sitemap.xml
A `sitemap.xml` file is an XML file that provides search engines with information about the pages on a website. This helps improve the site's indexing and visibility. Here are some key points about `sitemap.xml`:
- Purpose: To inform search engines about the pages, videos, and other files on a site, along with their relationships.
- Format: It is structured in XML format, which is both machine-readable and easily generated.
- Benefits:
- Improved SEO: Aids in better indexing of web pages.
- Prioritization: Allows prioritizing certain pages over others.
- Frequency: Indicates how frequently pages are updated.
- Elements:
- urlset: The root element that contains all URLs.
- url: Each URL entry contains:
- loc: The URL of the page.
- lastmod: The last modified date of the page.
- changefreq: How often the page is likely to change.
- priority: The priority of the page relative to other pages on the site.
- Submission: It can be submitted directly to search engines via their webmaster tools.
A well-structured `sitemap.xml` can significantly enhance the discoverability of a website's content.