Site Map ??

[MsSearch]

I searched past threads in a couple of these forums and did not find this info but if it has already been discussed, could you please post a link to that particular thread?

I know what site maps are but could someone please refresh my memory in regards to...

1. the role they play in SEO
2. the effect they have on rankings...
3. should a site map be named after a keyword or something other than sitemap.html?
4. any other advice for creating a site map...

I'm always looking for ways to help and improve rankings and this info would be much appreciated...

[MazY]

Hi, MsSearch

The site map is pretty much as its name suggests - a single page map to all the other pages within your site.

Mine can be found here (http://www.vbmedia.co.uk/web-site-map.htm) as an example.

The hardest job is actually remembering to add each page as you create a new one.

With regards to its role in SEO, if you link to it from your home page, it is a great way for the spiders to zoom across and find all your pages. That is the theory anyway. I have to say that it usually works.

As for their effect on rankings, other than described in the paragraph above, very little.

As for the name of the site map, if you have named all your pages cunningly then there is little reason to deviate from the name that you have already suggested (sitemap.htm). Even more so as its actual effect on rankings is minimal.

Standard advice is to ensure that you have text with the links too. Some spiders allegedly seem to get a little nervous of pages that contain just links, even if they are just internal. Play it safe and add some text as I have in mine.

Bottom line is a well constructed site map is a benefit to the search engine spiders and to your visitors!

Hope it helps...

[MsSearch]

Thanx Mazy...the info is a great help...

and nice sitemap...:)

[ihelpyou]

The MazMeister.... Nice. :up:

[MazY]

Many thanks for the kind comments. Glad it helped.

[Sharon & Roy]

I know what site maps are but could someone please refresh my memory in regards to...

Hello MsSearch,

1. the role they play in SEO

If you mean should you optimize the Site Map Page for your primary keywords to have the page be found in the top results, then the answer is no, that is not the "reason" to create a Site Map Page.

If you mean should I optimize the Site Map Page so that the Search Engine Spiders can easily crawl from that page to every one of your other pages on your Site then the answer is yes, that is exactly one of the two "main reasons" you must create a Site Map Page. The other "main reason" is to otpimize the page for your visitors to easily access all of your pages and to view them all at a glance as well.

In fact here is a statistic to keep in mind when designing/optimizing a Web Site. A Site Map Page is usually one of the top five most important pages folks look for and visit on any Site. Here are the five pages we advise you always include (in no particular order of importance). Make sure to place a link to these pages from your Home Page so that your visitors can instantly visit the "info" page(s) about your business they desire to know more about FIRST, before they even read one word about your products/services offered. Before your potential customers/clients will do business with you, you need to establish trust and credibility with them. Providing the following pages will start the process, without them, your potential customers/clients may never give your Site a second look.


---

1) Home Page - ( http://www.domain.com/index.html )

2) About Us Page - ( http://www.domain.com/about-us/index.html )

3) Contact Us Page - ( http://www.domain.com/contact-us/index.html )

4) Site Map Page - ( http://www.domain.com/site-map/index.html )

5) Privacy Policy Page - ( http://www.domain.com/privacy-policy/index.html )

---


2. the effect they have on rankings...

The "effect they have on rankings" is no different than any other (non Home Page) page. The Home Page ( http://www.domain.com/ ) of any Site is considered to be the most important page on your Site and that page has the greatest effect on the rankings.


3. should a site map be named after a keyword or something other than sitemap.html?

If your reason for creating a Site Map Page is for the reasons we gave above then name it go ahead and name it ( sitemap.html ) or as you see in our example above. Either way is fine, as it makes no difference to the Search Engines. If you are creating the page for any other reasons, then you can name it anything you desire.

4. any other advice for creating a site map...

Yes, we have a few bits of advice to keep in mind. First, when creating the actual links on your pages, whether on the Site Map or any page, use absolute links instead of relative links.

Use this ... <a href=http://www.domain.com/about-us/>

Instead of this ... <a href=/about-us/>

We understand that many Web Design books, articles and the sort will say that the best way to design your pages are with relative links for a host of reasons (that we won't go into right now) that are all absolutely true for all the reasons they give, BUT they do not "factor" into their reasoning Search Engine Optimization, as most Web Designers are NOT SEO students and/or professionals.

If you do factor in SEO then you would be extremely wise to use absolute links because the Search Engine spiders LOVE them. They not only provide ALL the exact info the spider needs but they provide it much quicker, therefore there's less chance of any errors occuring in following your links or factoring in PageRank.

And also we'd like to advise you to create and structure the page with your vistors in mind. Place the most important pages on the top and if you can create categories or topics then do so. Also give them same page links to easily navigate your page from one area to the next and then back to the top of the page again if you have a large set of pages.

In fact MazY has already provided you the "Poster Child" for Site Map Pages, study his format, layout and design, and you can't go wrong, also follow his advice, it's terrific.

BTW, G-R-E-A-T Site Map Page, Mazy! Kudos!

[ihelpyou]

Thanks for some more good info Sharon & Roy! Good tip on the obsolute link thingy. Very true stuff. :up:

[highman]

Great advice throughout this thread, a sitemap is a must, it provides a quick index for every spider (every page is only 2 clicks from the homepage) and if worked correctly a great addition to navigation.

Heres on tip for you on keeping the map up to date and indeed for checking on any poss broken links, download this (http://home.snafu.de/tilman/xenulink.html) incredible piece of software, XENU link checker, it is also a great tool for unwrapping those spam sites :up:

[MazY]

This tip becomes even more valid when using FrontPage. FrontPage has a nasty habit of mixing up links if you change one whilst still having some pages open for edit.

I tend to run XENU each time I do a publish just to make sure things are as they should be.

[MazY]

Originally posted by Sharon & Roy


In fact here is a statistic to keep in mind when designing/optimizing a Web Site. A Site Map Page is usually one of the top five most important pages folks look for and visit on any Site.

1) Home Page - ( http://www.domain.com/index.html )

2) About Us Page - ( http://www.domain.com/about-us/index.html )

3) Contact Us Page - ( http://www.domain.com/contact-us/index.html )

4) Site Map Page - ( http://www.domain.com/site-map/index.html )

5) Privacy Policy Page - ( http://www.domain.com/privacy-policy/index.html )

Erm, far be it from me to question the editorial integrity of your post but where exactly did this "statistic" come from?

I ask for two reasons:

1. My stats, along with my various client stats, certainly don't reflect this to be the case.
2. Surely it would depend on (a) the nature of the site and (b) what the visitor aim was?

Further, to suggest that from an SEO perspective the "about us" page is more important than the site map is nothing short of nonsense. What possible SEO gain is there from the about us page, especially when compared to the crawling advantage of the site map?

If you mean that it is more valid from the user perspective then this should be clearly indicated.

However, I am more than willing to be corrected by cold hard facts, as usual.

[Mel]

Hi all:

I would add that oft neglected page, the terms and conditions page for commercial sites. Its not only good business, but Yahoo needs is.

Also note that for submission to directories the contacts page should be more than a form mail or an email link. Give full contact information - you are already anonymous to your viewers, so at least assure them that you at least have a phone and mail address.

[MsSearch]

thanx for all the great info.....:thebomb:

Sharon and Roy--is that gonna be an entire chapter in your ebook? :up:

thanx everyone

[JuniorHarris]

Nice site map MazY, I was also impressed by the map link for those who may stumble on your page accidentally...very nice touch and awareness!~ Our site map, is actually a series of interlinked (hierarchal) pages which are all dynamically generated from the database, so additions are automatic!~ ;)

[MazY]

LOL The reason for the actual map is that my stats show I am ranked about number 3 I think for "Map of Nottingham". The amount of visitors I get just looking for a damn map of Nottingham I figured I may as well oblige them. :D

[JuniorHarris]

LOL!~ Now if you only had a map affiliate program!