Sitemaps 101 - Benefits of and Tips on Designing a Sitemap
Have you ever wondered how a search engine works? It must be
fascinating figuring out how this search tool could direct you
to several websites that are relevant to your keywords. Or, have
you experienced instances where the link that supposedly
contains your keywords is not exactly what you have in mind? You
would probably think that there must be something wrong with the
search engine that it generated irrelevant results.
How does a search engine work? Two things figure greatly in
making search engines work effectively and efficiently: the
electronic search spider and the sitemap.
What is a sitemap? A sitemap is basically a page or pages that
serve/s as a directory by listing all the links to all documents
and files found in a website. It is not merely a random listing
of links, but organized in such a way that it gives the web user
an idea of how all the information that can be found in the site
fits into an outline or framework. It is like viewing the table
of contents of a book, or viewing the "concept map" of the
site's content.
What is a spider? In SEO language, spider is not an animal found
in your closet. This electronic search spider is actually a bot
which collects data and copies content to be stored in the
search engine's database when keywords are fed into the search
dialogue box. The spider reads the content of the site and sends
another bot to follow the links and copy the content contained
in them.
What purpose does a sitemap serve? A sitemap like any other map
gives directions to a navigator. It primarily targets search
engine spiders so that they are properly directed to your site
and to the links where keywords entered in the search dialogue
appears. As such, it is actually a useful tool in search engine
optimization. A well organized site map would guide the spider
to find the information it needs when keywords are entered
during a search operation.
As an additional beneficial consequence, sitemaps have proven to
be useful even to web users. Since a sitemap displays all the
links to information found in a website, it helps the user to
search for a particular topic in mind. Many users also use the
sitemap to navigate between pages in a site.
What are the benefits of having a sitemap for my website?
1.No page would be left unturned Going back to the purpose of
sitemaps, having one would mean faster and easier tracking and
crawling of spiders all over your site. As a result, search
engines would surely get to the view all the pages of your site
and not just the pages containing random keywords.
2.Easier navigation for site visitors Once a web user has
accessed your sitemap, they need not go back to the search
engine page to look for what they need. If what they are looking
for is in your site, then they would have an easier and faster
way of locating it.
3.Potential advertising value If it so happens that a relevant
product or service company reaches your site, then it would be
easier for them to see how best they can position themselves in
the different pages of your site as a paid page advertisement.
4.Encourage greater traffic to your site If your company website
has a sitemap then potential buyers would have an easier time in
accessing your latest products and services. Moreover, they
would not miss out on any product that might be off future
interest to them since the sitemap would display all information
found the site.
How are sitemaps formatted? There are at least three major types
of sitemaps: indexed, full categorical, and restricted
categorical. An indexed site map appears as an alphabetical
listing or directory. A full categorical map displays all links
classified into categories; while a restricted categorical
sitemap displays all links listed in a chosen category at a
time. The full and restricted sitemaps are very similar except
that the former displays all links in all categories all at once
in a page, while the latter focuses only the links under the
selected category for easier and less eye-straining viewing.
The most widely used format is the full categorical. Based on
the results of a 1999 SURL study on sitemap designs, the full
categorical format is most preferred by users since it is easier
to search for topics within the site and it allows easier
comparison between and among categories.
Some tips in setting up your sitemap
1.Link the sitemap only to your homepage. This is to ensure that
the spider starts searching from your homepage down to all the
pages listed in your sitemap. In this way, no page would be left
unvisited by the spider.
2.Do not go beyond 30 pages for a sitemap. Large websites having
50 or more pages should not go beyond 30 since this adds more
pages to the site, and might make search engines think that the
sitemap is a link farm. Also, this prevents overcrowding of
links which could be tiring to view.
3.Check all the links listed in your sitemap. It can be
discouraging when you click on a link only to find out that
nothing is displayed. Test your sitemap; click all links in
every page to make sure that all links are indeed linked to the
right page.
4.Give keyword-rich titles to sitemap links. Keyword-rich titles
give your site more advantage in being searched properly under
the right category. But be sure to have this sitemap link linked
back to the sitemap (e.g. back to sitemap).
5.Provide a short description for the links in the sitemap.
Doing so would give readers a better idea of what to find in the
link and save them time on surfing.
6.Be consistent in designing your sitemap with the other pages
of the site. Employ a recurring design and the same HTML
template for all pages to establish identity and build character
to your website.
Now that you have learned basic things about sitemaps, maybe it
is time for you to build one for your site.