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About XML Sitemaps
What is an XML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is a file that lists the pages of a website in a specific format (XML) to help search engines understand the structure of a site and crawl its content efficiently .
This file includes important URLs along with additional information, such as how often each page is updated and the relative importance of each page. This format helps search engines like Google or Bing know which pages to index and how relevant they are .
Why is XML sitemap important in SEO?
An XML sitemap makes it easier for search engines to crawl and access all the pages on a site, resulting in better visibility in search results.
It is particularly useful on large sites, with many pages or sections that might not be directly linked from the main page, as it ensures that no relevant content is lost or left unindexed .
Do I need an XML sitemap?
Not every site needs a sitemap, but there are cases where it is highly recommended. An XML sitemap is essential for the following types of sites:
Large websites
On a site with a large number of pages, such as an online store or a news site, an XML sitemap helps search engine bots find and index updated content more quickly, without getting lost in the whole structure.
New websites
If your website is new and has few inbound links, a sitemap is crucial to help search engines discover your pages quickly, preventing your site from becoming anonymous.
Websites with dynamic content
Some sites update their content frequently, such as blogs or news platforms. A sitemap allows search engines to keep track of new content and update the indexing of the site with each change.
Types of sitemaps
There are several types of sitemaps that serve specific functions. Let’s look at the most common ones:
XML Sitemap
This is the standard type of sitemap to help with indexing . It is used to organize web pages and other content within the site in a structured way that is easy to interpret by search engine bots or spiders.
HTML Sitemap
An HTML sitemap is designed for users , not search engines. Its purpose is to help visitors navigate sites with a large number of pages or a complex structure. It is usually displayed as a page on the site with links to the different sections.
Image and video sitemap
Image and video sitemaps help search engines find, index, and display multimedia content in search results. These sitemaps are especially useful if your site includes visual or multimedia content that is important for attracting traffic.
Sitemap for news
The news sitemap is a variant of the XML sitemap that informs search engines about recently published content , and is commonly used on news sites. It makes it easier for newly published articles to be indexed quickly.
XML Sitemap Index
The file can be created in different formats depending on storage or access needs. The standard format is .xml , but it is also possible to generate a compressed .gz file (sitemap.xml.gz) if the size of the sitemap is very large, as this reduces its weight and makes it easier to load.
Google and other search engines accept both formats, and the compressed .gz file is especially useful for sites with a large number of URLs , as it allows for faster downloads and optimizes server resources.
XML Sitemap Protocol
The protocol of an XML sitemap defines how elements should be structured so that search engines can interpret the file correctly.
Each sitemap entry specifies a page’s URL ( <loc> ), the date it was last modified ( <lastmod> ), the estimated modification frequency ( <changefreq> ), and the page’s relative priority compared to other URLs ( <priority> ).
These elements are key for search engines to understand the importance of each page and how often they should review them.
The modification frequency can be “daily,” “weekly,” or “monthly,” and allows search engines to give more weight to pages that are updated frequently.
These features help optimize site indexing by guiding search engines about the relevance and freshness of pages.
XML Sitemap Tags
Within the XML sitemap protocol, change frequency tags ( <changefreq> ) are crucial to tell search engines how often a particular page is updated. These tags include options like always , hourly , daily , weekly , monthly , yearly , and never .
These tags guide search engine crawling , indicating whether a page is constantly modified ( always ), or whether it is updated only on a long-term basis ( yearly ).
Correctly configuring these tags helps crawlers avoid wasting resources on pages that are not updated frequently and focus their efforts on pages with recurring updates.
Examples of an XML sitemap file
The file would include <url> , <loc> , <lastmod> , <changefreq> , and <priority> tags , set to optimize crawling of these pages:
<urlset xmlns=»http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″>
<url>
<loc>https://www.saadrazaseo.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2024-10-01</lastmod>
<changefreq>daily</changefreq>
<priority>1.0</priority>
</url>
<url>
<loc>https://www.saadrazaseo.com/agencia-seo/</loc>
<lastmod>2024-10-01</lastmod>
<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
</urlset>
Example of an XML sitemap index
The index is structured with <sitemapindex> and <sitemap> tags , allowing each type of content to be included as an independent sitemap:
<sitemapindex xmlns=»http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″>
<sitemap>
<loc>https://www.saadrazaseo.com/sitemap-pages.xml</loc>
<lastmod>2024-10-01</lastmod>
</sitemap>
<sitemap>
<loc>https://www.saadrazaseo.com/sitemap-images.xml</loc>
<lastmod>2024-10-01</lastmod>
</sitemap>
<sitemap>
<loc>https://www.saadrazaseo.com/sitemap-videos.xml</loc>
<lastmod>2024-10-01</lastmod>
</sitemap>
</sitemapindex>
How to find an XML sitemap
To locate an XML sitemap , there are several methods you can use. Manually, you can type https://www.your-domain.com/sitemap.xml into the search bar.
Alternatively, you can use Google with commands like site:your-domain.com filetype:xml to try to find the sitemap.
In Google Search Console, under the Sitemaps section , you can also check the registered sitemaps.
Finally, it is common for the sitemap to be included in the robots.txt file , with a specific line indicating it: Sitemap: https://www.your-domain.com/sitemap.xml .
How to create an XML sitemap
There are several ways to create an XML sitemap . Below we detail some effective methods for generating one.
WordPress Plugins for XML Sitemap
If your website is on WordPress, plugins are one of the easiest ways to generate and update an XML sitemap. Some of the most popular plugins are:
- Yoast SEO : This plugin automatically generates a sitemap and updates it every time a page is added or modified. You can see a step-by-step guide in this SEMrush article
- Google XML Sitemaps : This plugin allows for greater customization and configuration, ideal if you are looking to adapt the sitemap to specific needs.
Limitations of XML sitemaps
The XML sitemap has certain limitations that must be respected in order for search engines to process it correctly.
Each sitemap file can contain up to 50,000 URLs and a maximum size of 50 MB without compression. If the site has more URLs or exceeds the maximum size, it is necessary to split it into several sitemap files and create an index that groups them.
These restrictions ensure that search engines do not overload their resources when crawling a site and allow for more efficient crawling and indexing .
Common mistakes when creating a sitemap and how to avoid them
Creating a sitemap may seem simple, but there are common mistakes that can affect your website’s performance on Google. Here are the most common ones and how to fix them:
- Including unnecessary pages: Don’t include pages that you don’t want to be indexed, such as discontinued products, legal texts, or maintenance pages.
- Forgetting to submit your sitemap: This seems obvious, but it’s often overlooked. Make sure you submit your sitemap file to Google Search Console.
- Not reviewing your sitemap regularly: Periodically review your sitemap to make sure there are no errors and that all URLs are correct.
- Using multiple plugins: Having multiple plugins generating sitemaps can cause conflicts and slow down your site. Choose one and configure it correctly.
- Include broken or duplicate URLs : Verify that all URLs in the sitemap are active and working correctly and are not repeated in the file.
- Include the full URL: You should only submit the final portion of the URL that corresponds to the sitemap file, not the full web address.
- Overloading the sitemap: If you have a very large website, splitting your sitemap into several smaller files can improve performance. If a large sitemap is necessary, you can also create a sitemap.xml.gz , a compressed sitemap as we have already discussed.
How to submit a sitemap to Google
Once you have created your sitemap, the next step is to make sure that Google “visits” it in order to correctly index your website. There are several ways to do this:
Google Search Console
Google Search Console is the primary tool for submitting a sitemap to Google. Follow these steps to submit it:
- Sign in to Google Search Console and select your website.
- Go to the Sitemaps section in the side menu.
- Enter the sitemap URL and click “Submit.”
Errors and warnings in Google Search Console
In Google Search Console (GSC) , XML sitemaps may generate warnings or errors . Warnings typically arise when they include URLs that have been requested not to be indexed by a robots.txt or meta robots configuration .
Although these warnings do not prevent crawling, it is recommended to exclude these URLs from the sitemap for a cleaner organization.
Errors in GSC , on the other hand, are usually caused by configuration issues in the XML sitemap. If a sitemap contains errors, search engines may not be able to crawl or index the pages correctly.
Reviewing and correcting these errors is essential for the sitemap to fulfill its objective of facilitating indexing.
Include the sitemap in robots.txt
Another way to inform search engines is to add the sitemap location to your robots.txt file. This tells search engine bots where the sitemap is located and makes it easier for them to crawl your site.
How to check your sitemap for issues
It is essential to periodically review your sitemap to ensure that it is free of errors and broken links. Here are some tips for performing a check:
Use Google Search Console
As we just saw, GSC can help you detect issues in your sitemap, such as duplicate URLs or pages that are blocked from being crawled. I recommend checking your sitemap report to make sure all URLs are being indexed without any issues.
SEO Audit Tools
Tools like Screaming Frog or Ahrefs also offer options to audit and review sitemaps, detecting problems in URLs, broken links or incorrect configurations that may affect indexing.
Advantages of using an XML sitemap
The XML sitemap brings with it a series of important benefits:
- It makes it easier to index all important pages, preventing more important content from going uncrawled.
- Optimize the use of crawl budget by guiding search engines to the most relevant pages.
- Accelerates the indexing of new and updated content, improving visibility in search results.
- Improves SEO positioning by offering an easy-to-crawl structure, which benefits performance in SERPs
XML Sitemap Examples
Domain: https://www.domain.com/sitemap_index.xml
SaadRazaSeo: https://saadrazaseo.com/sitemap_index.xml
Frequently Asked Questions for XML Sitemap
Following are some of the most frequently asked questions regarding XML sitemaps.
Do we need an XML sitemap?
No, we do not necessarily require an XML sitemap but we have to use it. It is particularly helpful with ginormous sites, dynamic or hierarchical sites with ginormously deeply nested pages because it facilitates more convenient indexing.
Is XML sitemap absolutely required for SEO optimization?
Yes. XML sitemaps facilitate crawler and search engine indexing easily, and that determines your placement on the search results page. They are really handy in the event of a new website or a website with very few outgoing links because they allow crawlers to easily crawl your pages.
How do I create a rebuilt sitemap?
You rebuild your sitemap when you’ve done some humongous update on your site, you’ve added or removed new pages. You rebuild manually or otherwise prefer WordPress plugins.
Where do I find the link for a sitemap?
To find a sitemap, use /sitemap.xml or /sitemap_index.xml in the root URL of the domain (for instance, https://www.saadraza.com/sitemap_index.xml). Or, try to find the robots.txt file or search in Google Search Console (on your website), if you have previously created the profile.
Do you have more than one site on a site?
Most likely, a large site would have more than one site, perhaps. You would probably be able to segment your content off into different sites for images, video, or portions of the site that you are focusing on.
What’s the difference between an XML sitemap and an HTML sitemap?
An XML sitemap is the search engine sitemap that one would use to find and index your pages on your website. An HTML sitemap is a visible sitemap, an actual list so the users will be able to easily navigate.
Will Google spider my entire list of pages that I submitted through my sitemap?
No. Where you even submit pages through your sitemap, relevance and good content are also factors that will be taken by Google into consideration before they choose to spider and when to spider a given page. The sitemap is informative in nature and not a guarantee that all your URLs will get spidered.
We recap
In conclusion, an XML sitemap is an essential tool to improve the SEO positioning of your website, ensuring that search engines find, crawl and index the most relevant content. We can summarize it in 10 points:
- XML Sitemap Definition : A file in XML format that lists all the pages on a website to facilitate crawling and indexing by search engines.
- XML Sitemap Protocol : Each URL in the sitemap must include specific tags, such as <loc> for the page address, <lastmod> for the last modified date, <changefreq> to indicate the update frequency, and <priority> to assign relative crawl priority between URLs.
- Update Frequency Tags : Frequency tags ( <changefreq> ) include options like always , hourly , daily , weekly , monthly , yearly , and never , helping search engines optimize crawling based on how often each page is updated.
- XML Sitemap File Examples : An XML sitemap can be structured with multiple URLs. Each URL will include data such as modification date and priority, giving search engines a clear guide for crawling the site.
- XML Sitemap Index : A sitemap index groups together several specific sitemaps (e.g. product or image sitemaps) and is structured using <sitemapindex> and <sitemap> tags . This allows for better organization and hierarchization of content on sites with many URLs.
- XML Sitemap Formats and Compression : Sitemaps can be saved in .xml format or compressed in .gz (sitemap.xml.gz) to reduce file size, which is useful for sites with a large number of URLs.
- XML Sitemap Limitations : Each sitemap file can contain up to 50,000 URLs and has a maximum size of 50 MB without compression. If these limits are exceeded, it is necessary to split the sitemap into multiple files and organize them in an index.
- How to Find an XML Sitemap : You can find it manually by adding /sitemap.xml to the main URL, searching with the command site:domain.com filetype:xml , or checking it in Google Search Console. It may also be listed in your robots.txt file .
- Errors and Warnings in Google Search Console : Warnings indicate URLs in the sitemap that have been marked for noindexing (by robots.txt or meta robots ). Errors are usually caused by configuration issues in the sitemap file and can prevent proper crawling if not corrected.
- Advantages of XML Sitemap in SEO : A well-configured XML sitemap improves the visibility of pages in search engines, facilitates the indexing of new pages, and helps prioritize important URLs for more efficient crawling.