XML Sitemaps get Multi-type Support from Google

Since 2005 site owners have been able to get their site maps to Google to boost the indexing of their sites content. Submitting an XML sitemap is basically like taking your site to Google and saying “Hey Google. Look how neat my site is.”

It’s a huge benefit as the more of your site that Google indexes the better it is for your sites potential rankings. As sitemap indexing evolved, users were submitting multiple specialised formats of sitemap; from video and image to geo content XML sitemaps. With all these different sitemap types Google have finally taken it upon themselves to allow support of multiple content type XML sitemaps. But is it really worthwhile?

This change will allow users to submit sitemaps which broach several content types such as images, geo and video content types. This should make it quicker and easier for users to get a range of information about their site over to Google to index. Here’s a possible example from Google:

<?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>
<urlset xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″
xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap-image/1.1″
xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap-video/1.1″>
<url>
<loc>http://www.example.com/foo.html</loc>
<image:image>
<image:loc>http://example.com/image.jpg</image:loc>
</image:image>
<video:video>
<video:content_loc>http://www.example.com/videoABC.flv</video:content_loc>
<video:title>Grilling tofu for summer</video:title>
</video>
</url>
</urlset>

Drawbacks

Unfortunately, despite the efficiency of Google’s XML sitemap support there are a few drawbacks that could arise from the change.

Submitting multiple sitemaps allows the website owner to differentiate the indexing of separate data. Google webmaster tools allows the user to view the indexed state of their sitemap content, and condensing all this information together will compromise your understanding of how Google is indexing your site. Keeping the sitemaps for data-types individual allows the user to measure more accurately what percentage of different content types Google is indexing, allowing you to work on improving this.

Is it More Efficient?

So you would think that while less sitemaps makes your understanding a little murkier, at least it’s less work and more efficient. Well, yes and no. Sure it will require less uploading and less sitemap generation, but much of the time sitemaps are automated quite effectively (whether generating or updating) meaning there’s little difference time-wise.

Another aspect that will be overlooked by many is the limitations on URL’s and size of sitemaps (50,000 URL’s and 10MB size). Condensing multiple information types for a site could well see many sites exceed the limit.

The End of an Alliance

One final point is that this change kind of throws out the sitemaps.org alliance with Microsoft and Yahoo. This standard was set some time ago to allow formulaic indexing of sitemaps across the board making it easier and more efficient when submitting sitemaps to each search engine provider.

With this change Google are basically disregarding this agreement and causing potential compatibility issues for those submitting sitemaps via multiple avenues. So while this XML sitemap indexing change looks like a benefit, in the long run it’s likely to be more problematic than it’s worth.

Stick with what Works

Rather than fall in with the latest fads for submission, site owners would be better off sticking with several single content sitemaps. Frankly, they will still be indexed to the same level as multiple content sitemaps, but with the added benefits of more complex reviewing in webmaster tools and across the board compatibility. If it ain't broke, don’t fix it.

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• Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #39: Out of the Google Frying Pan… - November 26, 2010
• Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #38: The Google, the Bad and the Ugly - November 19, 2010
• Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #37: Google Jams A Few Rockets In Your Pocket - November 5, 2010
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• Ramsay’s Web Wire – Issue #35: Google’s Groovy Giftset - October 22, 2010

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