Introduction to HTML sitemap and optimization
There’s something about how HTML renders a website that feels right.
It may be the orderly rows of neatly aligned text and images. It can also be the easy-to-read layout that helps you scan articles. Whatever it is, there’s no denying that a well-coded HTML page yields an aesthetically pleasing website.
But what happens when your favorite site decides to go all Flash on you?
Fear not – with a little bit of elbow grease and some creative coding, you can re-create your favorite website in HTML.
After you have your HTML website, you should keep account of its design, performance, and accomplishments.
Among the essentials of SEO, these navigation techniques help search engines crawl into your site and get ranked.
HTML sitemap gives the complete path to the search engine bots and lets them go over all the pages. It plays a significant role in indexing and improving the performance of your website.
You will get the idea if you read this blog.
What is an HTML sitemap?
An HTML sitemap is an essential tool for any website.
It is a list of all the pages on your website, and it helps search engines like Google crawl and index your site.
It’s like a conveyor that can show each content and page on your site.
You can see the HTML sitemap on the footer of a site if you’re wondering where you can find it.
It’s like a blueprint of your site to the users and the search engine.
If you have an HTML sitemap, your website is already doing well.
What is the importance of HTML sitemaps for your website?
We now know that a sitemap makes it easier for search engines to find and understand your website.
It can help to enhance your site’s ranking in search results.
There are many merits to having a sitemap, but one of the most important is that it can help you attract more visitors to your site because of flexible navigation.
The reasons why you would need an HTML sitemap on your site are below:
- A sitemap is like an actual map of your website. It supervises your site’s pages, links, site structure, and content structure.
- It is responsible for letting the crawlers in and making their job convenient. It helps to complete the crawling fast.
- Visibility is everything for a site, and once the crawlers validate the site through Sitemap, the site can appear in more searches.
- The Sitemap can draw traffic organically by improving the internal links and even external connections to the site.
- It always finds a place to improve the site, such as adding or removing content, orphaned pages, etc.
So, if you like to get more traffic and improve your website’s performance, an HTML sitemap is an essential tool.
How to create an HTML sitemap using a simple online tool?
An HTML sitemap is a great way to help organize your website. It helps visitors discover what they’re looking for. It can also help search engines index your site more effectively.
Several online tools can help you create an HTML sitemap. And here, we will learn how to use one of the most popular options.
- First, go to the website of the tool you want to use. In this case, we’ll be using XML-Sitemaps.com.
- Once you’re on the homepage, scroll down to the “Start Now – Free!” button and click it.
- Write the URL of your website into the “Enter your URL here” field and select the “I agree to the terms and conditions” checkbox.
- Click the “Create Sitemap” button. The Sitemap will be generated automatically. Then click on the view sitemap details.
- You can even download it by clicking the “Download” button. Once it’s downloaded, you can upload it to your server and add it to your website.
That’s all there is to it!
Creating an HTML sitemap is a quick and easy way to improve the organization of your website.
Tips to optimize your HTML sitemap for the best possible search engine results
Optimizing your HTML sitemap brings you the fortune that you would need to make your website rank and index more efficiently than ever. There are many different tips and tricks to optimize your HTML sitemap for the best possible search engine results.
One of the important things to keep in mind is that a sitemap is not a substitute for quality content, but it is an opportunity to provide additional information about your website and what it has to offer.
It would help if you considered the planning to organize your Sitemap according to the categories. Categories can be product type or service type. Your aim should include using the relevant keywords within every sitemap page.
This aim can assist in optimizing your site and fulfill another step of an SEO campaign. You should always use any tools or resources which can be beneficiary in the sitemap creation process.
For instance, you can use sitemap generators, SEO plugins, or other tools.
Keep in mind that the more creative and effective a sitemap is, it drives that much traffic and accelerates the rate of online visibility.
How to submit your HTML sitemap to Google and other search engines?
The case when you have a sitemap.xml file has its perks.
Such as this, Sitemap will help you communicate with Google and other search engines about what pages are available on your website. It also informs the search engine about when they were last updated.
It is necessary to know how essential sitemaps are concerning other pages on your site. And there is one more step: you need to submit your Sitemap to Google and other search engines.
It is how search engines can find and index your website’s Sitemap.
And here is how:
Step#1 Go to Google Webmaster Tools. If you haven’t created a Google account, you will need to create one.
Step#2 Once you’re logged in, click on the “Add a Site” button and enter your website’s URL.
Step#3 Click on the “Sitemaps” tab from the left-hand navigation menu.
Step#4 Click on the “Add/Test Sitemap” button.
Step#5 Enter the sitemap URL (your sitemap.xml file). For example http://www.example.com/sitemap.xml
Step#6 Click on the “Submit Sitemap” button.
Step#7 Congratulations! Your Sitemap has been submitted to Google and other search engines!
If you’re interested in submitting your XML sitemap to Google Search Console, then read How to submit an XML sitemap to Google Search Console?
Additional tips and advice for creating and maintaining an effective HTML sitemap
When it comes to sitemap design, you should keep a few things in mind.
First, your Sitemap should be easy to navigate. It means using clear and concise labels for your links. Those labels ensure the hierarchy is easy to understand.
Second, your Sitemap should be up to date. It means adding new pages and blog posts as you create them and removing any that are no longer relevant.
Finally, your Sitemap should be well-linked. It means ensuring all your internal links are working and that your Sitemap is adequately connected to your navigation menu.
Summarizing above, you should include a few things in your checklist while creating the HTML sitemap.
- Clear site presentation and content structure arrange pages, and their links look neat.
- The placement of the Sitemap should be in the footer of the website so that users can find it easily.
- You should ensure that the x-robots-tag does not block it in the HTML coding section.
- You should display those web pages which are helpful for the users.
- If you add brief content information as small comments in the Sitemap, you engage your users to stay on the page for an extended period.
You can ensure that your Sitemap is effective and helps users find the information they need by following these tips.
Conclusion
So, here you have – a comprehensive and straightforward guide to creating and submitting an HTML sitemap for your website.
This way, your site is accurately indexed by search engines and easy to navigate for your visitors.
Ready to get started?
Let’s hold a conversation about how we can guide you through creating an effective HTML sitemap for your business website.
Thanks for reading!
