Google sites maps are a convenient way to submit a collection of links to google. The idea being that this will save google a bit of time searching for links in you HTML document. Though this does not guarantee listing on Google it improves you chances for the same.

Its is a three step process

1) Create a sitemap

2) upload the sitemap to your site

3) Tell google your sitemaps location

Creating a site map is a rather simple

Follow the instructions below to comeplete the sitemap process

• Create a Map as mentioned here

• The EASY WAY would be to visit the Google sitemap Generator .

• Save the resulting files on your machine and upload this VIA FTP or you Web based admin panel.

• Login and http://google.com/webmasters/tools/ . If you dont have an account , create one. And then add a sitemap. Google will let you know if i has picked up you reqest.

• Congratss ! That it.

Once you do this you have completed step one of google sumission / optimzation. You can now start tracking you Page Rank here. If you are doing the right things you page rank will go up. If not it will go down.