A `sitemap.xml` file is an important part of SEO and helps search engines understand the structure of your website. Here’s a basic overview of what a `sitemap.xml` file typically includes:
- URL Set: This includes a list of URLs for your website that you want search engines to index.
- Last Modified: This indicates the last time a page was updated, helping search engines prioritize crawling.
- Change Frequency: This suggests how often a page is likely to change (e.g., daily, weekly).
- Priority: This assigns a priority level to each page, helping search engines determine which pages are most important.
Here is a simple example of a `sitemap.xml` structure:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap-image">
<url>
<loc>http://www.example.com/</loc>
<lastmod>2023-10-01</lastmod>
<changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
<priority>1.0</priority>
</url>
<url>
<loc>http://www.example.com/about</loc>
<lastmod>2023-09-15</lastmod>
<changefreq>yearly</changefreq>
<priority>0.8</priority>
</url>
</urlset>
Including a `sitemap.xml` file on your website can significantly improve its visibility to search engines. Be sure to submit your sitemap through tools like Google Search Console for better results.