Sitemap.xml VS Sitemap.xml.gz - which file would be the better choice?

Hi,
I wonder what will be a better choice using .xml or .xml.gz

I prefer .xml since Yahoo! and Live might get it to work as well, no idea if another search engines accept .xml.gz.


Also, does lastmod, changefreq and priority are important? if so by which order?

Thanks,
Metros.

 

xml.gz is just GZIP version (i.e. compressed) of your XML sitemaps. Most search engines should accept GZip compressed XML sitemaps with no problems.

You can read this article about xml sitemaps and priority

 

Hi Thomas,
Thanks for the great info, REP added.

 

Very useful info there Thomas, I am giving rep as well. I've always wondered about the same things too.

 

i thought that .xml.gz is more useful so the vbseo used this for the sitemap
and we used it since 3 years
very helpful for big sitemaps

 

I have a huge .xml file. How do I convert it to .xml.gz

 

We recommend submitting the .gz version because it's smaller. Check out your software for the .gz format selection.

If you are using gSiteCrawler, it automatically creates both versions.

 

well said
cleared my doubts

 

Yup, on my next project I'll test .gz. thanks.

 

Normally .XML files works fine .. you can create one free sitemap here http://discusshub.com/sitemap/

 

Yup, XML ones are good it seems, next test will be for .gz

 

Ok, I am using wordpress which has capacity of making both .xml and xml.gz, I created the two and submitted but I later had to delete xml.gz but it is still showing error for the xml.gz in my webmaster tool, do I recreate the xml.gz and submit the two together, is it gonna cause a problem for me?

 

My plugin generate sitemap in 2 format - .xml or .xml.gz

 

Hello i get this error when i try to upload xml.gz file in my ftp folder
You are not permitted to transfer the file "sitemap.xml.gz".
any ideas ?
I find Solution directly from wordpres site The Plugin make automaticly these two files
sitemap.xml and sitemap.xml.gz.

 

Most search engines would accept gzipped version of your sitemap (as denoted by the extension gz in the sitemap). I think even in sitemaps protocol document there is written this feature that gzipped files would be accepted for indexing.

 

Yes i find very good solutions for Sitemap in Wordpress also directly make from plugin these 2 files.

 

I generated a site map using the GoDaddy application got a site map and posted on the 14th. Redid it last night due to some major revisions(AKA my mistakes) and reposted. The NEW sitemap shows as an xml but the OLD one is still there dated the 14th.

Q = SHOULD I TRY TO DELETE THE OLD xml.gz FILE or will Google/Engines see that there is a newer one on the root and regenerate?

OR

Should the xml.gz file be there on top of the new site map AT ALL?

(Yes, I'm a newbie on this stuff and learning as I go with help from friends.)

 

I was wondering the same thing! I have a window washing website hosted on Go Daddy that creates and submits both formats automatically. Should I delete one of the sitemap profiles in Google Webmaster Tools?

 

you should use both

 

As Google aware about site speed so the new version xml.gz GZIP(i.e. compressed) of sitemap might quite affect on search results.