A sitemap is an essential SEO tool that helps search engines comprehend a website and index it effectively. Whether you operate a small blog or a large e-commerce platform, a well-organized sitemap ensures improved visibility on Google. In this blog, we will examine what a sitemap is, the different types available, and how it enhances website indexing and ranking. Let’s get started!
What is a Sitemap?
A sitemap is an XML (Extensible Markup Language) file that informs search engines about the pages on a website, their importance, and when they were last updated. The primary purpose of a sitemap is to help Google and other search engines with better crawling and indexing. Let’s understand this by an example.
Example:
Let’s imagine that your website is like a shopping mall. Then the sitemap will be its map showing the locations of different shops and their structure. Just as a visitor who might get lost in a mall without directions, a Google crawler may struggle to understand a website without a sitemap.
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Role of Sitemap in SEO
| Role | Description |
| Faster Indexing | New pages and updates are crawled quickly. |
| Improved Website Structure | Search engines can easily understand the site. |
| Avoid Duplicate Content | Google can identify which pages are important. |
| Error Handling | If a page shows a 404 error, we can remove it. |
| Helps with New Content Discovery | Updates to the sitemap notify search engines about new or changed content. |
| Supports Multimedia Content | Sitemaps allow search engines to index images, videos, and other media formats. |
| Prioritizes Important Pages | You can set priority and frequency to guide search engines on which pages to crawl more often. |
| Guides Search Engines to Content | A sitemap ensures search engines discover and index all relevant pages on your site. |
How to Create a Sitemap?
A sitemap is essential for SEO as it helps search engines index your website efficiently. Here’s how you can create one:
- Yoast SEO Plugin: Best for WordPress sites as it automatically generates and updates sitemaps.
- Google XML Sitemap Generator: Another useful WordPress plugin for easy sitemap creation.
- Online Tools: Websites like xml-sitemaps.com allow you to generate sitemaps quickly.
- Manually Coding: For small sites, you can create an XML file listing your URLs and upload it to your server.
Once your sitemap is created, submit it to Google Search Console for better indexing.
Different Types of Sitemaps
There are 5 types of sitemaps that we should know for proper SEO learning. Here are those 5 types:
- XML Sitemap (most important for technical SEO)
- HTML Sitemap (for user-friendly navigation)
- Image Sitemap (used if the site has several images)
- Video Sitemap (used if there is huge video content)
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1. XML Sitemap
An XML Sitemap is a structured file that tells search engines which pages of a website should be crawled and indexed.
Example:
Imagine your website is a library with thousands of books. A librarian has an index book listing all books like where they are, which are new, and which are old. An XML Sitemap does the same job for search engines!
Example Code of XML Sitemap:
| <?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?> <urlset xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″> <url> <loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/</loc> <lastmod>2024-02-20</lastmod> <changefreq>daily</changefreq> <priority>1.0</priority> </url> <url> <loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/courses/</loc> <lastmod>2024-02-18</lastmod> <changefreq>weekly</changefreq> <priority>0.8</priority> </url> </urlset> |
Breakdown of Code:
1. <?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>
This line specifies the XML file version and encoding type.
- “1.0” means the XML file follows version 1.0.
- “UTF-8” encoding ensures that the file supports special characters (like हिंदी, 日本語, @, #, etc.).
Real-Life Example:
Imagine a multilingual signboard at an airport. Every traveler should understand the sign language (English, Hindi, Chinese, etc.).
“UTF-8” does the same for Google and bots, ensuring they can read all characters properly.
2. <urlset xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″>
- <urlset> tells search engines that this file is a Sitemap containing multiple URLs.
- xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″ ensures the Sitemap follows Google’s official Sitemap rules.
Real-Life Example:
Think of a book’s index page (Table of Contents). A book has multiple chapters and pages.
<urlset> acts as an index page listing all important URLs of the website.
xmlns=”…” confirms the Sitemap follows search engines’ standard format.
Summary (Easy Way to Remember)
- <?xml version=”1.0″ encoding=”UTF-8″?>: Language selection at an airport.
- <urlset …>: Index page of a book.
Versions of XML Files
XML (Extensible Markup Language) has only one officially stable version: “1.0”, introduced in 1998. However, a beta version, “1.1“, was also released but was never fully adopted. Below are the two XML versions.
- XML 1.0 (1998 – Current Standard)
Used in applications, web standards, Sitemaps, RSS feeds, and SOAP requests (Simple Object Access Protocol). Search engines like Google, Bing, and others follow XML 1.0.
- XML 1.1 (2004 – Not Widely Used)
This version introduced better character support and line-handling features. However, it was not widely adopted due to compatibility issues with existing applications.
Also Read: What is Technical SEO & How to Optimize for Google Rankings?
Why is XML 1.0 Used in Sitemaps?
1. Standard for Google & Search Engines:
Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Baidu only support XML 1.0. If you use a newer version (like XML 1.1), search engines may not process the sitemap.
2. Compatibility with All Websites & Tools:
XML 1.0 works with all software, browsers, and CMS platforms (like WordPress, Shopify, Magento, etc.). Using XML 1.1 may cause issues with older tools or plugins.
3. Stable & Well-Tested Format:
XML 1.0 has been a web standard for 20+ years, widely used in SEO, data sharing, API responses, and documentation. XML 1.1 was unstable and caused errors in many applications, so it was never officially accepted.
Summary:
XML 1.0 is a “universal & stable” version, supported by almost all platforms.
Sitemaps use XML 1.0 because Google and other search engines only accept this format.
In one line: “XML 1.0 is a universal language that works with all search engines and platforms, which is why it is used in Sitemaps!”
Understanding Sitemap Tags:
- <loc> : Page URL
- <lastmod> : Last updated date
- <changefreq>: How often the page updates (daily, weekly, monthly)
- <priority>: Page importance (1.0 highest, 0.1 lowest)
Also Read: Content Optimization: A Complete SEO Guide to Rank #1 on Google!
2. HTML Sitemap (User-Friendly Sitemap)
An HTML Sitemap is designed for humans, helping them navigate a website easily. It has less SEO impact but improves user experience (UX).
Real-Life Example:
Shopping Mall Floor Plan: When a customer enters a mall, they check the directory board to find where different shops are located. An HTML Sitemap works the same way for websites!
Example of an HTML Sitemap:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
<url>
<loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2024-02-20</lastmod>
<changefreq>daily</changefreq>
<priority>1.0</priority>
</url>
<url>
<loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/courses/</loc>
<lastmod>2024-02-18</lastmod>
<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
</urlset>It is usually placed in the footer section of a website.
3. Image Sitemap (For Image Indexing)
If your website has many images, an Image Sitemap helps improve rankings in Google Images by making it easier for search engines to find and index images.
Real-Life Example:
Imagine your website is a photo gallery with different image categories. Without a sitemap, Google won’t know which images are important for indexing.
Example of an Image Sitemap:
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9"
xmlns:image="http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-image/1.1">
<url>
<loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/gallery.html</loc>
<image:image>
<image:loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/images/seo-course.jpg</image:loc>
<image:title>SEO Course Thumbnail</image:title>
</image:image>
</url>
</urlset>The <image:image> tag helps Google crawl and index images properly.
Also Read: What is Keyword Research and How to Do it?: A Step-by-Step Guide
4. Video Sitemap
If your website has many videos, a Video Sitemap helps Google understand which videos are on which pages, improving their chances of ranking.
Real-Life Example:
Let’s take an example of the Netflix category (Movies, Series, Documentaries). If you don’t know the exact movie name, you can search for it. Google does the same with a Video Sitemap to find and rank videos! Isn’t it interesting!
Example of a Video Sitemap:
| <urlset xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″ xmlns:video=”http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-video/1.1″> <url> <loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/digital-marketing-course.html</loc> <video:video> <video:thumbnail_loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/images/video-thumb.jpg</video:thumbnail_loc> <video:title>Complete Digital Marketing Course</video:title> <video:description>This video explains digital marketing in detail.</video:description> <video:content_loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/videos/digital-marketing.mp4</video:content_loc> </video:video> </url> </urlset> |
The <video:video> tag provides a video title, thumbnail, and description to help Google index it.
| Tag | Purpose | Real-Life Example |
| <urlset> | Starting point of sitemap | Movie Library of Netflix |
| <url> | Defines page URL | Dish name listed in the restaurant’s menu |
| <video:video> | It tells there is a video on the page | YouTube par video upload karna |
| <video:thumbnail_loc> | Thumbnail image URL of the video | Netflix movie’s thumbnail |
| <video:title> | Video title | Title of YouTube video |
| <video:description> | Short info on the video | Short description of Amazon product |
| <video:content_loc> | The actual video URL | Google Drive video link |
5. News Sitemap
If your website appears in Google News, you must create a News Sitemap to help Google index your news articles quickly.
Real-Life Example:
Imagine your website is a newspaper agency, and you publish daily news. To make sure your news appears fast in Google News, a News Sitemap is important!
Example of a News Sitemap:
| <urlset xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″ xmlns:news=”http://www.google.com/schemas/sitemap-news/0.9″> <url> <loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/latest-news.html</loc> <news:news> <news:publication> <news:name>Skillwaala News</news:name> <news:language>en</news:language> </news:publication> <news:publication_date>2024-02-20</news:publication_date> <news:title>Google Algorithm Update 2024</news:title> </news:news> </url> </urlset> |
The <news:news> tag helps Google understand news details for indexing.
Also Read: The Ultimate Guide to Domain, Hosting, and CMS for Beginners
Final Summary: All Sitemaps Comparison
| Sitemap Type | Purpose | Real-Life Example | Use Cases |
| XML Sitemap | To tell Google the website structure | Library Index Book | Must-have for each website |
| HTML Sitemap | To give better navigation to the users | Shopping Mall ka Floor Plan | Located in the footer section |
| Image Sitemap | To rank images in Google Images | Photo Gallery | Photography & E-commerce sites |
| Video Sitemap | To rank videos in Google | Netflix Movie Search | E-learning, Movie, YouTube websites |
| News Sitemap | For fast indexing in Google News | Newspaper Agency | News websites & blogs |
Sitemap Size & URL Limit
If you are creating a proper Sitemap for SEO, it’s important to follow Google’s size and URL limits so that Google Search Console can process it correctly.
1. The Maximum Sitemap Size
According to Google’s guidelines, the maximum size of a sitemap is 50MB (in uncompressed form) and 10MB (in compressed .gz format).
Example: If your sitemap is in .xml format, it can be up to 50MB, but if you use a compressed .xml.gz format, it should be 10MB max.
SEO Tip: If your sitemap exceeds 50MB, split it into multiple sitemaps and create a Sitemap Index File.
2. Maximum number of URLs in One Sitemap
A single sitemap file can contain a maximum of 50,000 URLs.
Example: If your website has more than 50,000 pages/URLs, you cannot put them all in one sitemap. In this case, you need to create multiple sitemaps.
SEO Tip: If you have more than 50,000 URLs, create a Sitemap Index File (sitemap-index.xml) that links multiple sitemaps. You must know that Google will not process more than 50,000 URLs in a single sitemap.
3. Sitemap Index File – Best Way to Manage Multiple Sitemaps
If you have a large website (like e-commerce, news portals, or ed-tech platforms) then using multiple sitemaps is the best practice.
Example:
If a website has 200,000 URLs, split the sitemap into 4 separate sitemaps:
| <sitemapindex xmlns=”http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9″> <sitemap> <loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/sitemap1.xml</loc> </sitemap> <sitemap> <loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/sitemap2.xml</loc> </sitemap> <sitemap> <loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/sitemap3.xml</loc> </sitemap> <sitemap> <loc>https://www.skillwaala.com/sitemap4.xml</loc> </sitemap> </sitemapindex> |
Benefits of a Sitemap Index File:
- Google can fetch multiple sitemaps in one request.
- Crawling becomes efficient, and Googlebot indexes faster.
- You can categorize URLs (e.g., separate sitemap for Product Pages, Blog Pages, etc.).
Summary of Sitemap Size & URL Limits
| Feature | Google Guidelines |
| Max Sitemap Size | 50MB (.xml), 10MB (.gz) |
| Max URLs per Sitemap | 50,000 URLs |
| Multiple Sitemaps | Allowed via Sitemap Index File |
| Best Practice | If you have 50,000+ URLs, split the sitemap and use a Sitemap Index File |
Final Words
After learning about various sitemaps in detail, the question is should I use a single sitemap or multiple. Well, it all depends on your usage. If you manage a small website then a single sitemap is enough. Whereas, if you run an e-commerce, news, or large content-based website like Skillwaala, Amazon, or News Sites then use multiple sitemaps + Sitemap Index File for smooth Google indexing.
If you have any doubts regarding sitemaps or anything related, then feel free to ask. Connect on our WhatsApp number or fill in the message in the query form so our trainer can join you virtually to clear all your doubts. Till then stay tuned for upcoming blogs, keep practicing, and do watch our YouTube live sessions for SEO learning.
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