How Can Improve Your Website's SEO Use XML Sitemaps

In this article, we cover :

1. What is an XML sitemap?

An XML sitemap is a file that lists all the important pages of a website, helping search engines like Google and Bing crawl and index them more efficiently. It provides a structured map of your site's content, ensuring that search engines don’t miss any key pages, especially those that may not be easily discoverable through internal linking.

Key Features of an XML Sitemap :

• Written in XML (Extensible Markup Language) format.
• Contains a list of URLs along with metadata (e.g., last modified date, priority, and update frequency).
• Helps search engines understand the structure and hierarchy of your website.

Why is an XML Sitemap Important for SEO?

• Improves Indexing: Ensures search engines find and index all essential pages.
• Enhances Crawling Efficiency: Helps search bots prioritize which pages to crawl.
• Supports Large Websites: Ideal for big websites with thousands of pages.
• Boosts Visibility for New Content: Helps search engines discover new or updated pages faster.
• Aids in Identifying Errors: Google Search Console provides insights into sitemap errors.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
   <url>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/</loc>
      <lastmod>2025-02-10</lastmod>
      <changefreq>daily</changefreq>
      <priority>1.0</priority>
   </url>
   <url>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/blog/</loc>
      <lastmod>2025-02-10</lastmod>
      <changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
      <priority>0.8</priority>
   </url>
</urlset>

2. How to create a sitemap?

Creating a sitemap is essential for ensuring that search engines can efficiently crawl and index your website. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to create an XML sitemap for your website.

Methods to Create a Sitemap :

1. Manually Create an XML Sitemap :

You can create an XML sitemap using a text editor like Notepad or VS Code. Below is a basic example :

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
   <url>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/</loc>
      <lastmod>2025-02-10</lastmod>
      <changefreq>daily</changefreq>
      <priority>1.0</priority>
   </url>
   <url>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/blog/</loc>
      <lastmod>2025-02-10</lastmod>
      <changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
      <priority>0.8</priority>
   </url>
</urlset>

2. Use Online Sitemap Generators :

For non-tech users, online tools make sitemap generation easy. Popular tools:

• XML-Sitemaps.com
• Screaming Frog
• Yoast SEO Plugin (for WordPress users)

Steps :

1. Enter your website URL into the tool.
2. Generate the sitemap.
3. Download and upload it to your root directory.

3. Generate a Sitemap in WordPress (Yoast SEO) :

If you’re using WordPress, you can automate sitemap generation.

Steps :

1. Install and activate Yoast SEO.
2. Go to SEO > General > Features.
3. Enable XML Sitemaps.
4. View your sitemap at https://yourwebsite.com/sitemap_index.xml.

4. Generate a Sitemap in Shopify, Wix, or Squarespace :

• Shopify: Automatically generates a sitemap at yourstore.com/sitemap.xml.
• Wix: Sitemap is built-in and located at yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml.
• Squarespace: The sitemap is auto-generated at yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml.

3. Valid XML sitemap format.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
   <url>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/</loc>
      <lastmod>2025-02-10</lastmod>
      <changefreq>daily</changefreq>
      <priority>1.0</priority>
   </url>
   <url>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/about/</loc>
      <lastmod>2025-02-09</lastmod>
      <changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
      <priority>0.8</priority>
   </url>
   <url>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/blog/</loc>
      <lastmod>2025-02-08</lastmod>
      <changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
      <priority>0.7</priority>
   </url>
</urlset>

Explanation of Sitemap Tags :

Sitemap Index File Format (For Large Websites) :

If you have multiple sitemaps, use a sitemap index file:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<sitemapindex xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
   <sitemap>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/sitemap-pages.xml</loc>
      <lastmod>2025-02-10</lastmod>
   </sitemap>
   <sitemap>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/sitemap-blog.xml</loc>
      <lastmod>2025-02-09</lastmod>
   </sitemap>
   <sitemap>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/sitemap-products.xml</loc>
      <lastmod>2025-02-08</lastmod>
   </sitemap>
</sitemapindex>

4. Types of sitemaps.

Sitemaps come in different types, each serving a unique purpose in helping search engines understand and index your website efficiently. Below are the main types of sitemaps:

1. XML Sitemap (Standard) :

• Purpose: Helps search engines crawl and index website pages.
• Format: XML
• Example :

• <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
  <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
     <url>
        <loc>https://www.example.com/</loc>
        <lastmod>2025-02-10</lastmod>
        <changefreq>daily</changefreq>
        <priority>1.0</priority>
     </url>
  </urlset>

• Usage: Submitted to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

2. HTML Sitemap :

• Purpose: Improves website navigation for users, listing all pages in a structured format.
• Format: HTML
• Example:

• <ul>
    <li><a href="https://www.example.com/">Home</a></li>
    <li><a href="https://www.example.com/blog/">Blog</a></li>
    <li><a href="https://www.example.com/contact/">Contact</a></li>
  </ul>

• Usage: Often placed in the footer to help visitors find content.

3. Video Sitemap

• Purpose: Helps search engines understand and index video content.
• Format: XML
• Example:

• <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
          xmlns:video="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-video/1.1">
    <url>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/video-page/</loc>
      <video:video>
        <video:thumbnail_loc>https://www.example.com/thumb.jpg</video:thumbnail_loc>
        <video:title>My Video</video:title>
        <video:description>Watch my awesome video.</video:description>
        <video:content_loc>https://www.example.com/video.mp4</video:content_loc>
      </video:video>
    </url>
  </urlset>

• Usage: Recommended for sites with embedded video content (e.g., YouTube-like platforms).

4. Image Sitemap :

• Purpose: Helps search engines index website images for Google Images search.
• Format: XML
• Example:

• <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
          xmlns:image="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-image/1.1">
    <url>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/gallery/</loc>
      <image:image>
        <image:loc>https://www.example.com/images/photo1.jpg</image:loc>
        <image:title>Beautiful Landscape</image:title>
      </image:image>
    </url>
  </urlset>

• Usage: Beneficial for photography, eCommerce, and portfolio websites.

5. News Sitemap :

• Purpose: Helps Google News index news articles quickly.
• Format: XML
• Example:

• <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
          xmlns:news="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-news/0.9">
    <url>
      <loc>https://www.example.com/news/article123.html</loc>
      <news:news>
        <news:publication>
          <news:name>Example News</news:name>
          <news:language>en</news:language>
        </news:publication>
        <news:publication_date>2025-02-10</news:publication_date>
        <news:title>Breaking News Headline</news:title>
      </news:news>
    </url>
  </urlset>

• Usage: Required for sites publishing news content, submitted to Google Publisher Center.

6. Mobile Sitemap :

• Purpose: Helps Google index mobile-friendly pages for search results.
• Format: XML
• Example:

• <urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
          xmlns:mobile="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-mobile/1.0">
    <url>
      <loc>https://m.example.com/</loc>
      <mobile:mobile/>
    </url>
  </urlset>

• Usage: Used for separate mobile versions of websites (e.g., m.example.com).

7. Sitemap Index File :

• Purpose: Used when a website has multiple sitemaps, linking them together.
• Format: XML
• Example:

• <sitemapindex xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
     <sitemap>
        <loc>https://www.example.com/sitemap-pages.xml</loc>
        <lastmod>2025-02-12</lastmod>
     </sitemap>
     <sitemap>
        <loc>https://www.example.com/sitemap-videos.xml</loc>
        <lastmod>2025-02-10</lastmod>
     </sitemap>
  </sitemapindex>

• Usage: Required when exceeding 50,000 URLs or 50MB file size.

5. Optimization of XML sitemaps.

An optimized XML sitemap ensures search engines efficiently crawl and index your website, improving your SEO rankings. Follow these best practices to maximize your sitemap’s effectiveness.

1.Include Only Important URLs :

* Add pages that you want to be indexed (e.g., landing pages, blog posts, product pages).
* Avoid including noindex pages, duplicate content, or archive pages.

2. Keep Your Sitemap Updated :

* Automatically update your sitemap whenever you add, delete, or modify pages.
* Use CMS plugins like Yoast SEO (WordPress) or Google XML Sitemaps to automate updates.
* If updating manually, modify the <lastmod> tag to reflect recent changes.

3. Optimize URL Structure :

* Use clean, keyword-rich, and descriptive URLs.
* Stick to a consistent URL format (e.g., always use HTTPS).
* Avoid session IDs and dynamic parameters in URLs.

Example (Good URL vs. Bad URL):
* Good : https://example.com/best-laptops-2025/
* Bad : https://example.com/index.php?id=123&category=tech

4. Prioritize Key Pages

Use the <priority> tag to indicate the importance of pages:

• Homepage: 1.0
• Category pages: 0.8
• Blog posts: 0.7
• Less important pages: 0.5 or lower

Example :

<url>
   <loc>https://www.example.com/</loc>
   <lastmod>2025-02-10</lastmod>
   <changefreq>daily</changefreq>
   <priority>1.0</priority>
</url>

5. Submit Your Sitemap to Search Engines

* Add your sitemap to Google Search Console :

1. Open Google Search Console
2. Navigate to Sitemaps
3. Enter https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml
4. Click Submit

* Submit to Bing Webmaster Tools following a similar process.

* Add the sitemap link in your robots.txt file:

Sitemap: https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml