An XML Sitemap is a file that lists all the important pages on a website to help search engines like Google or Bing crawl and index the site more efficiently. The sitemap is written in XML (Extensible Markup Language) and acts as a roadmap for search engines, guiding them to the key pages and content that you want to be discovered.
Here’s what an XML Sitemap typically includes:
- URLs of important pages: These can be product pages, blog posts, or any significant content you want search engines to prioritize.
- Metadata: Information about each URL, such as when the page was last updated, how often it changes, and its priority relative to other pages on the site.
Using an XML Sitemap helps search engines:
- Find new content: It ensures that even if some pages are not easily discoverable through internal links, they can still be found and indexed.
- Crawl more efficiently: It helps search engines focus on important pages, especially on large or complex websites.
Submitting an XML Sitemap to Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools is a common SEO practice to improve a site’s discoverability and ranking.