Google has long looked across the web for geo signals that reinforce their understanding of your business and its location. Since October 2007 Google has been indexing both geoRSS and KML files for inclusion in the Maps index as user generated content and related that geo information to your business listing.
In the first quarter of 2008 they added support for KML sitemaps to webmaster central to actively alert Google of your geo info and any changes that might occur in your location information. If you want to understand the flow of KML information through Google’s index this flow chart provides an overview the routes it takes into and through the various Google indexes.
KML & KML sitemap use on local websites has been hindered by its complexity and lack of simple tools, web based or otherwise. Creating KML (but not the attendant sitemap) has been possible with Google Earth but it has remained pretty geeky & tedious affair.
At least until now.
Arjan Snaterse, a developer from the Netherlands, has just announced the release of his KML & Geo Sitemap generator. It is a web based tool that makes simple something that was complex and hard to understand.
While still in beta, the tool is a very easy way to create a KML file and sitemap for inclusion on your business’s site. The interface guides you through the process and allows you to add either a few locations and addresses manually or bulk upload a CSV file with multiple locations. It then geocodes the location information, generates the KML & sitemap files and makes them available for placement on your site.
Give it a try at GeoSiteMapGenerator.com and let Arjanse and the other readers of this blog know what you think.
Disclaimer: I have no personal involvement in the product other than I have helped Arjan debug and polish this tool and have been using it for several months.
Mike, thanks for mentioning the tool! I hope it will make the life of many webmasters much easier now
Comment by Arjan Snaterse (9 comments) — December 2, 2009 @ 10:35 am
[...] your local business and the sitemaps that you need to upload in the Google Webmaster Central.Note: Mike Blumenthal, David Mihm and me have been testing the tool for a while now and can really say that the tool is a [...]
Pingback by Geositemap generator website launched! : Local Search Optimization – Martijn Beijk — December 2, 2009 @ 10:38 am
Wow. This is going to be a huge time saver. This is the perfect tool for getting the job done without all the bells and whistles – it is elegantly simple.
I can do in 5 minutes what used to take me hours. *shakes fist a wasted time*
Thanks for letting us know about this Mike.
Comment by Jim Gianoglio (43 comments) — December 2, 2009 @ 10:52 am
already looking forward to updates announced by @arjansnaterse . Happy to have been debugging the tool as well. Like Jim says; its a huge timesaver!
Comment by Martijn Beijk (59 comments) — December 2, 2009 @ 4:39 pm
[...] New Web based KML & Geo Sitemap Tool Released, Mike Blumenthal [...]
Pingback by SearchCap: The Day In Search, December 2, 2009 — December 2, 2009 @ 5:55 pm
Good tool, my best guess is that this will be an emerging SEO tactic for better local and map results. Everything I have read so far says there is no correlation between with KML or Geo Sitemaps and hire rankings / better performance.
Does anyone else have experience that says otherwise?
Regardless, nice find Mike.
Comment by Jeff Howard (4 comments) — December 2, 2009 @ 8:43 pm
@jeff
I doubt that is has any significant affect on rank. It reassures Google that you are who you say you are, gives them a reliable way to place you and your site geographically.
It does show as user content on your places page so it might provide tiny bit of ranking oomph but more importantly it sneds a strong “do not merge” signal.
Comment by Mike (2485 comments) — December 2, 2009 @ 9:10 pm
Nice tool, especially for multiple locations. You can also use http://www.mygeoposition.com
We have seen ranking improvements for about 1 year now with Geo-Meta tags and KML.
Comment by Tym Barker (10 comments) — December 4, 2009 @ 9:04 am
[...] New Web based KML & Geo Sitemap Tool Released – Mike Blumenthal [...]
Pingback by Weekly Search & Social Coverage: 12/08/09 | Search Engine Journal — December 8, 2009 @ 11:23 am
[...] Category – A Tool Slide 15 – Writing a Great Business Description Slide 16 – Creating a GeoSitemap – A tool Slide 22/23 Local Search Ranking Factors – the many variables Slide 22/23 A brief list of [...]
Pingback by GetListed Local U, Cleveland | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search — June 30, 2010 @ 6:25 am
[...] a Great Business Description Slide 21 - Google Places Policies: Quality guidelines Slide 22 - Creating a GeoSitemap – A tool Slide 28/29 Local Search Ranking Factors – the many variables Slide 28/29 A brief list of [...]
Pingback by GetListed Birmingham | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search — January 26, 2011 @ 10:43 am
[...] the NAP (Name, Address & Phone) on every page, has a detailed Contact Us page and has a KML file and geo-sitemap at the domain. Pimp the site on Twitter and Facebook, list it in Webmaster tools and get a few [...]
Pingback by Google Places Basics: Listing a New Business – A Timeline for Launch | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search — June 17, 2011 @ 1:00 pm
[...] a Great Business Description Slide 21 - Google Places Policies: Quality guidelines Slide 22 - Creating a GeoSitemap – A tool Slide 28/29 Local Search Ranking Factors – the many variables Slide 28/29 A brief list of [...]
Pingback by GetListed Local University Grand Rapids | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search — June 28, 2011 @ 8:28 am
[...] of geo sitemap generators has recently included some new features. Geo Sitemap Generator, first released by Arjan Snaterse in 2009, has added the ability to generate either a schema.org file or a [...]
Pingback by Geo Sitemap Generator Adds New Features | Understanding Google Maps & Local Search — October 18, 2011 @ 4:44 am
Are there specific ways to use this tool and generate a geo sitemap when you have one website with multiple locations….
Or for service oriented business with a service area and no physical location?
Comment by Zachary (12 comments) — November 2, 2011 @ 10:13 am
[...] Slide 46 - Creating a GeoSitemap – A tool [...]
Pingback by Mid-Altlantic Innkeepers Conference Keynote | Understanding Google Places & Local Search — March 7, 2012 @ 9:49 am
Snaterse’s tool removed the ampersand and all following text from my company’s name. In the rendered KML file it shows like this:
Where the company name should be “Johnson & Johnson” (as an example.)
Can you help with what I should be doing here? The addition of the CDATA code is also throwing me through a loop. (It seems I may be able to put an element like an ampersand within the CDATA?)
Cheers, Mike.
Comment by Marc Tytus (3 comments) — March 8, 2012 @ 6:08 pm
Should have put that in code!
The “name” line in my KML doc is showing like this:
Comment by Marc Tytus (3 comments) — March 8, 2012 @ 6:09 pm
Ok, sorry for the comment spam. Can’t seem to display this code: http://pastebin.com/gu60U0ah
Comment by Marc Tytus (3 comments) — March 8, 2012 @ 6:11 pm