My pages have been dropping like flies lately. I have no idea why, but I've noticed something kind of strange in my Google Webmaster account. I check my GWM account every morning. Lately I've noticed the date of my last sitemap submission has been changing. A few weeks ago, it showed my sitemap was last submitted on Dec 3 2020. About a week ago, the date changed to Nov 26 2020. Today it is showing a date of Nov 6 2020. Why is this date changing - and why is it going backwards?

I'm not sure if this is the reason that my pages have been dropping, but now I am wondering if I should re-submit my sitemap. From everything that I've read over the years, it is apparent that Google will constantly read the sitemap, so there is no need to resubmit.

Is it a bad thing to resubmit my sitemap? Will that cause all of my current pages to drop off and then have to make their way back up to where they rank now?

It is never a bad thing to resubmit a sitemap. It is also good to keep regenerating a fresh one.

Mike Beebe
President,
DataLinks Software Solutions
www.dlss.ca
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ASP and PHP mods - www.dlss.ca/products.asp
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Thanks for the reassurance Mike. Its one of those things that seems so nonchalant but a split second before hitting Resubmit, I thought I'd better make 100% sure first. I've had some rally bad luck with these kinds of things in the past.

The last time Google read my sitemap was Sep 18 2020. About 2000 pages have dropped off within the past 2 months or so. Something weird is going on with it. A not-so-wise man once told me "It is what it is", so there you go.

I haven't done this in a really long time, so I'm trying to refamiliarize myself with it. I have the DLSS Google Sitemap generator tool. I created 2 sitemaps, one with XML and one with ASP extensions. Google always liked the ASP version much better. Would it be considered duplicate content or would it be a bad thing if I submit both versions of my sitemap to GWM (XML,ASP)? Or, do I need to chose one and stick with it?

The XML sitemap is what Google will require & isn't something that the public users of a site will ever see, unless they sepcifically navigate to it. The sitemap.asp / php is for the public facing website itself &, as I understand matters, shouldn't be pushed up to Google.

Steve
Egerton Village, Bolton, UK

If you are using Mike's sitemap generator, you would submit the .asp file as that will cause the sitemap file to be generated fresh each time it is called.

David

I had summited my XML sitemap next to my ASP sitemap for several days just to see any differences. The ASP sitemap shows approximately 20% more URL's processed then the XML version. I've removed the XML sitemap as Google really prefers the ASP version as you say David.

At least once a year I seem to go through this. I guess it may be the most recent Google update that is causing my pages to drop again. I'm just trying to figure out if there is anything I can do to get Google to like my pages again. It has been my experience through the years that there isn't much I can do but let Google make up their mind (again).

I was streaming along with a steady 16,700 pages submitted for a long time, then somewhere around early to mid December my pages started falling off. I currently have approximately 9,200 pages and each day I seem to lose a few hundred more. Ugh.

Checking my GWM this morning, it shows my Sitemap (asp version) was last submitted on Oct 14 2020. This date keeps going backward, and I keep losing pages. Has anyone ever seen this before? Why does the date of my sitemap submission keep going backwards? Last week it showed Nov 6 2020, the week before it showed Dec 3 2020. I lost a few thousand more pages overnight as well. I can't figure this one out. I resubmitted my sitemap again (asp). I'll see if anything actually happens this time.

I believe I may have found out what has been happening with my sitemap. I am getting a 500 error on my sitemap page (www.usafleetsupply.com/googlesitemap.asp).

After I resubmitted my ASP sitemap again this morning, it came back as "couldn't fetch". Going directly to it, I am getting a 500 server error. This must have been happening for some time and I am just noticing it. That must be why Google has been changing the submission date on my sitemap. And that must be the reason I have lost about 7,000 pages over the past several weeks.

I submitted a support ticket to Servelink and am waiting to hear back.

There was an issue recently with my Google Product Feed, and my database connection had to be changed to incorporate MARS compatibility. That may be a long shot but I am wondering if the change in my database connection change has something to do with it.? The first line in my DLSS Google Sitemap generator is the db_conn_open.asp

Checking my Logs I see just this one entry for my sitemap:

(CODE 500) GET /googlesitemap.asp |0|ASP_0251_:_80004005|Response_Buffer_Limit_Exceeded HTTP/2.0

I have no clue what this means...?

I think you may need a similar fix for the sitemap file.
Have you spoken to Mike @ DLSS?

David

I sent Mike an email early this morning. He responded with a message that he edited my Google Product Feed. I wasn't having an issue with my product feed, so I think there must have been some miscommunication there. I emailed him back to let him know it is the Sitemap that I am having an issue with, so hopefully he will check into it. Mike is a great guy, and I will take all the help I can get at this point. I'm still waiting to hear back from Servelink.

I really appreciate your response David. There was a time when I would receive tons of responses from any ECT post. People come and go I suppose. Thanks for hanging in there with me

I am sorry I misunderstood when you mentioned your product feed. I have rectified your Sitemap issue. It is running now.



Mike Beebe
President,
DataLinks Software Solutions
www.dlss.ca
Rate Me Here

ASP and PHP mods - www.dlss.ca/products.asp
A Tremendous Home - www.ATremendousHome.com
Buy Cigars Online www.CigarSmokeShop.net

Thanks Mike! No one else can do it but you. You have a one of kind products, I don't know what I would do without 'em. Thanks for the support.