Google XML Sitemap NOT in a Supported Format

[lbohen]

Our SEO consultant has told us our Google XML sitemap isn't implemented properly.

Our Google Webmaster Tools says "Your Sitemap does not appear to be in a supported format. Please ensure it meets our Sitemap guidelines (https://support.google.com/webmasters/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=156184) and resubmit."

I have no idea how long this has be incorrectly formatted.

This is a serious issue for us as a proper Google XML sitemap is very important for SERPs.

Anyone else experience this?

How does it get fixed?

[Jim]

So what exactly is wrong with the sitemap that ShopSite is generating? We haven't had reports from any other merchants about this.

According to the url you posted, Google follows the sitemaps.com protocol. Comparing the example on their site to the code generated on my test site there is not any problem.
Their example.

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
   <url>
      <loc>http://www.example.com/</loc>
      <lastmod>2005-01-01</lastmod>
      <changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
      <priority>0.8</priority>
   </url>
   <url>
      <loc>http://www.example.com/catalog?item=12&amp;desc=vacation_hawaii</loc>
      <changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
   </url>
   <url>
      <loc>http://www.example.com/catalog?item=73&amp;desc=vacation_new_zealand</loc>
      <lastmod>2004-12-23</lastmod>
      <changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
   </url>
   <url>
      <loc>http://www.example.com/catalog?item=74&amp;desc=vacation_newfoundland</loc>
      <lastmod>2004-12-23T18:00:15+00:00</lastmod>
      <priority>0.3</priority>
   </url>
   <url>
      <loc>http://www.example.com/catalog?item=83&amp;desc=vacation_usa</loc>
      <lastmod>2004-11-23</lastmod>
   </url>
</urlset>

From my ShopSite test store:

Code: Select all

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap/0.84" xmlns:xsi="http://www
.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://www.google.com/schem
as/sitemap/0.84 http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap/0.84/sitemap.xsd">

  <url>
    <loc>http://x.x.com/11sp2/html/jimsp2/index.html</loc>
    <lastmod>2012-07-25T14:01:54-06:00</lastmod>
    <changefreq>hourly</changefreq>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>http://x.x.com/11sp2/html/jimsp2/really.html</loc>
    <lastmod>2012-07-25T14:01:54-06:00</lastmod>
    <changefreq>hourly</changefreq>
  </url>
  <url>
    <loc>http://x.x.com/11sp2/html/jimsp2/product146.html</loc>
    <lastmod>2012-07-25T14:01:54-06:00</lastmod>
    <changefreq>hourly</changefreq>
  </url>
</urlset>


Only <urlset> <url> and <loc> required tags and those are all in ShopSite's feed.

[loren_d_c]

The XML file at:

http://www.audiobooksonline.com/google-sitemap.xml

only contains the following line:

google-site-verification: google-sitemap.xml

This is what is supposed to go inside the Google Webmaster Tools site verification file, not the sitemap itself. So go to Merchandising -> Google Services -> Sitemap and make sure you do NOT have 'google-sitemap.xml' entered in the 'Google Site Verification File' field. What you SHOULD have in this field is the name of the verification file as specified in your Google Webmaster Tools account, it would look something like this (yours would NOT be this, this is just an example): googlebd3f0085ca9ca443.html

After you have made whatever corrections necessary and saved the changes, go to Utilities -> Publish, make sure the 'Generate Google Type SiteMap during update' checkbox is checked, and Regenerate, this should rebuild the sitemap XML file. After this you should be able to see actual XML code detailing the links to all of your pages when you go to your sitemap at http://www.audiobooksonline.com/google-sitemap.xml

-Loren

[lbohen]

Loren; Thanks for discovering what is wrong.

I've just reviewed our Google Webmaster sitemap area and I don't know where to get a file name similar to googlebd3f0085ca9ca443.html.

How do I get this?

[loren_d_c]

I have no idea how you would get the Google Verification filename after you have already verified your site in Google (it's part of adding a new site in Google Webmaster Tools). But if you have already verified your site in Google, then it doesn't matter what filename you put in that field in ShopSite, as long as it is not 'google-sitemap.xml' or some other file on your site that you don't want to overwrite.

-Loren

[loren_d_c]

Sounds like a permissions issue. The Google Verification file may already exist on your server but ShopSite can't overwrite it. You can either FTP to your server and delete that file if it already exists and then have ShopSite create it again, or, again, if your site is already authenticated with Google, then you can just make up some bogus file name. It really does not matter, this function is just to help you get your site authenticated with Google, and if it is already authenticated, then what you put in that field is not really that important.

-Loren

[lbohen]

Success! New sitemap created and successfully accepted by Google. New sitemap is at http://www.audiobooksonline.com/google-sitemap.xml.

Thanks for your help.

[lbohen]

Although our Google XML sitemap (http://www.audiobooksonline.com/google-sitemap.xml) appears to be presenting properly, I see the following statement at the very top.

"This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it."

Is having "style information" associated with our sitemap important?

How do I implement style information?

[loren_d_c]

Style information would only be important if it's intended audience is a person viewing it in a web browser, but since the intended audience is just Google's web crawler program, then no it does not need any style information.

-Loren