A sitemap is a file or page on a website that provides a structured list of the website’s pages, making it easier for search engines and users to navigate the site and find relevant content.
Sitemaps serve as a blueprint for a website, outlining the hierarchy and relationships between different pages. There are two primary types of sitemaps: XML sitemaps and HTML sitemaps.
XML Sitemap Example: An XML sitemap example that might be submitted to search engines:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://www.example.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2024-06-22</lastmod>
<changefreq>daily</changefreq>
<priority>1.0</priority>
</url>
<url>
<loc>https://www.example.com/about</loc>
<lastmod>2024-06-20</lastmod>
<changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
<url>
<loc>https://www.example.com/contact</loc>
<lastmod>2024-06-18</lastmod>
<changefreq>yearly</changefreq>
<priority>0.5</priority>
</url>
</urlset>
HTML Sitemap Example: An HTML sitemap example that might be included on a website’s page:
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>HTML Sitemap</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>HTML Sitemap</h1>
<ul>
<li><a href="/">Home</a></li>
<li><a href="/about">About Us</a></li>
<li><a href="/services">Services</a>
<ul>
<li><a href="/services/design">Design</a></li>
<li><a href="/services/development">Development</a></li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><a href="/contact">Contact Us</a></li>
<li><a href="/blog">Blog</a></li>
</ul>
</body>
</html>