Last Updated on April 21, 2024 by Callum Morris

Hello there! We’re going to talk about something that’s often overlooked in SEO but incredibly important, sitemaps.

Trust me, sitemaps are like a secret weapon in an SEO strategy. They’re essentially a roadmap that tells search engines where all your website’s pages are located, making it easier for them to crawl and index content accurately. And the best part? Creating a sitemap is super easy, even if you aren’t particularly tech-savvy.

So why should you care about sitemaps? Well, for one thing, they can help you identify any issues with your website’s structure or content. By looking at your sitemap, you can see if any pages aren’t being indexed, or if any broken links need to be fixed. 

So, let’s dive into it!

The Absolute Basics of SEO Sitemaps

What Is a Sitemap in SEO?

Ah yes, the elusive sitemap. In simple terms, a sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website. It helps search engines (like Google) understand the structure of your site and find all the content you want them to index.

The Different Species of Sitemaps

Now, not all sitemaps are created equal. There are actually a few different types of sitemaps, each serving a slightly different purpose.

XML Sitemap

The XML sitemap is the OG of sitemaps. It’s been around since the early days of SEO and is still the most commonly used type of sitemap. It’s a file that lists all the pages on your website in a format that search engines can easily read.

HTML Sitemap

A HTML sitemap is a page on your website that lists all the pages on your site, usually in a hierarchical structure. It’s designed to help users navigate your site and find the content they’re looking for.

Image Sitemap

If you have a lot of images on your website, an image sitemap can help search engines find and index them. It’s a file that lists all the images on your site, along with some additional information like the image’s title and caption.

Video Sitemap

Similarly, if you have a lot of videos on your site, a video sitemap can help search engines find and index them. It’s a file that lists all the videos on your site, along with some additional information like the video’s title, description, and duration.

News Sitemap

If your website publishes news articles, a news sitemap can help search engines find and index them. It’s a file that lists all the news articles on your site, along with some additional information like the article’s publication date and author.

Mobile Sitemap

A mobile sitemap can help search engines find and index mobile-specific pages. It’s a file that lists all the mobile pages on your site, along with some additional information like the mobile page’s canonical URL.

And there you have it, the absolute basics of sitemaps. Now go forth and create some sitemaps!

Crafting Your First Sitemap

As I mentioned earlier, sitemaps are essential for search engines and your SEO campaign. But how do you craft your first sitemap? Well, there are two ways: using tools for sitemap generation or manual sitemap creation. Let’s focus on the tools you can use:

Tools for Sitemap Generation

If you’re not feeling brave enough to create a sitemap manually (which is fair enough), there are plenty of tools available to help you generate one:

• Google Search Console: This free tool from Google allows you to generate and submit a sitemap for your website. It also provides helpful insights into your website’s performance on search engines.
• Yoast SEO/Rankmath: These popular WordPress plugins not only help with on-page SEO but also include a sitemap generator feature for free.
• Screaming Frog: This desktop tool crawls your website and generates a sitemap based on the pages it finds.

Feeding Google Your Sites Sitemap(s)

As an SEO, I know that informing Google is crucial to get a website to rank higher in the SERPs. You’ll need to do this when you create and update your sitemap, here’s how:

Submitting Your Sitemap to Search Engines

A sitemap is like a menu for search engines, telling them what pages are available on your website. By submitting your sitemap to search engines, you’re making it easier for them to crawl and index your site.

To submit your sitemap to Google, you can use Search Console. Paste the link of your sitemap in the box, hit submit, and let Google do the rest. It’s like making a reservation at a restaurant – you’re telling Google that you’re open for business and ready to be crawled.

Sitemap Updates On The Regs

Just like us, search engines love to see new things. They’re constantly crawling websites looking for new content to index. By updating your sitemap regularly, you’re giving search engines a reason to come back and snack on your site.

Think of it like a buffet – the more options you have, the more likely you are to attract guests. By adding new pages, blog posts, and products to your site, you’re giving search engines a reason to keep coming back for more.

If you’re using a tool like Rankmath or Yoast to generate your sitemap, it will refresh automatically. But if you’re manually creating sitemaps, you’ll need to add new pages/content to them directly and submit them back into search console to recrawl.

Sitemap Troubleshooting

Common Sitemap Errors

Oh no, your sitemap isn’t working! Don’t panic, it happens to the best of us. Here are some common errors you might encounter:

• Invalid XML format: Your sitemap must be in XML format and adhere to the sitemap protocol. Check that your XML is valid and free from errors by checking the ‘status’ in search console.
• Missing URLs: If your sitemap is missing URLs, search engines won’t be able to crawl those pages. Make sure all your important pages are included in your sitemap.
• Incorrect URL format: URLs in your sitemap must be in the correct format, including the protocol (https) and domain name. Double-check that all your URLs are correct.
• Large sitemap: If your sitemap is too large, search engines may not be able to crawl it effectively and efficiently. Split your sitemap into smaller files if necessary (e.g. pages-sitemap.xml, products-sitemap.xml etc).

Debugging Your Sitemap for SEO Success

So how do you go about debugging your sitemap? Here’s some help:

• Use a sitemap validator: There are plenty of free online tools available that will validate your sitemap and identify any errors or issues.
• Check your server logs: Your server logs can give you valuable information about how search engines are crawling your site. Look for any errors or issues related to your sitemap.
• Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console: Google Search Console will alert you to any issues with your sitemap and provide suggestions for how to fix them.
• Monitor your rankings: If you notice a sudden drop in rankings, it could be due to issues with your sitemap. Keep an eye on your rankings and investigate any sudden changes, remember to be careful when changing or deleting any pages or posts.

A well-functioning sitemap is crucial for SEO success. Don’t let common errors and issues hold you back – I hope this post helps!