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Site For Sore Eyes

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Sitemaps have been about for a while. They were originally created a visual guide to your website. As websites became larger and more complex webmasters used them as a way to view the entire structure of a website to find the connections between pages. Think of them as a kind of interactive table of contents and index rolled into one.

In recent years the search engines have been viewing site maps as a good way to index websites and find all the related content. Google led the charge to make this a mainstream web tool when it introduced XML sitemaps. Creating and submitting an XML sitemap to Google is still the best way to get your website completely crawled by Google. It has become a standard SEO best practice.

As with many things on the web, Google, Yahoo, AOL, MSN and Ask all had their own specific way to use and submit sitemaps in the format they dictated. About six months ago a couple of these folks joined forces to create a standardized method of sitemap creation. They formed an organization called Sitemaps.org and agreed on using the XML sitemap format.

Sorry for the history lesson, but this is really good news for small business web site owners because it will greatly simplify the process of creating and submitting your sitemap and in doing so enhance your chances of getting your entire website indexed by all the search engines.

So, in today's article I'm going to tell you how to create and submit your XML sitemap.

What is a sitemap?

According to Sitemaps.org: "Sitemaps are an easy way for webmasters to inform search engines about pages on their sites that are available for crawling. In its simplest form, a Sitemap is an XML file that lists URLs for a site along with additional metadata about each URL (when it was last updated, how often it usually changes, and how important it is, relative to other URLs in the site) so that search engines can more intelligently crawl the site."

Building an XML sitemap

While there are several ways to actually create an XML sitemap I like XML-Sitemaps.com The good news is that if you have a rather small site (under 500 pages) you can simply use their free tool to create an xml sitemap. Over 500 pages and you need to get the $19.95 download.

Getting Your Sitemap found

Once you create your sitemap it's still a good idea to create a free Google Webmaster account so that you can submit your sitemap directly to Google Sitemaps

Robots.txt file

Now here's where the coming together of the search engines gets really nice. Not only will Ask, Google, Yahoo, AOL and MS Live accept the XML format for your sitemap they have also decided to accept an easy, auto-discovery method. In other words you won't have to figure out how to submit to each as they will find your sitemap if you direct them using your robots.txt file. A robots.txt file is a very simple file that resides on your server giving information for the search engines. Many use this file to tell the search engines not to find certain information.

If you already have a robots.txt file, you can simply add the line of code below anywhere to it. If you don't have one, simply create a file in notepad or other text editor, add the code below, save it as robots.txt and upload to the root of your site. (Obviously you need to put the actual URL of your site in here)

Sitemap: http://www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml

Advanced tip - If you use the paid version of xml-sitemap generator you can set up what's known as a cron job (it's a Unix only thing) and have your site crawled on a weekly basis and update your sitemap. This is really great if you blog several times a weeks on your domain as it adds your newest posts. Ask your web host about this one.

Site For Sore Eyes

When the Oriental converges with the Occidental, in place of a fantastic synthesis, we more often end up with total chaos. However, when things slowly settle down, a new consciousness tiptoes in and the thrill and rapture of a completely new culture spreads all around. The same is true of Japanese gardens.

The perfect Japanese garden is the very epitome of minimalist beauty and appearance, frequently necessitating a total transformation of one's outlook in order to set it up, but afterwards one discovers that it is much easier to preserve and admire.

Japanese gardening equipment comprise of a number of items we normally do not regard as gardening equipment, on account of their precision, clean lines and shape.

Are Rocks Garden Decorations?

In a Western garden setting, a huge rock may be admired as the core theme of a garden, but a Japanese garden counts on a more delicate and refined form of gardening supplies. A lot of times, Japanese bring into play smooth stones or distinctly formed rocks with patinas and lichens to create an exquisite garden arrangement.

Moreover, in the Japanese garden, sand is spread in the curved garden rake pattern to symbolize the ocean. We never even consider sand to be a garden surface material. But, in Japan, sand is employed for that very purpose. Hence, you may land up at a stone quarry or a garden outlet, in search of great rocks to enhance the attractiveness of your garden.

Water

As Japan is a country surrounded by water on all sides, it is not surprising that they have gorgeous water gardens. In view of the fact that the Japanese endeavor to emphasize the natural environment, the nucleus of the garden is typically formed by things such as water, minerals, plants, and sand.

By adding a gently gushing waterfall or a little pond, a Japanese garden introduces a deeply meditative spirit that one finds very relaxing and soothing. In case a pond cannot be set up, then a pump and a bamboo container brimming with lovely plants can assist in the infusion of that element into a garden with a

Japanese theme.

Sculptures

The Japanese display their appreciation of artistic beauty in a number of ways, one of which is by skillfully fashioning the landscape into an exact replica of gentle, undulating hills. Precise placement of heaps of earth throughout the garden is a wonderful means of creating a natural setting for the garden.

Nevertheless, there are several more kinds of Japanese gardening materials such as screens, lanterns, and minute pagodas. Not any of these would undermine the overall tranquility and natural simplicity of the garden, but instead help in preserving its Zen-like ambience. In Japan, the gardens are designed to fuse the divine with the corporeal. You, too, can achieve this by selecting Japanese gardening materials that convey these picturesque and enchanting elements into the garden.

Plants and Trees

Many of the Japanese plants and trees are relatively played down by Western norms. The Japanese maple is very popular in the West due to its vivid red and bronze leaves. The Bonsai may appear as very small and simple by Westerners, but they are the apt choice for any Japanese garden. In no way, restrict your selection to trees and shrubbery. Introduce creepers and mosses to your existing Japanese gardening materials, to add a natural element to stone figurines or stone steps.

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About Author

Both John Jantsch & Abhishek Agarwal are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

John Jantsch has sinced written about articles on various topics from Small Business, Affiliate Programs and RSS. John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World's Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide. You can find more information by visiting. John Jantsch's top article generates over 18100 views. to your Favourites.

Abhishek Agarwal has sinced written about articles on various topics from Surveys, Camping and Camping. Abhishek is a self-confessed Gardening addict! Visit his website and download his FREE Gardening Report "Indoor Gardening. Abhishek Agarwal's top article generates over 368000 views. to your Favourites.

Bible Games And Activities
6. If the answer is incorrect, player must still run back to the start line and then return to his or her team to get the correct answer from the next child in line