Xml And Html?

Jim,

With awstats statisctics zeroed out, I already received a 404 error becuase I didn't have sitemap.html, yet I'm using your sitemap.xml for my site. If I add a sitemap.html will the robots of the big search engines look for both html and xml sitemaps and choose the xml over the html when they see the xml? I didn't put an html sitemap in becuase I thought it would cause problems or undo the xml.



Thanks,

Roger

Just because you see a 404 does not mean it’s your problem.

For example, if you click on this link:

yoursite.com/ice-fishing.htm

This will produce a 404 error in your log file.

It does not mean you are supposed to have the webpage, only that someone tried to follow a link that does not exist.

So, you don’t need sitemap.html – but, no, it would not interfere with your sitemap.xml file. You can use both, or just one (any one actually for smaller sites).

Hope that helps.

Regards,

Jim.

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Firewall Test Internet Speed Test Sitemap Generator

Jim,

At awstats, via Bluehost, at the end it lists the counts of the errors. On the chart is the count of 404 errors. Where the term "404" is, "404" is a blue link. If you click on it a chart comes up and in this case there's one entry and it's "sitemap.html". So it's a file not found and that file is sitemap.html. Right? So can I assume that some search engine was looking for sitemap.html on my site and didn't find one? Isn't it a problem if a search engine is trying find sitemap.html on my site and I don't have a sitemap.html? Or are you saying any search engine looking for sitemap.html is also looking for sitemap.xml, which I have.


Thanks,

Roger

Can you post the line of the 404 error?

Regards,

Jim.

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Firewall Test Internet Speed Test Sitemap Generator

Jim,

.............Required but not found URLs (HTTP code 404)

.........URL (1).....................Error Hits............................Referers
..../sitemap.html......................7............... .....................- ......



Thanks,

Roger

It does not tell the referrer, so we have no idea of where it is coming from.

Do me a favor, check to see if you have an error for ice-fishing.htm?

Thanks!

__________________
Firewall Test Internet Speed Test Sitemap Generator

Jim,

No such file on my site, nor text on my website, nor did I use it for a useragent nor skipuseragent.

Roger

Jim,

At Google under sitemaps thay have.
"You can add a Sitemap to your account to provide us with additional information about your site. We will process your Sitemap and provide information on any errors in the Sitemaps tab."

Does this mean only enter a Google sitemap? It gave a drop down menu with "add General website map".I enetered my sitemap.xml generated at auditmypc and got back

"Your Sitemap does not appear to be in a supported format. Please ensure it meets our Sitemap guidelines and resubmit."

Thanks

Roger

For Google's sitemap, save it out as Google Sitemap rather than XML sitemap, then upload that file to your server, then tell Google where it is.

Regards,

Jim.

__________________
Firewall Test Internet Speed Test Sitemap Generator

Jim,


Will having a Google Sitemap, an XML sitemap, and an HTM sitemap be practical?

I do have a 404 error about ice-fishing . Non of the address is realted to my site.


Thanks,

Roger

The 404 error on ice fishing is just because I made something up, typed it in with your website address and tried to view the page. You never created a page on ice fishing (I'm guessing and it was a demonstration that just because it appears in your log files does not mean Google is looking for or expecting it.

I'm trying to show you that although it's important to check out 404
's from time to time, it's not something to worry over.

A Google sitemap is best for Google, the XML sitemap is best for Yahoo and other search engines that read XML sitemaps, the HTML sitemap can be read by everything and everyone.

So, if you wanted to use everything possible, then you would post your link to the html sitemap on your main page. Then for Google, submit only the Google sitemap. For yahoo and other search engines, use the XML sitemap.

Regards,

Jim.

__________________
Firewall Test Internet Speed Test Sitemap Generator