Sitemap
A hierarchical list of all URLs ((sub)pages) of a website is called a sitemap. This serves both the users, as an overview of the available content, and the search engine itself. In addition, a sitemap is a structural basis that helps to better understand the structure of a website.
Originally, sitemaps were used to give visitors a better overview of the website. However, very few users use a sitemap for their online searches. Meanwhile, they are much more relevant for the search engines themselves so that a website can be listed correctly in the search results.
Sitemap types
There are different types of sitemaps that are used by search engines when crawling and finding new pages so that new content can be indexed more quickly. The following two sitemap types differ:
1. html sitemap
An HTML sitemap is for visitors to the website. This sitemap can be found on a subpage of the actual website, often with the heading “Sitemap”. This sitemap contains a list of pages with hyperlinks so that the user can access the page directly. The aim of an HTML sitemap is to make it easier for users to find their way around the website and find the pages they are looking for as quickly as possible.
2. XML sitemap
In contrast to the HTML sitemap, the XML sitemap is intended for other search engines. Such a sitemap is created in order to be found more easily by Google. It provides an overview of the structure of a website, but not in the form of hyperlinks. The XML sitemap is formulated in a language suitable for the Google Bot, namely XML. These Google bots ultimately make it possible for the website to be found and indexed more easily.
Both the HTML and the XML sitemap are essential for Google to capture all the content of a website. Both sitemap variants should therefore always be available. Even if the sitemap is not used by users, it still influences how high up a website is listed in the search results.
In addition to HTML and XML sitemaps, there are other types. These sitemaps are there to make it easier to find certain types of content:
- News Sitemaps
- Image Sitemaps
- Video Sitemaps
If a content management system (CMS), such as WordPress or Joomla, is used for a website, it is possible to use a corresponding sitemap plugin. These plugins automatically create a sitemap of the selected website.
Which websites should definitely have a sitemap?
A sitemap is a fundamental part of good search engine optimization. The sitemap is particularly indispensable for certain types of websites.
An online store or database that contains a lot of content and subpages should always have a sitemap, ideally both HTML and XML versions.
A sitemap is also important for a website whose individual pages are not well linked to each other or new websites that have no advertising and therefore have very little traffic. To find and index a new website, Google bots follow links and visitors to a website in particular. Creating a sitemap is a good way to make Google aware of the existence of a new website.
If you are not sure how much traffic your website has, it is always advisable to set up a sitemap.
How do I create a sitemap?
There are many different ways to create a sitemap. Many CMS (content management systems) and store systems provide the tools required to create a sitemap. If no CMS is available, a sitemap generator can also be used. The file must then be uploaded using an FTP program on your own server at root level and then submitted to Google.
