WordPress: XML Sitemap Generator

[Cozy Monica]

Has anyone here used the following plugin for creating a sitemap of your Wordpress blog:

http://www.arnebrachhold.de/2005/06/...rator-v2-final

It says that it automatically tells Google about any changes with Google Ping. Would that slow the blog down anytime you update?

[whiskey]

I haven't experienced any slowdown using this plugin. Generating the sitemap doesn't take much time either. I did find it necessary to go to http://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/ and tell Google where to find my sitemap, but that could be a configuration issue on my end.

[balls_deep]

yep, i use it and love it. efficient and easy to use. I have experienced no issues with it.

[mynameisjim]

One word of caution. Only use it from the get go or on a very new blog.

Adding a sitemap to an existing site can cause you to lose rank and nobody really knows why but it happens all the time.

I've used that plug in myself and have had no problems.

[balls_deep]

hmm.. interesting you said that jim, i had a traffic decrese for a few weeks just after i installed that plugin on an existing domain.

traffic is back now, so im not sure that was the exact issue.

[mynameisjim]

I think google has to re-learn what your site is all about for some reason and during that time you drop out a bit. Your traffic came back, which is good, but I've seen cases where it doesn't so I always use caution with sitemaps.

Conversely, maybe if someone's site has been hit and they fixed it, adding a sitmap might help bring it back. Although I've never tried that.

[Hammer]

I'm with mynameisjim. It's only value is to a new blog looking to get indexed quicker, after that it's of no real use. I don't use it.

[balls_deep]

I use iweb tools and my predicted page rank dropped to PR2 from a PR4. google reindexed and i am holding steady at PR4 any idea's if the sitemap has anything to do with that?