The Sitemap: Real Estate Internet Marketing Tip #47 of 100

Good search engine ranking can do wonders for a real estate Internet marketing program.

Real estate websites with excellent search engine ranking don't have to work as hard driving traffic, because the traffic finds the website. This is the real estate agent's dream -- to receive daily inquiries through a website because of its visibility.

But achieving that kind of search engine ranking takes time and dedication, for there are many steps to follow and tactics to implement.

An XML sitemap is one of those tactics.

Now before I invite confusion, let me clarify the type of sitemap I'm referring to in this article. Basically there are two kinds of sitemaps:

1. A sitemap that's visible on your website and intended primarily for people.
2. A sitemap that's not visible on your website and intended for search engines.

In this article, I'm referring to the second sitemap, the one intended for search engines. Basically, the second sitemap is an XML file (acronym not important) that you upload to the main directory of your website. This XML file lists all of your web pages, and it's one of the first files a search engine will look for upon reaching your web domain.

So if a search engine finds this sitemap file -- and if the sitemap lists each of your web pages -- then there's an excellent chance the search engine will locate and index (record) all of your web pages.

This is especially important if you have a large website, a website with complex navigation such as drop-down menus, or a combination of the two. Complex menus that use copious amounts of JavaScript and the like have a way of stopping search engines dead in their tracks. When this happens, the search engine will only give you credit for the pages it can find. A properly created sitemap can alleviate this by giving search engine spiders a "side door" to all of your web pages.

The end result is that (A) you'll have more information to feed the search engines, (B) you'll get credit for more pages and content, and (C) you'll have a better chance of ranking well for the key phrases found within those pages of content.

How to Generate an XML Sitemap

1. Go here http://www.xml-sitemaps.com/
2. Enter your URL in the box provided.
3. Click the start button.
4. When the sitemap is generated, download the first XML file.
5. Leave the file name exactly as is (sitemap.xml).
6. Put the sitemap in the root (main) level of your web domain.

Learn More

This article is part of an ongoing (and extensive) blog series on real estate Internet marketing. For more tips on this subject, visit the author's blog at http://www.armingyourfarming.com/realestatemarketing/

Real Estate SEO: Are You an Opportunity Seeker or an Entrepreneur?
Let's talk about something that really has the potential to change your real estate business, almost instantly.I just got done reading an interesting report written by well known marketer, Rich Schefren.He has little to do with the real estate busine...

Real Estate and The Internet
Real estate on the internet has become an online phenomenon.There is a generally accepted trend online, that people will research globally, but shop locally. This is especially true for real estate. Thats why it is important for your website to be se...

Real Estate SEO - Optimizing Your Website Content
Advanced Summary: This article pertains to real estate search engine optimization (SEO). In this article's usage, real estate SEO is the act of improving a real estate agent's website for better search engine visibility.Optimizing Your Body Content ...

Get Indexed by Google Instantly - Website Indexing Made Easy
Getting indexed in the Google search engine for some webmasters can be a long, strenuous quest that they may be on for a very long time. I am absolutely bewildered by anyone that has a problem getting indexed. All of my websites have gotten indexed i...

The Importance of Sitemap in Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization. A lot of people are clamoring to know exactly what it is. SEO is the process of enhancing the presence and visibility of a website on search engine listings. Not only is it a process, it is about the tool required to make ...

You Write It, They Will Come
Some of you are sick of hearing about the 'long tail.' Some of you still have no idea what it is. Finding a way to leverage the long tail is what keeps it interesting. The long tail phenomena can be read about on wikipedia...however, it is best un...

SEO For Geographically Restricted Sites
The web is often touted as a way to reach a huge audience that spans the globe. Many people mistakenly believes they should only be online if they have a business that caters to people regardless of their location.A geographically restricted business...

Online Marketing
Online advertising is fast becoming the main marketing medium to increase the awareness for new products or services. With the increase in number of web users, there is a moving trend towards Internet marketing and online advertising. Free classified...

Sitemap
...

Internet Marketing: Your Website Is Not Selling Because You Only Have One Website
Internet Marketing is one of the best forms of sales and marketing available today. It does not matter if you are a small company or a Fortune 10 company. Internet Marketing will help you get more leads than you know what to do with, sell more of y...