What is an XML Sitemap used for?

The term "Sitemaps" is probably familiar to most people. After all, almost every website has a link to such a table of contents in the footer. However, there are other types of sitemaps that a website owner should be aware of. These include XML sitemaps, which are only accessible to the webmaster and require technical knowledge.

What do XML sitemaps represent?

A search engine can be informed of a complete list of URLs hosted on a domain through an XML sitemap. Indexing the URL with a search engine like Google is made easier with a sitemap. Even hard-to-index content can be reported with it. However, to ensure error-free processing by search engine crawlers, individual specifications must be observed depending on the use case.

The Sitemap is saved as a file in XML format. Every URL of the website is listed in it. To submit all URLs to the search engine and track indexing, the Sitemap is simply uploaded to the Search Console. Parameters assigned to each URL inform Google and others how to interact with each page. Of course, other relevant elements should also be considered for the specific search engine strategy, such as the impact of the domain name on SEO.

XML Sitemaps - other relevant elements for the SEO strategy

For the SEO strategy and indexing, the following elements besides the XML Sitemap may be relevant:

• Using priority informs search engines which URLs should be treated preferentially when crawling the website. While search engines like Google usually do not consider this, it is still important to present a well-structured website. A search engine typically checks the robots.txt file and then continues crawling. However, this action does not affect ranking.
• Websites using changefreq inform search engines how often another page should be visited. The bot will then visit this page more frequently than other URLs.
• The respective page was logically last modified. Without lastmod, search engines will pay little attention to it. Exceptions are only for websites that represent a digital newspaper or provide the latest news.

What is included in the XML Sitemap?

XML Sitemaps include various mandatory elements as well as optional attributes. The following are essential:

• Each entry must have a parent tag
• A reference to the standard protocol
• A reference to the URL

Optional attributes may include:

• Relevance of the URL
• Frequency of content changes
• Last update date

Is there a limitation on the number of URLs that can be specified in an XML sitemap?

Essentially, an XML file must not exceed 10 megabytes in size. This limits the number of URLs that can be specified per XML sitemap to 50,000 entries. A limit that regular users of web hosting typically never reach. However, those working with very large web projects, such as professional online shops, often need to plan for multiple XML files. It is advisable to structure these files by categories. This helps in better organising a website.

Having multiple XML files can be advantageous, and the URL limitation can be a good excuse when organising page groups. But why is it beneficial to sort pages into groups? Segmented XML sitemaps can be easily checked for indexing using Google Search Console. Weaknesses can be easily identified in this way. If indexing is lost for a page in a category, the problem can be more easily identified in a smaller area. Looking at the big picture alone can make it difficult to pinpoint the cause of the global decline. It is also much easier to analyse websites by categories and identify trends. Consequently, it is easier to develop strategies and identify effective technologies that can later be applied to other websites.

How to prompt Google to find an XML sitemap?

After creating the XML file or files, the sitemap can be uploaded to Google Webmaster Tools. This will initiate the indexing process. The webmaster can then immediately see the increase in indexed pages and identify any significant decreases. It is important to note that after discovering a website on the internet, every search engine will first check the robots.txt file. To ensure that the XML sitemap is easily found, the URL of the sitemap should also be included in this file.

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