A sitemap is a simple index which holds information together with other details of the pages on a website. In addition, the sitemap contains the content of the web pages.
Sitemaps SEO benefits
Types of sitemaps
In website design, there are two primary types of sitemaps:
- XML, and
- HTML
XML sitemaps have a particular structure. The end-user does not ever see these. These types of sitemaps are only used as a method of informing a search-engine of the following:
The content on a web page,
- How often the content of the website pages is updated, and
- The general importance of the pages in how they relate to each other.
An HTML sitemap is put together in such a way to be used by Internet users. They will use these maps to help them find the content that they are searching for. The sitemaps do not include all pages of a website. When a sitemap is instituted, it is vital to know that some formats cannot be submitted to Google’s Webmaster tools. Only a handful of supported formats can be submitted.
How a sitemap is used for SEO
For users of the Internet, a sitemap has the function of improving how a site can be navigated. At the same time, such a map makes the website more user-friendly – and helps with bumping up your SEO scores. With a sitemap, the theme of the website becomes more evident. This is because the website users will be able to see the sections of the site in addition to the links in one place. The map can be thought of as a skeleton that needs to be built on.