Introduction
If you are asking yourself, “What is a sitemap?” it is a file or page containing a list of relevant URLs in a particular format. An XML sitemap is designed to help search engines identify the website’s pages and facilitates their discovery. Sitemaps are particularly useful for large sites, landing pages, new domains, and projects with a high frequency of updates.
Toolibex has a number of online tools designed to help website owners manage common tasks related to websites. An XML sitemap generator can help you create a sitemap for your site, which will enable you to optimize the technical SEO and aid search engines in discovering your web pages.
XML Sitemap Generator Overview
An XML sitemap generator is a website management tool that creates a file with website URLs in a standardized format. The produced XML file typically conforms to the XML sitemap protocol and is read by search engines supporting the standard.
An XML sitemap typically looks like the following code snippet:
https://example.com/about/The code above represents a very simple sitemap that includes a single URL (https://example.com/about/). In practice, a sitemap contains a number of URLs in a similar format.
A sitemap generator website can help bloggers, website owners, developers, online store managers, and SEOs facilitate the discovery of their web pages by search engines.
An XML sitemap can include a number of additional pieces of information, such as the date when a page was last modified. These fields are optional and should only be used when relevant and supported by the sitemap generator. A sitemap is not a guarantee that search engines will crawl and index all pages.
An HTML sitemap and an XML sitemap are often confused, but the two documents serve different purposes. An HTML sitemap is designed to help visitors explore a website, whereas an XML sitemap is primarily useful for search engines and other automated systems.
XML Sitemap and Its Importance for SEO
A sitemap is a list of a website’s URLs and other resources in a particular format. In most cases, an XML sitemap refers to a list of URLs in the XML format that helps search engines discover web pages.
While search engines can follow links from web pages to find new content, a sitemap serves as a helpful hint that allows search engines to prioritize crawling of the URLs that a webmaster considers important.
A sitemap can benefit the SEO of a blog, business website, online store, or other types of web projects in a number of ways. Some of the main reasons to use an SEO sitemap include:
A new website: An XML sitemap can help search engines find URLs even if there are few external links to a site.
Large websites: A sitemap can help search engines crawl a large number of URLs.
A website with frequent updates: An XML sitemap helps search engines discover new and updated content.
An e-commerce website: A sitemap helps search engines find relevant product pages, such as listings for products that are in stock.
Content-heavy websites: An XML sitemap helps search engines find blog posts and other content.
A website with a complex structure: A sitemap helps search engines discover URLs that are not easily accessible via navigation.
A sitemap is not a replacement for a carefully-structured internal linking system, and a website with a disorganized linking structure will still be challenging for search engines to explore, regardless of the sitemap. Having a sitemap is only a small part of a larger SEO effort, and a website’s visibility in search engines will ultimately depend on how easy it is for search engines to access and process web pages.
XML Sitemap Generator Instructions
An XML sitemap generator can be used to create a sitemap for a website. Sitemap generators typically work in a similar way, although the specific steps may vary depending on the tool.
First, you need to specify the website that needs a sitemap or select the URLs to include in the sitemap. In most cases, an XML sitemap refers to a single website or domain. The URLs contained in a sitemap should be valid addresses in the domain you are requesting.
Depending on the generator, you may be able to simply provide the list of URLs to add to the sitemap or use a crawler to extract the relevant URLs from a domain. It is important to note that the ability to automatically discover URLs depends on the crawler’s capabilities, and not all sitemap generators are able to extract all URLs from a domain.
Next, you need to provide the generator with a list of URLs that should be included in the sitemap. A sitemap can include any type of URL, but it typically contains canonical URLs that a website owner wants to be discovered by search engines.
The URLs in a sitemap can represent articles, landing pages, service pages, online store pages, and other types of content. It is important to only include URLs that are publicly accessible and should be indexed by search engines. Pages that require authentication or have a noindex meta tag should not be added to the sitemap since they should not be found in search engine results.
In addition, it is important to avoid adding URLs that are redirected or otherwise unavailable. A sitemap should only include URLs that can be crawled and processed by search engines.
You also need to make sure that the sitemap is organized correctly. Most generators will let you specify the URLs in the sitemap or crawl them, and then add the necessary XML tags to form the final document. An XML sitemap typically contains elements such as , , and with the URL found in the loc tag.
Some generators also allow you to specify the last modified date for a URL by adding the tag. Other fields, such as priority and change frequency, are not often used. Most generators produce a valid XML file that follows the XML sitemap protocol.
You should review the sitemap’s content to make sure there are no typos and the URLs are correct.
Finally, the sitemap needs to be uploaded to a server and made available to search engines at https://example.com/sitemap.xml (the exact URL depends on the website being processed). You should be able to view the sitemap in a browser to make sure it is accessible. The sitemap can also be submitted to Google Search Console and other search engine webmaster tools. You should also update the website’s robots.txt file to list the sitemap’s location so that search engines can find it.
Reviewing Results of a Sitemap Generator
A sitemap should be reviewed to make sure that it contains the necessary URLs and does not have any typos or errors.
URL discovery
Each URL in a sitemap should be a valid address that points to a real page. The domain and protocol (HTTP or HTTPS) should be correct and should match the website being processed. For example, a page that can only be reached via HTTPS should not be found in an HTTP version of a URL.
Date of the last modification
The last modified date, if specified, should be accurate and should reflect the date when the page was last modified, not the date when the sitemap was created. This information helps search engines understand when a page was changed and can influence how often the page is crawled, although the frequency of crawling is ultimately determined by search engines.
Sitemap coverage
A sitemap typically includes URLs relevant to a domain or website. It should only include public URLs that should be indexed by search engines and should not include any URLs that are redirected or otherwise unavailable.
XML structure and validity
A valid XML sitemap should use the XML sitemap protocol and should not have any typos or malformed characters. Incorrect XML may prevent search engines from properly reading the file.
Sitemap and indexing
A sitemap makes it possible for search engines to discover web pages, but it should not be considered an indexing guarantee. If a URL is not found in search engine results, it may be necessary to use the URL inspection tool in Google Search Console or another search engine tool to determine why the page is not indexed. A sitemap should only be used as one part of a larger technical SEO strategy.
Examples of Using a Sitemap Generator
A sitemap generator can be used in a number of ways to help bloggers, website owners, online store managers, and other website owners.
Example 1: A blog
A blog typically contains a number of pages, including the homepage, blog post pages, category archives, and other pages. An XML sitemap can be used to help search engines discover blog pages.
As new blog posts are published, the sitemap can be updated to help search engines find new URLs.
Example 2: An online store
An e-commerce website typically contains a large number of URLs, including pages for individual products and categories. A sitemap can help store owners make sure search engines can find the most important URLs, such as the pages for products that are in stock.
It is important to make sure the sitemap does not include any URLs that are redirected or otherwise unavailable. In addition, a sitemap should only include public URLs that are relevant to the store’s visitors.
Example 3: A business website
A company website typically contains a number of pages relevant to the firm’s customers and prospects, such as the services page, team page, contact page, and others. A properly-formed sitemap can help a website owner identify the most important URLs and ensure they are accessible to search engines. This can help a business website appear in search results when a relevant query is entered.
A sitemap can be particularly useful when a company restructures its website or releases new pages relevant to its audience.
Example 4: Reviewing a growing website’s complexity
As a website grows in complexity, it can be challenging to ensure that all URLs are properly maintained. By reviewing a sitemap, a website owner can make sure that the most important URLs are included and existing URLs that are no longer relevant have been removed. A sitemap can be used to help keep an eye on website growth and updates.
Tips for Building an SEO Sitemap
Include important canonical URLs in the sitemap
Avoid adding URLs that are redirected or otherwise unavailable
Keep the sitemap up to date
Only include the URLs that should be indexed by search engines
Follow the XML sitemap protocol and make sure the file is valid
Use HTTPS for URLs in the sitemap if possible
Update the website robots.txt to include the sitemap
Use search engine webmaster tools to submit the sitemap and monitor any potential issues
Create separate sitemap files for large websites with more than 50,000 URLs per file
Make sure that a sitemap is only a small part of a larger technical SEO effort and that the website includes internal links so that it is easy to navigate for both search engines and visitors
FAQs
What is a sitemap?
A sitemap is a list of a website’s pages or other resources in a specific format. An XML sitemap is intended to help search engines discover a website’s content.
What is a sitemap XML file?
A sitemap XML file is a structured file that follows the XML sitemap protocol and typically contains URLs pointing to a website’s pages. An XML sitemap can also include other information, such as the date when a page was last modified.
What is an XML sitemap generator?
An XML sitemap generator is a tool that lets you create a sitemap file for a domain or a set of URLs. An XML sitemap generator typically lets you avoid creating an XML file manually.
Does every website need a sitemap?
A sitemap is not obligatory, but it is often beneficial for a website, as it helps search engines explore and index a domain.
Does a sitemap improve Google rankings?
A sitemap can help Google discover a website’s pages, but it is not a guarantee that a page will appear in search results or improve its ranking.
Where should I place sitemap.xml?
The sitemap file can be placed anywhere on the website, but it is common to place it in the root directory of a domain so that it can be easily found by search engines.
How do I submit a sitemap to Google?
A sitemap can be submitted to Google by publishing it on the website and then using Google Search Console to resubmit the sitemap URL.
What is the difference between an XML sitemap and an HTML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is used by search engines, whereas an HTML sitemap is intended for human visitors.
How many URLs can an XML sitemap contain?
An XML sitemap can contain up to 50,000 URLs per file and have a size of 50 MB. Larger websites need to use multiple sitemap files.
How often should I update my sitemap?
A sitemap should be updated when new pages are added, old pages are removed, or existing pages are modified significantly.