A `sitemap.xml` file is an XML document that helps search engines understand the structure of a website. It lists all the important pages, indicating how often they are updated, their priority, and when they were last modified.
Here is a basic structure of a `sitemap.xml` file:
```xml
https://www.example.com/
2023-10-01
daily
1.0
https://www.example.com/about
2023-09-15
monthly
0.8
https://www.example.com/contact
2023-08-20
yearly
0.5
```
In this example:
- <url>: Represents each URL entry.
- <loc>: Contains the URL of the page.
- <lastmod>: Indicates the last modification date of the page.
- <changefreq>: Suggests how frequently the page is likely to change.
- <priority>: Indicates the importance of the page relative to other pages on the site.
Including a `sitemap.xml` in your website can enhance its SEO by making it easier for search engines to crawl and index your content effectively.