A sitemap is an XML map of your website that helps search engines index pages faster. It contains information about all sections, subcategories and main pages, with descriptions and update frequency. Sometimes a site has a complex, confusing structure that makes it hard for search engines to index every page. Creating a sitemap helps Google index pages every day. This is especially important for online stores and catalogues, where products may be updated daily — without a sitemap, search engines simply can't keep up.
What information a sitemap contains
A sitemap usually contains:
-
a list of all the site's page URLs and their structure;
-
the type of content on each page (for example, images and video are marked separately);
-
video and image data needed for search results;
-
how often each page is updated;
-
page priority;
-
information about all alternate versions of pages.
In essence, a sitemap is a navigator for search engines.
Can you do without a sitemap?
Many site owners ask what adding a sitemap actually changes. SEO specialists don't pay so much attention to it at the start of promotion for nothing. Technically, you can do without a sitemap.xml file: it's not a critical error for search engines, it just reduces indexing quality.
Slower indexing may not seem like a big problem to some. But in reality, some sections can get completely "lost" without a sitemap. It can also lead to problems such as:
-
pages with no links from other sections not being indexed;
-
pages missing from search results even with optimised content;
-
a new website not being indexed at all.
A sitemap is also needed to prioritise sections. For example, a site may have just one main page with the key product or information, and that's the page that needs to be indexed to reach the top. Without a sitemap, the search engine can't set priorities and will index the least important sections on a par with the most important ones.
A sitemap is optional only for websites with a simple structure, such as a landing page. In all other cases, this file plays a key role in helping search engines read your site's structure quickly and accurately.
The nuances of creating a sitemap
There are many nuances here. Some site owners try to save money by creating the XML file themselves, which isn't always wise. Of course, there are free services that generate the file in a couple of minutes: you upload it to the site's root and wait for indexing. But for high-quality, complex websites the content needs to be worked out manually. For example, for online stores it's best to include category and tag pages. Experienced webmasters always use the "Include the last modification time" option to add the date of the last update to the sitemap. Search robots use this data to decide when to revisit a page.
In most cases, page priority should be set manually, based on traffic and the need to promote particular sections and content. This way, some parts of the site can be promoted more actively and others held back.
If you're unsure what a sitemap file should contain, it's better to leave it to experienced specialists.
How to create a sitemap
It's better not to use third-party free services to create a sitemap: the simpler the setup, the lower the effectiveness. For each CMS it makes sense to use its own tools for generating the XML file:
-
for Joomla: Sitemap Generator, PWT Sitemap;
-
for Drupal: XML Sitemap.
Some platforms have this tool built into the admin panel, which makes the task a bit easier.
Contact our web studio to create a sitemap
Still not sure where the sitemap should go, or doubt you can do it yourself? Leave it to the specialists at the Cyborg web studio. We'll take every important detail into account. The right approach means search engines will index the file within a few days and use it to navigate your pages from then on.
Once the sitemap is created and placed in the site's root, you can forget about it. The main thing is that it's created correctly and does its job 100%.
If you want to promote your website to the top of search engines effectively, contact Cyborg Studio on +380 67 250 60 02
