What is a sitemap worth? Could 15 minutes earn $80,000?

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What is a sitemap worth? Could 15 minutes earn $80,000?

I don’t hear many nonprofit marketing staff talk about their sitemaps. Maybe their webmasters, or the firms redesigning their websites, will encourage them to install a sitemap, but the internal marketing staff seem to consider it a technical project, and not too vital to their outreach or fundraising work.

But what if I told you fifteen minutes of work could get you more than 200,000 new visitors to your website each year, and 9,000,000 new impressions on search engines?

Because a sitemap can do that!

I have helped clients install XML sitemaps, the preferred technology of search engines, and one of the larger nonprofits I work with saw the numbers above roll in over the next year.

If it helps, I’ll put it into context:

200,000 new visitors were an approximate 20% increase in website traffic.

What would that mean for your website?

The nonprofit with 200,000 new visitors has an approximate 10% conversion rate on their website.

What would 20,000 new emails and donations mean to your organization?

Next Steps

My preferred website platform is WordPress, and Yoast is an invaluable SEO plugin. If you install Yoast SEO on WordPress, go to your Dashboard > Yoast SEO > Settings > General > Site Features > and scroll down to XML sitemaps. Toggle the feature on and click the option to view your sitemap once it’s ready.

You can take the slow road and let the likes of Google and Bing crawl your site in their own sweet time. Or you can submit your sitemap through your own Google Search Console. Don’t have one of those? I would be happy to help you set one up. You can also follow the instructions here. I especially appreciate that Google has broken down the instructions by level of time and interest in learning!

For some nonprofit staff, with too much to do and too few hours in the day, this may have already been TMI. I understand. So, let’s focus on the most important steps:

Install an XML sitemap by:

We work so hard to make the world a better place. Let’s make sure our website fundamentals are in place to give our work the best chance at success!

Recommendation from Sarah Balcazar at Reading Partners

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Recommendation from Sarah Balcazar at Reading Partners

“Michelle has become my most trusted go-to resource for digital advertising strategy and support. She has both a deep knowledge of various advertising platforms (Meta, Google Ads, Microsoft, etc.) as well as a high level of experience working to meet nonprofit goals. Michelle is quick to understand the various needs and priorities of our national organization and implements campaigns efficiently and effectively. She goes above and beyond to execute campaign experiments and ideas while offering key insights and recommendations along the way.

“Over two separate family leave periods, Michelle has put me at ease leaving her to implement our paid media campaigns for volunteer recruitment, AmeriCorps recruitment, and fundraising. Each time, I’ve returned to detailed assessments of results, recommendations for future campaigns, and expansion/optimization of key campaigns.

“I highly recommend Michelle to any marketer in the nonprofit or education sectors looking for support with advertising initiatives.”

Sarah Balcazar

National Director of Marketing

Reading Partners

Learn more about social advertising, as well as Google Ad Grant and Microsoft Ads for Social Impact advertising.

Recommendation Sarah Balcazar Reading Partners

Recommendation from Laura Paolillo at Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity

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Recommendation from Laura Paolillo at Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity

“Michelle solved a nearly year long problem with an inherited Google Ad account. I’m forever grateful how she not only tackled the issues, but she was so organized. It made the process so smooth for our team and she explained each step so thoroughly. She is exactly what we needed… Our account was not properly tracking the analytics and Michelle is wizard with that.”

Laura Paolillo

Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity

Learn more about Google Ad Grant and Microsoft Ads for Social Impact management support.

Recommendation Laura Paolillo at Northern Ocean Habitat for Humanity

Recommendation from Jaime Purinton at Anza-Borrego Foundation

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Recommendation from Jaime Purinton at Anza-Borrego Foundation

“Working with Michelle Barber has been an amazing experience, and her contributions have been pivotal to our successes in several complex projects. Michelle’s expertise and dedication in managing the Google Ad Grant and Microsoft Ads for Social Impact have significantly amplified our reach and impact. Her strategic insights and meticulous attention to detail have ensured that our ad campaigns consistently perform at their peak, navigating the intricate matching rules of the Microsoft Ad Grant with ease.

“One of Michelle’s standout achievements has been the seamless transition to GA4. Her deep understanding of analytics and her proactive approach have been invaluable, ensuring that our data remains accurate and actionable through the transition. Michelle’s technical ability was also on full display during the completion of our website redesign. When we faced critical challenges, she stepped in at just the right moment, demonstrating not only her skill but also her remarkable ability to remain composed under pressure.

“Our WooCommerce store has also greatly benefited from Michelle’s hands-on assistance. Her knowledge of e-commerce platforms and her problem-solving abilities have streamlined our operations and enhanced our online retail capabilities. Moreover, her relentless perseverance in managing the numerous rounds of domain and website transfers has been truly commendable. Each transfer, fraught with its unique challenges, was navigated with Michelle’s expertise, ensuring that our digital presence remained stable and secure.

“Michelle’s commitment and exceptional skills have been instrumental in the successful execution of our projects. Her ability to handle complexity with grace and her relentless pursuit of excellence make her an invaluable asset to any team. I wholeheartedly recommend Michelle to anyone seeking a top-tier professional in the digital marketing and web management space.”

Jaime Purinton

Communications Manager

Anza-Borrego Foundation

Learn more about Google Ad Grant and Microsoft Ads for Social Impact management and website and Google Analytics (GA4) support.

 

Recommendation Jaime Purinton at Anza-Borrego Foundation

Recommendation from Iris Towery at Community Housing Development Corporation

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Recommendation from Iris Towery at Community Housing Development Corporation

“Michelle was immensely helpful. We ended our phone call with clear instructions and useful knowledge addressing our questions. The references and links she shared are already beneficial for our goals.”

Iris Towery

Volunteer Manager

Community Housing Development Corporation

Learn more about one-on-one marketing consulting through Power Hours.

Recommendation Iris Towery

Recommendation from Scott Kindred, President at SafeHouse Web

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Recommendation from Scott Kindred, President at SafeHouse Web

“Michelle Barber has been an invaluable asset to SafeHouse Web since fall 2019. Michelle has consistently demonstrated exceptional skills and dedication in her roles, contributing significantly to the success of key projects and client relationships.

“Among the highlights of Michelle’s work has been her engagement in serving our client, a regional food bank in California, where her work has been nothing short of first-class. Her interviewing and writing skills have been instrumental in crafting compelling narratives and marketing materials for the food bank. Moreover, her proactive thinking and resourcefulness have led to the implementation of several impactful initiatives, including the recommendation of the Google Ad Grant, AmeriCorps VISTA, and the innovative Hunger Action Month spoon idea. These recommendations directly contributed to the advancement of our client’s fundraising goals and brand awareness objectives.

Additionally, Michelle has been managing the Google Ad Grant for a Seattle-area nonprofit since July 2023, further showcasing her expertise and commitment to driving results for nonprofit organizations. She has not only managed their Google Ads campaigns effectively but has also played a vital role in setting up foundational tools such as GA4 and Google Tag Manager. Under her guidance, the nonprofit’s Google Ad Grant has generated an impressive $12,800+ in revenue since early September 2023, highlighting Michelle’s strategic acumen and ability to optimize campaigns for tangible impact.

“Beyond her technical skills, Michelle has been attuned to our core value of fostering positive client relationships and has done exemplary work in communicating with them positively and proactively. Her professionalism and dedication to delivering high-quality work make her a true asset to any team or project.”

Please read the recommendation I enthusiastically offered Scott on LinkedIn.

Learn more about the marketing I do for nonprofits and universities.

Recommendation from Scott Kindred, President at SafeHouse Web