Sitemaps are recommended for most websites because they organize content. They also make it easier for the search engines to index your content so that it can be shown to the right people. Usually, sitemaps are created when designing a website, but they can be added later, too.
Sitemaps accomplish two main tasks: they list out your pages for the search engines to explore, and they provide metadata that tells the bots how your pages are organized.
Let’s learn more about why sitemaps are important to your website’s clarity and organization.
Focus on Your Site’s Goals
Every website should have a job to do. Websites that aren’t goal-oriented are often complicated and difficult to navigate. Visitors often question what they are supposed to do, resulting in high bounce rates.
A sitemap keeps you focused on your goals. It provides you with a visual of your web pages so that you don’t need to bounce around to see them. Are all of the pages necessary? Do they make sense together? If any of the pages aren’t needed, you can take them out before they become a part of your site’s architecture.
Avoid Duplicate Content
Duplicating content on your website can get you penalized, but that’s not the only reason to avoid it. Content that repeats itself is a waste of space. If you have multiple pages that need the same information, link them to the main page where the information can be found.
Without a sitemap, you may not know where there’s duplicate content. You might just create pages as they’re needed and continue to serve visitors the same information. Plus, if anything changes, you run the risk of having inconsistent information. Visitors shouldn’t have to guess which information is current.
Simplify the Conversion Funnel
When people visit your website, they should be able to accomplish their goal in as few clicks as possible. For example, in your conversion funnel, visitors should have a minimum number of steps to get from Point A to Point B. Too many steps makes things complicated, and people may choose not to sign up.
Thankfully, you can use your sitemap to show what steps are necessary to the conversion funnel. If you can take out one or two steps, you can streamline the conversion funnel and increase signups.
Get Everyone the Same Page
It takes a team to build a website. While several hands are necessary in the creation of a website, it can also make things more confusing. To keep everyone on the same page, they can look at the sitemap.
Sitemaps are accessible to everyone working on the website, including content creators, website designers and website developers. The sitemap updates when new changes are made, so anyone working on the website can check the sitemap for the latest page updates. For example, if there are too many steps in the funnel, it can be addressed at this time.
Sitemaps are best created when starting a web design project. But, they can be added later, too. We highly recommend sitemaps, because without them, you might end up creating pages that don’t need For more information on adding a sitemap to your site, contact Magna Technology today.
