Further to my other post on why you need a sitemap, and how to add one to a WordPress blog, I have now set one up for a Blogger blog.
The steps are very simple, and will require a minor edit of your template. If you’ve never done it, it’s not as frightening as it sounds! Just make sure you backup your template first as described below.
Visit Google Webmaster Tools and sign up to a free account. If you have a Gmail email address, you can sign in with that. If you haven’t got Gmail & would like it, mail me & I’ll send you an invite.
Once signed into Webmaster tools, choose to add a website & submit your blog URL. Google will find it & invite you to verify your site.
Click on verify, and choose to validate by uploading a Meta tag. (You cannot use the other method with Blogger) Copy & paste this Meta Tag to Notepad or similar.
In a new window/tab visit your Blogger Dashboard, and click on ‘Template’, then ‘Edit HTML’.
BEFORE doing anything else, choose ‘Download Full Template’ and save it to your hard-drive. If anything goes wrong (It won’t), you can simply upload this saved template to put your blog back the way it was before you started.
Look at the HTML in the edit window. Approximately 6 lines down you will see the ‘HEAD’ tag (shown in red below). Copy the Meta Tag (shown in pink) from Notepad and paste it directly next to the ‘HEAD’ tag as shown. Save the changes. View your blog, there should be no visible difference.
Switch back to Google Webmaster Tools, click the button for Google to check your verification - this should take a few seconds and then will confirm it is verified, or if not, whether it’s your fault or Google’s. Sometimes Google doesn’t work first time - try again or leave a few hours, it will get done.
Now you have to tell Google the location of the Sitemap. First choose ‘General Web Sitemap’ for the type. The location for Blogger blogs is the same as your Atom news feed, and will be in the format of : http://YOURBLOGNAME.blogspot.com/atom.xml
Click submit & you’re finished.
Easy really? Google will index your site over the next few days, and this will ensure that your post titles are searchable by Google that much faster than without. Questions, corrections or cries for help? My email address is on the About page.
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