SEO Glossary: Sitemap

 

What is a sitemap?

If you translate the term sitemap into German, it means something like "page map". It lists all the documents on a website in hierarchical order to provide a precise overview of the page structure.

 

There are different sitemap types:

 

The HTML and XML sitemap. While the HTML sitemap primarily provides users with an overview of the content, XML sitemaps are suitable for search engines. The first variant was used first when the sitemap was introduced. Later on, the XML variant was also increasingly used. This is accessed by search engine crawlers from Google and other search engines.

 

In addition, a sitemap can help you to find different types of content. They support the following sitemap types:

 

• Video sitemaps
• News sitemaps
• Image sitemaps

 

Tip: If a sitemap has been generated, it can be added to the search engine dashboard. Google, for example, welcomes it in the SEARCH CONSOLE to insert an XML sitemap. This can help the search engine to recognize the content.

 

 

How is a sitemap structured?

As already mentioned, there are basically two different sitemap variants.

 

These are briefly discussed again below:

 

• HTML sitemap: It is primarily ideal for giving visitors a better overview of the content. It is permanently linked in the website and accessible to every user. It also serves as a kind of table of contents.
• XML sitemap: The XML format of a sitemap is primarily aimed at search engines. It offers far more functions than the HTML sitemap in order to provide search engine crawlers with even more information. This makes it easier for search engines to understand what a website is about and what content it offers.

 

Example of a video sitemap:

Search engines such as Google find it difficult to recognize the content of videos. This makes it all the more important to explain to search engine crawlers exactly what the videos are about. And the best way to do this is by adding metadata.

 

Each individual video clip is listed here with the URL to the video page, video file, title and description. It is also useful to include a link to the preview image (thumbnail-image) of the video.

 

By the way: Are you not sure which type of sitemap is best for you? You can also use both at the same time. This way you offer great added value for both visitors and search engine crawlers.

 

How do you create a sitemap?

Only a few steps are required to create a sitemap. There are many different sitemap generators on the Internet that automatically generate sitemaps with just a few clicks.

 

Users of content management systems like WordPress can also install a corresponding plug-in that automatically generates sitemaps. This means that when a new post is created and published, the sitemap is automatically updated.

 

How HTML sitemaps are structured

 

• To create an HTML sitemap, all you need is some basic HTML knowledge
• With the help of href attributes a list is created. This contains the link to the respective subpage and the title of the page.
• Since HTML sitemaps are also built for users, the design is customized at the same time using various style elements

 

How XML sitemaps are structured

 

• An XML sitemap, on the other hand, has a more complex structure. Various tags such as the , and are listed here
• It is also possible to enter information on the change frequency, the date of the last change and the importance of the change.
• As you can see, a few more attributes are possible here. Convenient sitemap generators are also available to create such complex sitemaps.