A sitemap is a list of all the URLs contained within your website. It has some limited applications for helping users to navigate your website, but is mostly used by search engine crawlers to find all of the pages on your site. Without a sitemap, the pages on your site may not be properly indexed, preventing them from appearing in search results.
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What is the difference between an XML and HTML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a basic list of your pages presented in a simple text-based format. It is mostly designed to be read by search engine crawlers. Many sites however, will also have an HTML version of the sitemap that has extra styling attached to it. This version usually looks nicer and is designed to be more easily read by site users.
How can I create a sitemap for my website?
Most CMSs will create an XML sitemap by default, but you may need to use a plug-in such as Yoast for WordPress sites. Once you have confirmed the existence of a sitemap, make sure it is placed within your robots.txt file so that search engines are guaranteed to find it.
Can I submit my sitemap to search engines like Google?
Yes. You can submit your sitemap directly to Google using Google Search Console. This will ensure that Google is aware of all of the pages within your site. You may still have to resolve some other issues that are preventing your pages from being displayed within search results.
Can I have multiple sitemaps for my website?
Yes, some websites have multiple sitemaps for reasons of size or organization. Simply make sure all of your sitemaps are referenced within your robots.txt file. Some sites also have a single sitemap file in their robots.txt that links to other sitemaps within it. Either way is acceptable.
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