If you are looking for ways to improve your SEO strategy, it is important to take into account the sitemapsa component of backend fundamental. Today we will try to explain what they are, why they are important and how to start using them.
What is a sitemap (site map)
A sitemap lists all pages and valuable contents of a website. Search engines such as Google read the information to crawl each site and understand the data on these pages. It is a schematic representation of a hierarchical system. It usually represents the relationship between the pages of a website. And it shows how sub-pages are organised below their main groupings.
The structure of sitemap can be represented in a functional XML file, which allows search engine crawlers to create a list of pages to index (or not). A sitemap can also be an HTML page on a website that lists each page.
Differences between information architecture and sitemap
The information architecture is articulated through a model that allows interaction paths. It facilitates the organisation of information and the creation and development of a web structure. A site map, on the other hand, is simply a representation of the site. page hierarchy within the site itself.
What is the purpose of the sitemaps
The sitemaps allow you to foster a harmonious and efficient relationship with search engines, so Google recommends having at least one.
Google tends to rank websites with a sitemap higher than those without. There is no guarantee that this search engine will crawl the pages, but submitting one increases the likelihood that the search engine will.
Some good practice for implementation and maintenance are:
- Highlight the most relevant and valuable pages of the site.
- Inform Google which pages are new or have recently been updated.
How do I know if I need a site map?
According to Google, a sitemap should be created if a website:
- It is large or has more than 500 pages.
- It presents a large archive of pages that are not linked to each other.
- It is fairly new and has few external links.
- It has a lot of media (e.g. videos, images) or news content.
How to see the sitemap of a website?
It is very easy. For view the sitemap of a website You only have to indicate -in the search engine bar-, the domain of the website followed by /sitemap. xml, /sitemap-index. html or /sitemap_index.
How can I build a sitemap?
Creating a sitemap involves three areas: deciding which pages to include, the format of the XML sitemap and the tools to generate it.
Decide which pages to include
The first step in creating the sitemap is to decide which pages to indicate on the sitemap to the crawlers. Remember that it is not necessary to include all pages in the sitemap. Only the valuable pages susceptible to highlightingr. By listing them, you are telling Google to focus on those pages. This may involve prior analysis to identify the most relevant extensions.
XML format
It is best to stick to a format such as XML. It is a text-based extensible markup language that describes the URLs of the site.
XML sitemaps are written specifically for search bots to use in their search results. read, analyse and index accordingly. These tell them what information is available and how to reach a specific URL.
Free tools for the generation of sitemaps
A free sitemap generator can be used to carry out this process. Some free tools are XML-Sitemaps or Screaming Frog XML Sitemap Generator (free up to 500 URLs). If you are using a CMS (e.g. WordPress, Wix, etc.), you probably already have resources to generate it.
How do I submit my sitemap to Google?
Create a sitemap without sending it to Google is not worth it. For this purpose, it is available Google Search Console. The main steps are explained below:
- Open an account in Google Search Console associated to a web domain or app.
- Click on Track in the left-hand panel and Sitemaps.
- Click on Add/Test site map.
- Paste the URL of the map (sitemap.xml) into the box.
- Click on Send.
In addition, the link to your map must be included in the robots.txt file using the appropriate syntax. This is important so that all major search engines (not only Google) can find it easily.
Finally, it should be noted that the development of the sitemap on UX design is a basic structural area. From Immune Technology Institutewe are offering a UX/UI Design Bootcamp which allows the development of these and other competences related to the optimisation of the user experience.
If you are looking for technology training fill in the form for more information.
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