WordPress blog and XML sitemap

[hawkvt1]

I have a friend that just spent 15K on a new site and believe it or not the developer did not incorporate a CMS into the site.

If a WP blog is built and the URL is added to the site's XML sitemap, for all intensive purposes, would Google view this URL as part of the site in terms of overall number of links, referring domains etc.?  The developer is saying that even if the WP URL is added to the XML sitemap, Google will not view this URL as part of the site domain.

I cannot think of another way of adding unique content to the site unless the developer is paid to build new pages every month.

If the WP blog is not part of the overall domain, then we're left with the URL simply pointing back to the domain with anchor text and such and not adding to the total number of links and RD...

ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED!

Thanks Mozzers!

[hawkvt1]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer this question, it has been extremely helpful.

Unfortunately my friend (home building/architectural services) did a swap of services which has made this all the more complicated.  Lesson one, never swap for services.

It is on a windows server in answer to Alan's question.  The short answer seems to be that the developer does need to incorporate the WP into the Main Site's architecture which should not be a big deal.  In a perfect world, as suggested, is to simply cut the losses and run!

Thanks again...

[hawkvt1]

Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer this question, it has been extremely helpful.

Unfortunately my friend (home building/architectural services) did a swap of services which has made this all the more complicated.  Lesson one, never swap for services.

It is on a windows server in answer to Alan's question.  The short answer seems to be that the developer does need to incorporate the WP into the Main Site's architecture which should not be a big deal.  In a perfect world, as suggested, is to simply cut the losses and run!

Thanks again...

[wojkwasi]

Everyone needs a bridge hehe

[wojkwasi]

Is it possible, at all, to install Wordpress on the server at all under a subfolder, e.g.: mysite.com/blog ?

I've taken over a site before that had CMSMS running and Word Press - the main site was running at the root level & wordpress was installed to run under the sub folder.. there are ways to make the 2 systems (and others) talk to each other

The sub folder approach would ensure that all domain equity is preserved and the developer should be able to incorporate a "widget" on the home page that displays a few links to the most recent headlines.. if not then maybe they should learn how to code

[loopyal]

Unless the developer has done something really weird with .htaccess, you should be able to integrate a blog to the existing site.

Send me your friend's name, I want to sell him a bridge LOL.

The developer needs to be slapped around for not building in a way to change the site and your friend needs to be slapped for not thinking of that before spending so much money on a static site.

I agree with Robert Fisher. They could just change the site to wordpress, unless they've done something really avant garde with the site - and if they have, as I've seen with a few other people recently, the search engines may hate it.

In any case, if they stick with what they already have, it should be a very simple job to add a wordpress blog. You will need to configure it correctly. I do hope this was built on a linux box, not Windows.

If there is no way to update the site without the developer, they may be in for a lifetime of being locked to the developer, their costs and their schedule. This is likely to be very bad. What are they going to do when they want to add a G+ button? What about a facebook share button? What if facebook changes their API? What if they pay the developer to add G+ and google does their usual - decides its a bad idea and can the project or change it 3 times over the next year?

And (the editor in me talking) it is "intents and purposes," not "intensive purposes."

[RobertFisher]

From the way you are stating this, you are going to have a log with a different domain say yourblog.com.

You have a site that is mysite.com.

You want to in some way add the yourblog.com to the sitemap and have it be part of the mysite.com in the eyes of the google bot?

I do not see how that could work. But......there is still a way to accomplish this. Have the developer incorporate the WP blog in the architecture of the site. Such that there could be a menu tab: Blog (for example). Then you would have mysite.com/blog and as you added to the blog: mysite.com/blog/why-to-fire-a-developer, etc.

We just scraped a site like this and simply rebuilt it on a WP platform (it had an attached WP blog). Yes, it took some dev time, but to me was a better option for the client than the ongoing fees to the developer.

Hope this in some way helps. Personally, I would see what it would cost to move all to a WP or other CMS and do so. Best of luck.