## 7.3. Submitting Your Sitemap to Search Engines

A Publican website includes an XML Sitemap file. The Sitemap can be submitted to many major search engines, in order to help them index your website more intelligently and thoroughly. Each search engine has its own submission procedure. This section includes documentation on how to submit a Sitemap to Google and Bing.

### 7.3.1. Submitting Your Sitemap to Google.

Procedure 7.1. To Submit Your Sitemap to Google:

1. Sign up for a Google account at Google Webmaster Tools. If you already have a Google account, you can use it.
2. Sign in to your Google Webmaster Tools account at this URL: http://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/home.
3. First you must verify you are the owner of your Publican site. Click the Add A Site button.
4. A dialog box is displayed for you to Add a site with. Enter the URL of your Publican site in the text entry field and click Continue.
5. Follow the instructions that display and upload the HTML file that Google provides to the document root of your website.
6. When you have confirmed that the provided HTML file has been uploaded to the required location by accessing it in a web browser, click the Verify button.
7. When you have successfully verified the ownership of your Publican website to Google, return to the Webmaster Tools home page. Your Publican site is listed. Click on it.
8. You are taken to the Webmaster Tools configuration page for your Publican site. On the left side of the page there is a menu. Click on the Site configuration menu entry to expand it. Its expanded contents includes a Sitemaps entry. Click it.
9. You are taken to a Sitemap submission page. Click the Submit a Sitemap button.
10. A text entry field displays, including the base URL of your Publican site, with room to enter the URL of your Sitemap XML file. Enter its location and click the Submit Sitemap button. The details of the Sitemap are displayed in a table.
11. Result
    The Sitemap for your Publican site has been successfully submitted to Google.

### 7.3.2. Submitting Your Sitemap to Bing.

Procedure 7.2. To Submit Your Sitemap to Bing:

1. Sign up for a Bing Webmaster Tools account at Bing Webmaster Tools. If you already have a Windows LiveID account, you can use it.
2. Sign in to your Bing Webmaster Tools account at this URL: http://www.bing.com/toolbox/webmaster/.
3. Click the Add Site button.
4. The Add Site dialog box is displayed. Enter the URL of your Publican site in the text entry field and click Submit.
5. The Verify Ownership dialog displays, with three options. Follow the instructions given when the Option 1: Place an XML file on your web server has been expanded. Upload the `BingSiteAuth.xml` file that Bing provides to the document root of your website.
6. When you have confirmed that the provided `BingSiteAuth.xml` file has been uploaded to the required location by accessing it in a web browser, click the Verify button.
7. When you have successfully verified your ownership of your Publican website to Bing, return to the Bing Webmaster Tools home page. Your Publican site is listed. Click on it.
8. Select the Crawl tab.
9. Select Sitemaps and then Add Feed.
10. The Add Feed dialog displays. Enter the URL of your Sitemap file and click Submit. The details of the Sitemap are displayed.
11. Result:
    The Sitemap for your Publican site has been successfully submitted to Bing.