Html and xml Sitemaps
Usually, a special page is used as such a map, thanks to which quick navigation through the website is carried out. It is often designed as a listing of all the available pages on a website. The link to the map is on the main page, because this is how the user can quickly go to the section he needs.
Why does any website need its own map?
A website map has two important functions. First of all, the more accessible and understandable the map is for the user, the more popular the website is. Any Internet resource is trying to win the trust of users. Thanks to an informative website map, traffic can increase several times. In addition, search engines give out in the higher search for those websites that have a well-developed map – this can be used by the optimizer.
What should a website map consist of?
A well-designed map contains all the main sections and subsections of the website, as well as information about them. But instead, you can make it more compact, containing only certain sections.
Any card must contain the following elements. A small description of the website. It should mainly use keywords that the user enters into the search engine. In addition, the map should have links to all major sections of the website. Along with the links, there should be text on this topic with a small content of keywords. A very good option for a website map would be to create a navigation bar that will bring together links to all sections of the resource.
Let us mention again that the map should reflect the information about the resource as fully as possible. Search engines give preference to websites that have a map and list them first in the query.
Recommendations for creating your own resource map
Following the tips below will help make your website map informative and prioritized when issuing a request.
- The website map should correspond to the structure of the resource itself.
- It is best to use a sitemap with a .xml extension.
- The website map should be built in a hierarchical manner. For example, the titles of the main sections should be written in larger letters than the titles of the subsections. This will make it easier for the user to navigate the resource itself.
A website map is a useful thing for promoting your resource in search engines and attracting new users.
There are 2 types of website maps – HTML and XML. They differ in the type of construction and their functions.
Html
It appeared first and was primarily needed for user navigation. At the moment, it is already becoming obsolete, as new navigation options have appeared.
The map looks like a page with a list of links.
XML
This map is needed for search engines. Has its own specific address on the network.
As a rule, an HTML map is used for ordinary visitors, and XML is used for search bots.