end-user viewing. If you prefer, you can make an HTML file complete with links for site navigation. Depending upon the layout, your site map might be the easiest way for a visitor to see what you have to offer and how your different products are related.

If you're not up for the task of generating an XML file on your own, check out RAGE's Google Sitemap Automator. It's an extremely easy-to-use application and very inexpensive (under $30). If you are managing multiple sites, as I am, you can create site maps for all of them in just minutes.

Once your site map has been created, Google Sitemap Automator will even publish the generated XML files to search engines such as Google (you must have a webmaster tools log in), Yahoo, MSN, and Ask.com. You can also predefine the importance of each page and assign meta data automatically. Most SEO specialists suggest that you submit your site map to search engines at least once a week, but of course, this will depend upon how often you actually make changes to your site.

While you're setting up your Google Webmaster Tools account, spend some time roving the Google options. There are lots of other applications that they offer such as analytics, product base, and site search tools. All of these can be key components to a robust search-engine optimization plan.

Job one of any new feature implementation, is to map out a system for measuring results. In the case of a site map, it's pretty easy to choose a few key words for which you wish to rank well and do a search, recording the page and position rank of each. Create and post your site map and check the same key words for a few days. You should notice an improvement, but if you don't it just means you have more work to do. 

I have to admit that a number of the tools I use are made by Google, but that's because they are easy, most are free, and Google provides a better-than-average support network. I encourage most of my clients to at least start with Google and then, if they need more features, graduate to something really expensive later. 

The great thing about SEO and SMO is you really can be quite effective and spend very little money. Oh sure, you'll need a budget for placing banner ads and paying designers, that sort of thing, but many, many of the SEO/SMO tricks that I will talk about will be completely free -- except, of course, for your time investment...