XML Sitemap in SEO: We clarify!
The term sitemap is often used in connection with target-oriented search engine optimization. In this blog post, we would like to give you an understanding of the XML sitemap and its benefits for search engine optimization and show you how you can use the XML sitemap profitably for your company. Here we go!
The sitemap: what is that anyway?
A sitemap gives an overview of the information architecture of a website and shows which content can be found under which paths. Sitemaps not only give users an overview of the website structure but also the search engine crawlers who want to index the website and its subpages. There are basically two types of sitemaps:
1.HTML Sitemap
In most cases, the HTML sitemap is aimed directly at the user and is intended to give them an overview of the site architecture.
2. XML Sitemap
The XML sitemap is made available to the search engine crawlers via robots.txt. It should help the bots index relevant content on the site faster and easier.
Sitemaps provide orientation; well-thought-out websites usually do not need a sitemap since the menu ideally takes into account the categorization as far as possible and the information architecture is understandable for the bot and the user.
How do I submit my sitemap to Google?
So that the search engine knows where the sitemap is, there are two ways to submit the sitemap. On the one hand, this can be done via the so-called Robots.txt or by registering via the Google Search Console. With both variants, the search engine learns how the page is structured and with which priority the pages are to be indexed.
Application of the sitemap
The sitemap is primarily used in the area of search engine optimization for particularly large websites that are difficult for Googlebot to index. As a search engine optimizer , you can be sure that all relevant pages can be recorded well despite poor internal links.
But even with very young websites, submitting the sitemap can be beneficial. These usually have a very weak backlink profile, and the lack of external links does not draw Google’s attention to the new website. Submitting the sitemap has the effect of recognising the page as a new page and allowing it to be indexed.
Benefits of Maintained Sitemaps
Sitemaps help to control the crawling of the search engine bot, and, as already mentioned, the sitemap can significantly improve crawling, especially on larger websites such as online shops. However, submitting the sitemap is no guarantee for better ranking positions because on-page and off-page factors continue to have a positive effect on the ranking.
The sitemap itself only has an indirect influence on the rankings because the sitemap ensures that all subpages are accessible to the crawler.
Summary of the sitemap
The sitemap is a helpful tool for search engine optimization and should be created by default for every website. Current CMS systems such as WordPress enable a quick and uncomplicated creation of the sitemap, and for this reason, you should always submit a sitemap, especially for new projects. We are happy to support you in the process with our experience as an SEO agency. Just get in touch with us!
