There are many important things about search engine optimization that you can learn through SEO Academy. And one of those vital things is the use of sitemaps.
If you have been reading about tips on how to boost SEO ranking, you would have encountered sitemaps. Many search optimizers are advising every site owner to have a sitemap.
SEO Academy: What is a Sitemap
It is like a blueprint. Each page is like a room. It makes it easy for Google to inspect your website and find all the pages on your website. It makes it easier for Google to find your pages. If you are giving Google an easier time to find your pages, then your pages may get a boost.
What if you don’t have a sitemap? Will it lower your ranking?
John Mueller on Sitemap
As he posted on Reddit, he stated that sitemaps are not vital for SEO purposes. It is especially true for small sites. That is, they will be crawlable. And if you are using CMS, it is fine not to have sitemaps.
If you have a larger site, it is not going to be useful.
However, it is a different thing with users. The sitemaps must make sense for the users. If people will see your sitemap, it can be a sign that the navigation on your site is bad.
Old SEO practices have recommended the use of sitemaps. They said they are vital. However, if Google could not crawl your small site via normal navigation, even if you have a sitemap, it would still encounter issues.
Most sites have XML sitemaps. But Google said that sitemaps do not offer value for SEO.
But keep in mind though that Matt Cutts stated in 1009 that sitemaps must come first. However, Google downplayed the significance of sitemaps in 2016.
Thus, you may now wonder whether to add a sitemap or not.
Sitemaps are still vital if you have dynamic pages. They are typically seen in e-commerce sites. Furthermore, they are vital if your site is not well-linked. And if your site has fewer external links, then you might benefit from having a sitemap.
If sitemaps are not that vital for Google, should you stop using them?
Remember though that Google is not the only search engine in the world. You have Yahoo and Bing. And these two major search engines have stated the importance of sitemaps.
In that case, if having a sitemap makes sense, then you should provide it. When you learn basic techniques through our SEO courses, you will find the importance of sitemaps and other things.
When you enroll in our SEO courses, you will receive a certification, depending on the course you take. For instance, if you have taken optimization and testing, then you will become certified in that field. We also offer certification for commerce marketing, customer acquisition, and content marketing, among others. Feel free to browse our online courses to know more about what we offer. Our SEO Academy courses are designed by renowned SEO specialists in the world. Please contact us through (877) 503-8231.
