How to Use Google XML Sitemaps for Better SEO and Faster Indexing

As search engine optimisation or SEO evolves, strategies that were once deemed best practices can quickly become outdated. This is particularly true for XML sitemaps, a foundational element of SEO that has been around since the early days of search engines. However, navigating through the plethora of advice on how to use Google XML sitemaps can be time-consuming and often leads to confusion. Although many site owners understand the importance of submitting sitemaps to platforms such as Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools to facilitate faster content discovery and efficient crawling, the nuanced details of implementing sitemaps to enhance SEO performance are frequently overlooked.

What You Should Know about XML Sitemaps

An XML sitemap is a file that enumerates the URLs of a website, serving as a roadmap for search engine crawlers to discover and index content efficiently. By providing a structured list of URLs, sitemaps assist crawlers in understanding the organisation of a website’s content. This is particularly beneficial for:

• Websites with extensive pages or complex architectures
• Sites that regularly add new content
• Pages that undergo frequent updates
• Websites with insufficient internal linking, leading to orphaned pages
• Sites lacking a robust external backlink profile

While search engines can discover pages through internal linking, including URLs in an XML sitemap lets search engines know that these pages are significant, potentially expediting their crawling and indexing.

Methods to Create a Sitemap

Creating a sitemap can be approached in two ways:

Static sitemaps

Static sitemaps are manually generated and require updates whenever new pages are added or existing ones are modified. Tools such as Screaming Frog can assist in creating static sitemaps. However, the manual upkeep can be labour-intensive, making this method less ideal for dynamic websites.

Dynamic sitemaps

Automatically updated by the server to reflect changes on the website, dynamic sitemaps are more efficient for sites with frequent content updates. Implementing dynamic sitemaps can be achieved by:

• Collaborating with developers to code a custom script
• Utilising dynamic sitemap generator tools
• Installing plugins compatible with content management systems (CMS), such as the Yoast SEO plugin for WordPress

Proper XML Sitemap Formatting

Besides creating them, it is also vital to know how to use Google XML sitemaps. A valid XML sitemap requires specific components to ensure compatibility with search engine crawlers. They are:

• XML version declaration indicates the file type and informs crawlers about the content format.
• UTF-8 encoding – ensures that all characters are correctly interpreted.
• Namespace Specification – defines the rules the sitemap adheres to, commonly using the “http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9” namespace.

Each URL entry within the sitemap should include the following:

• Location (<loc>) tag – a mandatory tag that specifies the absolute, canonical URL. It should accurately reflect the site’s protocol (HTTP or HTTPS) and the presence or absence of “www.”
• Last modified (<lastmod>) tag – an optional but recommended tag that indicates the date and time when the page was last significantly updated. This information helps search engines prioritise pages with fresh content for crawling.

It’s advisable to exclude the <changefreq> and <priority> tags, as modern search engines often disregard these attributes.

What Are the Different Types of Sitemaps?

Various sitemaps cater to different content types and purposes. Using the right one can help you achieve better SEO results.

XML sitemap index

For websites exceeding 50,000 URLs or an uncompressed file size of 50 MB, multiple sitemaps are necessary. An XML sitemap index file consolidates these sitemaps, serving as a directory for all individual sitemap files.

Image sitemap

Historically used to enhance image indexing, it’s now recommended to incorporate image information directly into the main XML sitemap using appropriate tags, supplemented by structured data like JSON-LD for richer metadata.

Video sitemap

Designed to assist in the discovery and indexing of video content, video sitemaps can include additional tags providing detailed information about each video. Depending on the extent of video content, a dedicated video sitemap may be beneficial.

Google news sitemap

Specifically for news content, this sitemap includes articles published in the last 48 hours. This aids in the prompt discovery of time-sensitive news articles.

HTML sitemap

Created for human visitors, HTML sitemaps enhance user navigation. However, with well-structured site navigation and internal linking, the necessity of an HTML sitemap diminishes.

Strategies for Optimising XML Sitemaps

It isn’t enough that you know how to use Google XML sitemaps. You should also optimise them correctly to ensure strategic structuring and content inclusion. Consider the following pointers to optimise your XML sitemaps:

1. Include only essential URLs

Ensure the sitemap contains only URLs that are important for SEO. Then, exclude pages such as redirects, error pages, non-canonical URLs, noindex pages, and those blocked by robots.txt.

2. Validate sitemap accuracy

Regularly submit sitemaps through platforms such as Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools. This enables you to verify their correctness and monitor for errors.

3. Utilise sitemap reports for insights

Analyse sitemap reports to identify indexing issues. Be sure to allow for targeted improvements in site structure and content.

4. Strategically manage sitemap size

For extensive websites, consider dividing sitemaps into smaller, logically grouped files (e.g., by content type or language) to facilitate detailed analysis and efficient crawling.

XML Sitemap Best Practices Checklist

To ensure optimal performance of your XML sitemaps:

• Implement dynamic generation to ensure sitemaps remain up-to-date.
• Compress sitemap files using gzip to reduce server load.
• Use a sitemap index file if multiple sitemaps exist.
• Include <loc> and <lastmod> tags for each URL.
• Reference sitemap URLs in the robots.txt file.
• Submit sitemaps to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
• Avoid including URLs that redirect, return errors, or are non-canonical.
• Ensure each URL appears in only one sitemap (except Google News sitemaps).
• Group URLs into separate sitemaps based on content type for easier tracking.
• Monitor indexing reports to address potential crawling issues.

Leverage XML Sitemaps for Better Results

XML sitemaps are a crucial aspect of SEO, acting as a direct communication channel between your website and search engines. When optimised correctly, they enhance the efficiency of search engine crawlers, leading to faster content discovery and improved indexing. By adhering to modern XML sitemap best practices, you can rest assured that your website maintains strong visibility in search results.

At Springhill Marketing, we specialise in optimising XML sitemaps and other essential SEO elements to enhance your website’s search visibility and ensure efficient crawling by search engines. We can help your business implement best practices, resolve indexing issues, and maximise your SEO potential. Get in touch today!