The importance of a sitemap and why you should have one

The importance of a sitemap and why you should have one. There is no doubt that all websites have a common goal, and that is to achieve organic positioning. But how do they achieve it? Even if it isn’t easy, carrying out a proper marketing plan for your brand and installing a sitemap correctly will be very beneficial for your website. But what’s a sitemap, and why is it so important?

For Google or other search engines to rank your website first on the list, you have to take into account many factors. However, this time we will explain the meaning of a Sitemap and why you must have one for your website and blog.

What is a Sitemap?

As its name implies, your website’s map is the place where you can see a series of relevant data about it, such as:

• The frequency of page updates.
• The relevance of each page of your website.
• The last date of the URL modification.

The creation process of your sitemap is often done via an XML file. These types of files are governed by a Sitemaps protocol and with tags other than HTML. Similarly, through this file, it is possible to schedule a feed so that new addresses are added automatically.

In fact, to make this task much easier, you can use the Google tools for Webmasters, or the plugin known as Google Sitemap Generator.

XML Sitemap and HTML Sitemap: What makes them different?

Sitemaps have become very relevant as they help search engines find content more easily.

That’s why, although the Google crawler can capture reliable content, these files cause no harm.

When using these options, you must know how to differentiate an XML Sitemap and an HTML Sitemap.

When we talk about an XML sitemap, we are referring to that file that specifically targets search engines.

In this way, if for some reason the Google crawler doesn’t notice some pages, it will easily find them.

Although it may not seem like it, it can happen that the Google crawler can’t locate some pages if their URLs or website are recent or aren’t well established in the structure of the page.

An XML Sitemap doesn’t take much time to carry out its creation.

All it needs is for the operators of their websites to connect with search engines.

Apart from the XML sitemap, there is also the HTML Sitemap. This serves as support to search engines for crawling different websites. However, its main task is to function as a guide that users can use to better use a website.

Why is a Sitemap important?

For crawling your website, search bots follow some criteria for an efficient process. Consequently, the crawlers will enter your website to read the code. However, sometimes there may be so-called “lost pages”, or those that take a long time to index. When this happens, it is often because the page doesn’t meet the corresponding conditions for the crawl to be automatic.

So that you understand how important a Sitemap is, here we will explain a clear example:

Imagine that you have a website with the following characteristics:

• Flash design.
• HTML links.
• Pages accessible through banners in JPG format.
• JavaScripts that lead to other interior pages where you refer to the sections of your store.

In this scenario, when a bot enters your website and does not see a sitemap, it will only track the links that can be identifiable. Consequently, the rest of the links may be more difficult to find.

A sitemap is more important than you might think

Your website’s positioning is vital, especially if it’s an online store and you want to increase your sales. Once you create your website’s sitemap, crawlers will easily figure out what your content is about. This is because you will be specifying your URLs, whether you’re using JavaScript or Flash.

In the same way, through a sitemap, you will be able to see how often this happens. And this is in turn will be measured by the frequency with which you update all your pages.

Updating your website is essential and you shouldn’t stop paying attention to it. In fact, we recommend doing it once a day, a week, or a month. Depending on your behavior and the generation of your content, you can enjoy an amazing organic positioning.

Don’t forget to create new content and update the one you already have. Otherwise, it will be useless for Google to crawl your page. Besides, you must also link your pages correctly. After all, this is the only way crawlers can grab the information you share on your website.

BluCactus, your ally in Digital marketing

BluCactus international marketing agency serves clients all over the world. Our specialty? The creation of web designs and SEO positioning in online searches. Our group of experts focuses on helping businesses and brands succeed in one of the most competitive sectors in the market, the digital world.

BluCactus will accompany you in every step that your brand takes. This goes from the creation of the branding of your business to the creation of content. Our focus is on supporting you with the creation of your website or the administration of your accounts on social media.

This online marketing agency, based in Dallas, TX, seeks to strengthen your image as a brand and take it to the next level. Don’t wait any longer to get the help of the best specialists in digital marketing. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter