XML Sitemaps, what are they, and why do I need one?
Friday 15 May 2009
TAGS: Search engine optimisation | XML Sitemaps
XML Sitemaps can be a useful website tool to help maximise your sites search engine density. Neil M Hancock explains exactly what an XML sitemap is, and why one is useful…
So what is an XML Sitemap? And what exactly do they do?
An XML Sitemap is a collection of links that is used to highlight a websites structure. It is used by the search engines to identify exactly which pages you feel should be included into their indices. Each link is also assigned some extra metadata about the page URL (for example when it was last updated, how often it usually changes, and how important it is, relative to other URLs on the site) so that search engines can more intelligently crawl the site.
Sitemaps are coded in XML (eXtensive Markup Language) but don’t worry, you can create an XML sitemap for free, without needing to know any programming languages!
So, do I need a Sitemap?
Yes, an XML Sitemap would be a useful addition to your website, no matter how small or large your website is. Sitemaps can be used to guarantee inclusion in the search engines indices as well as highlight to them which pages are more important that others.
If you have a news section, which gets update weekly, and a privacy policy that never gets updated, you would want to inform the search engines to revisit the news section more often than the privacy policy.
Okay, where can I get a Sitemap from?
If you have a good understanding of XML then you can create your own sitemap, however if you either don’t have the time, or you have no knowledge of XML then you can download a free sitemap from many good sitemap creation sites like XML-Sitemaps.com where you can create and download either a complex XML Sitemap or just a quick simple version.
Now I have my Sitemap, what do I do?
Now that you have your sitemap you need to upload it to your site, if you have an FTP connection, you can just upload it to the root directory. However, if you do not have access to your site then send it to your hosting company and ask them to upload it for you.
To check if your sitemap has been uploaded browse to the place you uploaded the file on your website, so if you added it to the root directory it should appear at ‘www.company-name.co.uk/sitemap.xml’. If you can not see the file then it has not been uploaded correctly.
How do I upload my Sitemap to Google Webmaster Tools
Finally you need to submit the sitemap to Google, you need to log into your Google Webmaster Tools account and select ‘add sitemap’ next to your verified site. Google will now understand which pages you want indexed while also analysing the extra data you provided, telling it which pages are more important than others on the site.
Neil M Hancock is the Search Marketing Manager at Silverbean. If you have any questions or would like to discuss how Silverbean can help you achieve your marketing objectives through an SEO and Link Building campaign; please contact our resident SEO expert using one of the following.
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