Answers to such questions can only be sought after a thorough analysis and proper understanding of the subject in question. So before we get down to the business of discussing the possible utilities of a sitemap, let’s find out first as to what a sitemap of a website actually is.
What is a sitemap of your website?
Well, the whole name is self-explanatory so should not be difficult to understand. It is a map of your website where all details of the site are put so that users and search engines both can reach it easily. To make the definition of a sitemap even simpler, it is a page of your website which displays the structure of your site, its various sections and the links between them. The purpose of creating a sitemap is to make site navigation easier for users. The relevance of a sitemap greatly enhances when it comes to SEO. Any changes in the content or details of a website will be easily visible to the users and search engines with the help of a sitemap. Overlooking or ignoring the relevance of a sitemap for your website is not a good practice to follow due to its implications when it comes to SEO.
Why should you emphasis on a sitemap for your website?
As explained in the above definition, a sitemap makes it easy for users to accurately reach to their desired content on a website. Easy navigation can be achieved by a sitemap. Another benefit of creating a website’s sitemap is that since a sitemap is submitted to a search after being created, that search engines will automatically pickup your site and your dependence on external links for being listed by a search engine is reduced greatly. Search engines do indexing of a website based on its sitemap and it is an industry standard. A sitemap also helps in identifying and fixing broken links. Sitemaps are not a luxury but a necessity and have been around ever since web designing started, but their relevance has been greatly enhanced by their adoption by search engines.
What are various types of sitemaps?
Sitemaps can be broadly divided into two types namely XML sitemaps and HTML sitemaps. XML sitemaps are those which are submitted to search engines like Google and Yahoo to enable their web crawlers to index and find your website. HTML sitemaps are created for the visiting human traffic on your website. An HTML sitemap allows users to easily navigate through the site and reach towards the desired content they are looking for.
How to create and submit a sitemap to Google?
The basic steps involve first of all creating the sitemap and uploading it to your website and finally informing Google about it. You have two choices for creating a sitemap, which are either by downloading and installing a site map generator or by using an online sitemap generator tool. The first option poses more challenges but provides you with a much more desired control over the final output. If you opt for the first option then Google sitemap generator is a good tool to use. Your server needs to have Python 2.2 or higher installed as the Google sitemap generator is a Python script. The second option of online third party tools is much easier. After creating the sitemap you have to upload it to your site and then finally notify Google about it by adding your site to the Google sitemaps accounts. You need to open a new account if you don’t have one already. Another important piece of information of readers is that opening a new Google sitemaps account is not possible without verifying that you are the legitimate owner of the website.
In conclusion, sitemap is no longer a luxury but a mandatory requirement for search engines to pick up your site and for users to easily navigate through your site. What is also relevant is that MSN and Yahoo do not support the XML format of the sitemap, although Google does. Yahoo currently uses a webmaster submitted txt file containing a list of URL’s. But it is expected that soon all search engines will follow suit and start using sitemaps for indexing websites.