A website owner can send a list of URL’s to Google with a "sitemap" file. The sitemap can be for example an XML file consisting of URL addresses for articles and sections under that specific website. But Google accepts also URL’s for images. Then there’s a CMS called Textpattern. It’s standard installation doesn’t come with tools to create XML sitemaps. Luckily there’s a plugin called rah_sitemap, which creates a typical XML sitemap that Google accepts. To create an image sitemap another plugin and some extra fiddling is required.
Disclaimer of some sort: I created this kind of system especially for my needs. I’ve got a photo blog where lots of photographs are shown at the front page.
Creating image sitemap in Textpattern
- rah_external_output should first be installed and activated.
- Then soo_image and it’s library called soo_txp_obj should be installed and activated.
- Third phase is to go in Textpattern’s admin to Forms and to create a new Misc form.
- Save that form with a suitable name with prefix
rah_eo_, like this:rah_eo_image_sitemap. - Then copy the contents of this file inside that form, and save. (You should change the
<loc>http://www.yourwebsite.com/</loc>part inside the form at some point.) - Go to
http://www.yourwebsite.com/?rah_external_output=image_sitemapto see how the image sitemap looks like. - Submit it to Google Webmaster.
