State webmasters, Virginia.gov and Google staff have worked together since January to implement a sitemap protocol, a standard that enables a Web site owner to better communicate the contents of a site to search engines so that more pages on the Web site are searchable.
"Transparent government is a high priority in Virginia," Kaine said. "Our goal is simple, intuitive and quick citizen access to every government resource. Our partnership with Google is one example of our many citizen-focused initiatives to simplify government and provide greater access to its services."
Virginia has also upgraded the search tool on the state portal to encompass the full range of government information citizens may be seeking. Using the Google Custom service, Virginia now provides visitors to Virginia.gov the ability to search for information from all sectors of government, whether provided by a federal, state, or local government source.
Google has assisted state officials in implementing these Web site improvements at no cost. The states of Arizona, California and Utah also have partnered with Google in this pilot initiative.
