I wrote in an previous post about what spiders were and how it plays a role in search engine results. I also discussed Google SiteMap use in getting your site indexed properly. While you can submit a Google sitemap and you can wait to be indexed, there are many other benefits to having a well-designed sitemap.
Sitemaps are one of SEO’s secret weapons because they allow the webmaster to fully control what keywords are used and what pages get indexed. You can also organize information so that it can be easily found by your visitors. So, what do sitemaps look like on a webpage? How do you design one yourself?
First, remember that the purpose of the sitemap is to help the spider index your webpages faster by having them one click away (even with deeply linked pages) and also to have the spider find every page on your site easily. Sitemaps also provide users a way to find their way around a complex site. Since these pages are especially useful to search engine spiders as well, you should make every effort to give it what it wants – a way to discover new pages and what they contain. You definitely want to create a site map with descriptive keyword-rich copy and keyword-rich link text. Good sitemaps should look similar to the example given below.
WIDGET HOME – Homepage of Acme Corp, a widget producer.
HISTORY – All about how Acme Corp. built itself into one of the nation’s top providers of fine widgets.
TYPES OF WIDGETS PRODUCED – Acme Corp produces more than 20 different varieties of widgets in 5 different colors.
- * RED WIDGET – Used for …
- * GREEN WIDGET – Used for …
- * BLUE WIDGET – Used for …
- * YELLOW WIDGET – Used for …
- * WHITE WIDGET – Used for …
PRICES – See how affordable our quality widgets are…
FREE SHIPPING – With every order of $25, you get free shipping on your favorite widget.
There are many ways to design a sitemap but the general idea is the same – provide carefully written, keyword-rich descriptions that spiders will love. You may use any variety of techniques to design the look of your sitemap, bullets, columns, bold, italic, or any other appropriate formatting..
How do you uncover all the pages on your site to be put in the sitemap? There are different ways you can do this. One is a software solution and the other is a web solution. You can get free software to create sitemaps here. For an online version, you can use the one here. There are many more sitemap creators out there and some are paid. Find the one you feel more comfortable with that lets you create your sitemap easily and effortlessly.
Does every site need a site map? Generally speaking, small sites with less than 20 pages or sites having most subpages linked directly from the home page don’t really need a site map. Since you have an opportunity to include a page that describes your entire site the way you want it to, why not?. It adds more content to your site and helps increase visibility of pages — the first vital step to getting ranked.