Thread: Adding a sitemap page to blog/website-does it help? How?

Most professionally designed websites display a page for sitemap. How is it useful-whether for visitors or for search engines? Is it very useful for blogs too?

I had created a separate sitemap page for my WordPress blog using a plugin. Are there better methods/

I could never figure out or analyze in what way it helped my blog.

Would like to get some inputs.

There are many WordPress plugins for such purpose, some expressly written to "feed" Google, others for the convenience of the surfer, being capable to render such map in a text format rather than in XML.

Ask yourself what is your main goal, feed search engines or provide surfers with a tool they can use to find easily your different topics and pages.

I prefer textual sitemaps because surfers can read the content, opposite to those aimed to give Google something to crawl. Either way Google also crawls textual maps.

Originally Posted by MyDigitalpoint

There are many WordPress plugins for such purpose, some expressly written to "feed" Google, others for the convenience of the surfer, being capable to render such map in a text format rather than in XML.

Ask yourself what is your main goal, feed search engines or provide surfers with a tool they can use to find easily your different topics and pages.

I prefer textual sitemaps because surfers can read the content, opposite to those aimed to give Google something to crawl. Either way Google also crawls textual maps.

In any case, an xml sitemap is already submitted to Google Webmasters for indexing by Google. I also read further that it is a good onsite SEO practice to offer a text/html sitemap to visitors. I found a very simple & neat plugin and it's up now.

I used to make sure that I have a sitemap. However in the latest site that I put up, I didn't really have to put up a sitemap because the site stats say that Google bots were crawling all over it like crazy like ants in a sugar pot.

Originally Posted by Don Quixote

I used to make sure that I have a sitemap. However in the latest site that I put up, I didn't really have to put up a sitemap because the site stats say that Google bots were crawling all over it like crazy like ants in a sugar pot.

That's really amusing and makes me laugh Does that mean that the site has good URL structure? And it must also be slowing down the site if bots all over hold the site captive?

A sitemap helps you in the first place to structure your web site. Your web structure is useful for both users of your site and for the search engines. The visitors get to navigate easier throughout your entire site and the crawlers get an improved visibility of your site.

Not having a sitemap doesnt mean your site wont get indexed by the search engines, but because you will add content on your site from time to time and you wont keep in mind to update your sitemap you should use a Sitemap Creator (from rankvision.com) a tool which helps you with updating your sitemap everytime you need.

Sitemap helps you in the first place to structure your web site. Your web structure is useful for both users of your site and for the search engines. The visitors get to navigate easier throughout your entire site and the crawlers get an improved visibility of your website. And ask yourself what is your main goal, feed search engines or provide surfers with a tool they can use to find easily your different topic and page.

For user you should have a HTML sitemap in your website.
For google search engine you should have XML Sitemap.