Errors with two of my site map files according to Google Webmaster Tools

[Azure Moon]

Hi everyone!

 

First off let me say that I bought my site pre-built and even though I have learned a lot I am still pretty much UN-versed at a lot of this, so please be kind.

 

My site is 2.2-MS2, running PHP 5.3.19 and I had a friend install the Dynamic Site Map 2.2 - CVS6 contribution approximately five years ago.

 

Here's my problem. I have a Google Webmaster Tools account and they are saying that I have two separate errors with my /sitemaps.xml and /smmfg.xml files.

 

Both errors listed in Google Webmaster Tools are the same for both the /sitemaps.xml and /smmfg.xml file and are as follows:

 

Under the "Issue" header it says:

 

Missing XML tag

 

 

Under the "Description" header it says:

 

This required tag is missing. Please add it and resubmit.

 

 

Under the "Issues Count" header for each file it says:

 

1

 

Under the "Example" header it says:

 

Parent tag: urlset

Tag: url

 

 

Under the "Line" header it says:



3

 

 

This is the content of my /sitemaps.xml file:

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

- <sitemapindex xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">

- <sitemap>

<loc>http://www.mysite.com/smmain.xml</loc>

<lastmod>2013-03-14T15:27:20-08:00</lastmod>

</sitemap>

- <sitemap>

<loc>http://www.mysite.com/smcats.xml</loc>

<lastmod>2013-03-14T15:27:20-08:00</lastmod>

</sitemap>

- <sitemap>

<loc>http://www.mysite.com/smproducts.xml</loc>

<lastmod>2013-03-14T15:27:20-08:00</lastmod>

</sitemap>

- <sitemap>

<loc>http://www.mysite.com/smmfg.xml</loc>

<lastmod>2013-03-14T15:27:20-08:00</lastmod>

</sitemap>

- <sitemap>

<loc>http://www.mysite.com/smspecials.xml</loc>

<lastmod>2013-03-14T15:27:20-08:00</lastmod>

</sitemap>

</sitemapindex>

 



And this is the content of my /smmfg.xml file:



<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9" />

 

 

Again, I don't know a lot about these kinds of things and since I did not install the dynamic site map contribution I don't have a clue as to what's wrong, or how to fix it. Hopefully one of the osCommerce gurus can help me out with this issue so I can appease Google. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

 

Sincerely,

 

Azure Moon

[Bob Terveuren]

Hi

 

the smmfg.xml file should look something like

 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>

<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9" />

<url>

<loc>http://www.xxxxxx.com.au/index.php?manufacturers_id=1&page=1</loc>

<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>

</url>

</urlset>

 

- so Google is looking for <url> and the stuff after that and you're missing it - sounds like the code that generates the file is stopping short but that could be for any number of reasons - have a look in your cPanel for cron jobs and if there is one in there for sitemap generation run it from your browser to see (1) if it generates a valid file or (2) if it throws a visible error (checking the error logs may also help)