I think one of best statistics features will be click trough rate, conversion depending on keyword and average positions in all languages.
Once it is done this way, why not adding an option where you can compare your direct competitors and their keywords added value.

Wow. Thanks!

Okay, I'm just starting all this stuff, but still, ...

I really appreciate the way you keep us up to date.

It was easy using the info you supplied, and it was helpful.

Most gratifying: no errors.

Most valuable: on larger sites – real sites, I would say – it's like running a database that seems to be a site – and vice versa.

This requires as much control as writing poetry, real poetry.

Thanks.

sabadash

Great insights Tony. Thanks!

==>"Google Sitemaps was created by Google to help them improve their index"

I just heard today at democamp that google has actaully now de-indexing for sitemaps... unfortuntely google has indexed all the splogs and other sites too. so they are have moved over to a bigdaddy strategy, where they have deindexing all the index farms (remember the DC rollovers) to sustain proper index information.

Tony, have you seen the trends on stat's on a downward side over the last 45 days or so ?? Once they complete the deindexing and remove all the bogus sites etc etc, then there will much more realistic metric results ..

anyhoot, I maybe wrong in my assumptions. I stand corrected :)-

You missed the most important part. Does Google sitemap allow you do be completely indexed? The answer is no and it's getting worse. So, althought Google sitemap has great features, the main purpose remains unfulfilled.

Actually through Google Sitemaps, I have pages indexed that are not linked to anywhere else. And I do find it useful. I think one of it's main purposes is a way to communicate with webmasters.

What I am wondering, Google is very email addicted. You can send almost any report to your email inbox, except for the Google Sitemap program. Why not send once (a week | a day | a month) a report to me?
Any opinions or reasons why that isn't possible (yet)?

/pd: I'm not sure I understand what you mean. Do you mean a download trend on visitor stats over the last 45 days? If so, I've not seen that.

Randy: Google would beg to differ:

http://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/docs/en/stories/index.html

From what I've seen, having a Google Sitemap helps most when you already have a medium-high PageRank and where sites are returned in the SERPs more frequently already. (Of course, the latter could achieved more easily if the site was better indexed, which kind of creates a "catch 22" situation...)

or: I agree – Google Sitemaps main purpose now is to communicate with webmasters. I think it perhaps needs rebranding – something like "Google Site Info" or "Google Webmaster Tools" would be more fitting.

Corsin: I have no idea why they're not doing this. I guess it's in the pipeline or something. It would certainly be useful to be alerted when they couldn't reach your site or specific pages, even if only on a weekly basis.

What would they call that: Google Sitemap Alerts?

My major peeve with Google Sitemaps is its webaddress. Why can't they get /sitemaps?

Sam, you're absolutely right. That's only a small point but it is very annoying! I actually have it bookmarked whereas for most Google services I just type the address into my browser...

Great post Philip – i had completely overlooked Sitemaps as an SEO tool, thinking that I had to submit a sitemap of my own sites first before i could use it. I have been using Google Analytics instead.

But this Sitemaps interface is very clean, uncluttered and easy to navigate. I've now got around 10 of my sites submitted – and the stats are v.interesting.

thanks!

> Great post Philip

... thanks, tho I'm forwarding all credit to Tony who wrote it ... :)