What Is A Sitemap & Why Do I Need One?

You may have heard the term sitemap before. It's a technical term that web designers use and an item some website platforms create when you build a website with them. It's also something you should create before you start to DIY your new website with me. Let's chat about sitemaps!

What is a Sitemap?

A sitemap is a list or a flow chart which states the name or URL of each page on your website and how they link to each other. That's it! It's like a tree, with the main home page being the trunk and all the other branches are the other pages.

There are two kinds of sitemaps - one you make and one the website platform makes. Your website platform, which in this case is Website Builder, automatically creates a sitemap for your website as you build it. This sitemap contains not only the names of the pages and how they link together, but also the URLs of those pages. It also provides metadata on each of those pages, such as when the page was last updated and and how important it is compared to other pages on your website for Google.

It is also handy to create a sitemap on paper before you start building your website. This is not something which you need to create for your site, rather a tool you use to help plan your website. It helps you create a website which flows nicely for your visitors, linking to pages which make sense and quickly showing them which ones are the most important.

Why Do I Need a Sitemap?

Let me explain why you need both types of sitemaps:

• A sitemap created by your website platform - this type of sitemap is used by search engines to index your website. This means it knows what pages are on your site, what's on them and where they are. Having a sitemap helps your SEO because you are making it easier for search engines to index your website, which in turn helps them give information to people regarding your website in their search results.
• A sitemap you make before you start designing your website, create a sitemap. This helps you decide where pages go, which page links to which and lets you check if your site will be easy to navigate or not. I always create a sitemap on paper before designing a website as it makes the DIY process so much easier and ensures I don't miss any pages out.

If you'd like some help creating a sitemap on paper, just ask! I'm always here to help.