Webmaster Tools Site Map Question

[VERBInteractive]

I have TLD that has authority and a number of micro-sites built off of the primary domain. All sites relate to the same topic, as I am promoting a destination. The primary site and each micro-site have their own CMS installation, but the domains are mapped accordingly.

www.regionalsite.com/ <- primary
www.regioanlsite.com/theme1/ <- theme 1
www.regioanlsite.com/theme2/ <- theme 2
www.regionalsite.com/theme3/ <- theme 3

Question: Should my XML site map for Webmaster Tools feed all sites off of the primary domain site map or are there penalties for this?

Thanks.

[SEODinosaur]

MIcro sites all have a unique URL. They are built to target one keyword each.

This example you give is a standard site,  Sub-Domain/Page (include broad keyword here). You can make as many pages as you want. However, building these pages will spread you juice around so choose your keywords carefully.

www.regionalsite.com/ <- primary
www.regioanlsite.com/theme1/ <- theme 1
www.regioanlsite.com/theme2/ <- theme 2
www.regionalsite.com/theme3/ <- theme 3

Example of a micro site.

I have a site for lets say chocolate: www. chocolate.com im number 1 for chocolate in Google which is the only keyword I am after. For the example there are no more keys to go after "chocolate". So I want to rank 2 times for chocolate. So I build a micro site targeting "chocolate" the domain could be www:1chocolate.com

I would not build another page called chocolate within my ranking domain.

[VERBInteractive]

Using your example, I currently do rank #1 for "Chocolate", but I want to rank for a number of words related to chocolate now. So the content silo on my site related to "Chocolate Fudge" (as an example) is a micro-site built out specifically around the topic of Fudge. (my example is Region Golf, Region Dining, Region Events).

Really, the 'micro-sites' as I call them are all built in their own CMS as they have different stakeholder groups. It's all mapped off of the primary domain through as it relates specifically to the region with the theme modifier.

My question is - does the primary domain site map get submitted to Google with al of the site URLs (Primary and themed micro-sites) included since they are all off of the same domain?

[SEODinosaur]

Micro sites are separate from your primary domain. If you want to target Region Golf, Region Dining, Region Events, you domains should be submitted something like this:

This is one site.

www.regionalsite.com/ <- primary 
www.regioanlsite.com/Region-Golf <- page 1 with key (build diverse links using "regional golf") 
www.regioanlsite.com/Region-Dining <- page 2 with key  www.regionalsite.com/Region-Events <- page 3 with key

In this case you submit you sitemap to Google, listing all your pages.

This would be a micro site:

www.RegionGolf.com

The domain is completely different f rom the micro site. No association with www.regionalsite.com/, so it can not be included in the sitemap.

[VERBInteractive]

Yes, what you're describing is what I am doing. Thanks and sorry for the confusion around the terminology.

Doy ou think there would be a benefit to repeating the region name in the folder structure www.REGION.com/REGION-topic?

[SEODinosaur]

That would be having it twice, I would not recommend that. However that's debateable. IMO one mention per keyword in the URL is plenty. For regional links focus on building links locally (by area/regional physical location) to each page.