What Is a Sitemap? & How to Create One? (2024)

How do you find your way around an unfamiliar city? You use a map, right?

Well, it’s the same with websites and search engines!

Have you ever wondered how Google knows exactly what pages are on your website?

The secret is a little thing called a sitemap.

Site + Map = Sitemap

It is basically a map of your website (literally)!

But let’s be honest, sitemaps can seem confusing and aren’t the most fun to deal with.

However, if you get them right, they can boost your website’s ranking and bring in more traffic.

And that’s why, for the sake of your precious website ranking, I have created this simple guide for beginners.

Here, I’ll explain what is a sitemap, why your website needs one, and how to create and submit a sitemap to Google in the easiest way possible.

Let’s begin!

What is a Sitemap?

As promised, we’ll keep things simple in this guide. So, here’s an easy to understand definition.

“A sitemap is a list of pages of a web site within a domain.”

Now, let’s discuss it in detail.

So, basically, a sitemap is a structure or a map of your website. It is a file that includes information about all the important pages on your website and the connections between them.

The primary purpose of a sitemap is to help search engines find and index all your website content. It also tells search engines which pages on your site are most important.

Example

Here’s an example of a sitemap.

Caution: You are about to witness something very technical and intimidating.

Well, that’s just how a sitemap looks. But don’t worry! By the end of this guide, it will be less scary as you will have a clear understanding of the concept.

Types of Website Sitemaps

Source

There are mainly two types of sitemaps: XML sitemaps and HTML sitemaps.

1.     XML Sitemaps

These are specifically designed for search engines. They provide a list of URLs for search engine crawlers to discover and index. XML sitemaps include additional information about each URL, such as the,

• Last modification date
• Frequency of changes
• Priority of the page

Example:

2.     HTML Sitemaps

These are designed for website visitors. They are typically created in HTML format and provide a structured list of all the pages on a website. HTML sitemaps make it easier for users to navigate a website and find the content they’re looking for. They are especially useful for larger websites with many pages.

Example:

Source

Other Types of Sitemaps

In addition to XML and HTML sitemaps, there are other types of sitemaps commonly used:

1.     Text Sitemaps

Text sitemaps are similar to XML sitemaps but contain only plain text URLs without additional metadata. They are simpler and lighter than XML sitemaps and are often used as an alternative for smaller websites.

Example:

2.     Image Sitemaps

These sitemaps specifically list images on a website along with additional metadata such as,

• The image’s subject matter
• Type
• License

They help search engines index images more effectively.

Example:

Source

3.     Video Sitemaps

Video sitemaps are used to provide information about video content on a website. They include details such as,

• The title
• Description
• Duration
• Thumbnail URL of each video

They help search engines index and display video content in search results.

Example:

4.     News Sitemaps

News sitemaps are designed for websites that produce news content. They provide information about articles published on the site, including,

• Publication date
• Title
• Keywords

This helps search engines discover and index news articles more efficiently.

Example:

Why are Sitemaps Important?

Wondering why sitemaps are important for your website?

Well, it’s because search engines like – Google, Bing and Yahoo use it to find important content and pages on your site.

Let’s first understand how search engines work:

1. Crawling: Google uses bots to continuously scan the internet for web pages. This scanning process is known as crawling.
2. Indexing: Once the bots find a page, they categorise and store it in Google’s massive index. This storage process is referred to as indexing.
3. Searching: When you perform a search on Google, it doesn’t scan the entire web in real-time. Instead, it searches through its well-organised index. This allows it to deliver results in a split second.

So, what does this mean?

• If your webpage is hard to crawl, it might not get added to Google’s index.
• And if it’s not in the index, it won’t show up in Google search results.

That’s why – it is important to create a sitemap for your website!

Google itself prefers websites to have a sitemap. Here’s what it says:

“If your site’s pages are properly linked, our web crawlers can usually discover most of your site.”

 Sitemaps are important for several reasons:

• They serve as a guide for Google and other search engines to locate and understand your content better.
• They notify search engines when new pages are added and when existing pages are updated.
• They direct search engines through your website to crawl and index vital pages.
• They assist search engines in finding alternate language versions of your pages.

Do You Really Need a Sitemap?

It totally depends on your website!

Google is quite effective at discovering web pages on the internet on its own. However, as we’ve discussed, a sitemap can significantly boost your SEO.

Here’s when you need a sitemap:

• Your site has over 500 pages: With so many pages, there’s a higher chance that Google’s crawlers might miss new or updated content.
• Your site contains a lot of media: Such as videos, images, or news articles that you want to be indexed.
• Your website has few backlinks: Web crawlers typically find pages by following links from other sites.
• Your internal linking is weak: This results in many orphan pages.

Benefits of Sitemaps

Did you know that websites with a sitemap are more likely to be indexed by search engines?

That’s a huge boost, right?

Think of a sitemap as a roadmap for search engines. Without it, some of your pages might not get the attention they deserve.

Here are some benefits of having a sitemap:

1.     Faster Crawling and Indexing

Google doesn’t crawl the entire web daily. It follows specific schedules for different sites and content types. This can mean delays in discovering new pages. A sitemap helps Google find and index new content more quickly, ensuring your pages are available in search results sooner.

2.     Discover Orphan Pages

Google’s bots typically find pages by following links from other pages on your site. Orphan pages, which lack internal links, can be hard for Google to find. Including these pages in your sitemap makes it easier for Google to locate and index them, ensuring all your content is accessible.

3.     Improved Performance for High-Value Pages

When you update important content on your site, such as evergreen articles, you want those changes reflected in search results promptly. Efficient crawling and indexing through a sitemap ensure that Google updates its index with the latest versions of your high-value pages, keeping your content fresh and relevant.

4.     Handling Duplicate Content

Business websites, especially e-commerce sites, often have duplicate or near-duplicate pages – such as product pages for different variants. Google can get confused about which version to rank. A sitemap helps clarify which version is the primary one, preventing duplicate content issues and improving your site’s SEO.

How to Create a Sitemap?

Wondering how to create a sitemap without any coding knowledge? Don’t worry, the process is quite simple, thanks to all the modern tools available.

Now, you don’t need to manually write the codes. Simply use a tool, and it will automatically generate the sitemap for you.

Isn’t that really cool? It is a lifesaver for people like you and me!

Here’s how you do it:

1.     Choose Your Sitemap Format

Decide whether you need an XML, HTML, or another type of sitemap. XML is the most common and is specifically designed for search engines.

2.     Use a Sitemap Generator Tool

Use Sitemap generators. They are tools that make creating sitemaps easy, with no coding required. Here are some of the best ones to choose from:

• Yoast: A free WordPress plugin that generates a sitemap for your site.
• WordPress 5.5: If you have WordPress 5.5 or later, you can create sitemaps without external plugins.
• Screaming Frog: Create XML and image XML sitemaps with advanced settings like “last modified” tags.
• XML-Sitemaps.com: This tool offers both free and paid packages. Simply paste your site URL into the search field and click start.

3.     Generate Your Sitemap

Follow the instructions on the sitemap generator tool. For instance, on XML-Sitemaps.com, you enter your website URL and select your options (frequency, priority, etc.), then click ‘Start’ to generate the sitemap.

4.     Review Your Sitemap

After the sitemap is generated, review it to make sure all important pages are included and that the structure is correct.

5.     Save Your Sitemap

Save the generated sitemap file (usually an XML file) to your computer.

6.     Upload the Sitemap to Your Website

Use an FTP client or your website’s file manager to upload the sitemap file to the root directory of your website (e.g., www.example.com/sitemap.xml).

7.     Add Your Sitemap to Your Robots.txt File

Open your robots.txt file (located in your website’s root directory) and add the following line:

Sitemap: http://www.example.com/sitemap.xml

How to Submit Your Sitemap to Google and Bing?

It is very important to submit your sitemap if you truly want to reap its benefits. Here are some steps to submit it to Google and Bing:

Submit Your Sitemap to Google Search Console

1. Log in to your Google Search Console account.
2. Click on Index and then go to the ‘Sitemaps’ section in the left-hand menu.
3. Enter the URL of your sitemap (e.g., www.example.com/sitemap.xml) and click ‘Submit’.

Once everything is set up, you will see the “Submitted Sitemaps” section.

Submit Your Sitemap to Bing Webmaster Tools

1. Log in to your Bing Webmaster Tools account.
2. Select your website.
3. Go to the ‘Sitemaps’ section.
4. Enter the URL of your sitemap and click ‘Submit’.

Tips for Optimising Sitemaps

Follow these simple guidelines, best practices and tips for optimising sitemaps:

1.     Use the Sitemap Report

• Check your sitemap status in Google Search Console.
• Look for the “Sitemap index processed successfully” message.
• Check the Coverage Report to review indexed pages and spot any excluded ones.
• Remove unwanted pages from your sitemap to improve indexing.

2.     Find Problems with Indexing

• Compare desired vs. actual indexing.
• If there’s a discrepancy, investigate possible issues like duplicate content or exceeding the crawl budget.

3.     Match Sitemaps and Robots.txt

• Make sure there is consistency between your sitemap and Robots.txt file.
• Exclude pages listed in Robots.txt or marked with the “noindex” tag from your sitemap.

4.     Break Up Large Sitemaps

• Split your sitemap into smaller ones if you have over 50,000 URLs.
• Use a sitemap index file to organise multiple sitemaps.

5.     Use UTF-8 Encoding

• Make sure your sitemap files use UTF-8 encoding.
• Replace special characters with escape codes.

6.     List Only Canonical URLs

• Include only main URLs in your sitemap to avoid duplicate content issues.
• Use the rel=canonical tag for duplicate or near-duplicate pages.

7.     Exclude NoIndex URLs

• List only URLs you want indexed in your sitemap.
• Exclude pages with the “noindex” tag or listed in your Robots.txt file.

8.     Keep the Root Directory Organized

Store your sitemap.xml file in the root directory for better organisation.

9.     Use XML Files to Structure Links

XML sitemaps help web crawlers understand your site’s structure and reduce orphan pages.

10.  Include ALL Web Pages in the Sitemap

Include all websites in the sitemap to improve communication with search engines, regardless of internal linking.

Wrapping Up

And that’s all you need to know about sitemaps!

I hope this guide has helped you understand – what is a sitemap, why it is important and how to create one.

Remember, there are no penalties from Google for not having a sitemap, but having one can benefit your website, especially if it’s large.

The best part? Creating a sitemap is free and doesn’t need much technical know-how.

But still if you need expert help, it is best to hire a digital marketing agency like Digital Nomads. Along with creating sitemaps, they offer full-suite SEO and marketing services to help your website succeed.

FAQs

1.     Is sitemap a part of SEO?

Yes, sitemaps are important for SEO because they help search engines understand and index your website efficiently.

2.     How do I publish a sitemap?

To publish a sitemap, submit it to Google Search Console or place it in your website’s root directory.

3.     Does every website have a sitemap?

Not necessarily. While many websites have sitemaps, not every website is required to have one for functioning.

4.     Where is sitemap stored?

Sitemaps are typically stored in the root directory of a website or submitted directly to Google Search Console.

5.     How do I find a sitemap?

To find a sitemap, check the root directory of the website or look for a URL ending in “/sitemap.xml”.