Have
you ever wondered how a search engine works? It must be fascinating
figuring out how this search tool could direct you to several websites
that are relevant to your keywords. Or, have you experienced instances
where the link that supposedly contains your keywords is not exactly
what you have in mind? You would probably think that there must be
something wrong with the search engine that it generated irrelevant
results.
How
does a search engine work?
Two
things figure greatly in making search engines work effectively and
efficiently: the electronic search spider and the sitemap.
What is a sitemap?
A
sitemap is basically a page or pages that serve/s as a directory by
listing all the links to all documents and files found in a website. It
is not merely a random listing of links, but organized in such a way
that it gives the web user an idea of how all the information that can
be found in the site fits into an outline or framework. It is like
viewing the table of contents of a book, or viewing the ?concept map?
of the site?s content.
What is
a spider?
In
SEO language, spider is not an animal found in your closet. This
electronic search spider is actually a bot which collects data and
copies content to be stored in the search engine?s database when
keywords are fed into the search dialogue box. The spider reads the
content of the site and sends another bot to follow the links and copy
the content contained in them.
What
purpose does a sitemap serve?
A
sitemap like any other map gives directions to a navigator. It
primarily targets search engine spiders so that they are properly
directed to your site and to the links where keywords entered in the
search dialogue appears. As such, it is actually a useful
tool in
search engine optimization. A well organized site map would guide the
spider to find the information it needs when keywords are entered
during a search operation.
As an additional
beneficial
consequence, sitemaps have proven to be useful even to web users. Since
a sitemap displays all the links to information found in a website, it
helps the user to search for a particular topic in mind. Many users
also use the sitemap to navigate between pages in a site.
What are the benefits of having a
sitemap for my website?
1.
No page would be left unturned
Going
back to the purpose of sitemaps, having one would mean faster and
easier tracking and crawling of spiders all over your site. As a
result, search engines would surely get to the view all the pages of
your site and not just the pages containing random keywords.
2.
Easier navigation for site visitors
Once
a web user has accessed your sitemap, they need not go back to the
search engine page to look for what they need. If what they are looking
for is in your site, then they would have an easier and faster way of
locating it.
3.
Potential advertising value
If
it so happens that a relevant product or service company reaches your
site, then it would be easier for them to see how best they can
position themselves in the different pages of your site as a paid page
advertisement.
4.
Encourage greater traffic to your site
If
your company website has a sitemap then potential buyers would have an
easier time in accessing your latest products and services. Moreover,
they would not miss out on any product that might be off future
interest to them since the sitemap would display all information found
the site.
How are
sitemaps formatted?
There
are at least three major types of sitemaps: indexed, full categorical,
and restricted categorical. An indexed site map appears as an
alphabetical listing or directory.
A full categorical map
displays
all links classified into categories; while a restricted categorical
sitemap displays all links listed in a chosen category at a time. The
full and restricted sitemaps are very similar except that the former
displays all links in all categories all at once in a page, while the
latter focuses only the links under the selected category for easier
and less eye-straining viewing.
The most widely used
format is
the full categorical. Based on the results of a 1999 SURL study on
sitemap designs, the full categorical format is most preferred by users
since it is easier to search for topics within the site and it allows
easier comparison between and among categories.
Some tips in setting up your
sitemap
1.
Link the sitemap only to your homepage.
This
is to ensure that the spider starts searching from your homepage down
to all the pages listed in your sitemap. In this way, no page would be
left unvisited by the spider.
2.
Do not go beyond 30 pages for a sitemap.
Large
websites having 50 or more pages should not go beyond 30 since this
adds more pages to the site, and might make search engines think that
the sitemap is a link farm. Also, this prevents overcrowding of links
which could be tiring to view.
3.
Check all the links listed in your sitemap.
It
can be discouraging when you click on a link only to find out that
nothing is displayed. Test your sitemap; click all links in every page
to make sure that all links are indeed linked to the right page.
4.
Give keyword-rich titles to sitemap links.
Keyword-rich
titles give your site more advantage in being searched properly under
the right category. But be sure to have this sitemap link linked back
to the sitemap (e.g. back to sitemap).
5.
Provide a short description for the links in the sitemap.
Doing
so would give readers a better idea of what to find in the link and
save them time on surfing.
6.
Be consistent in designing your sitemap with the other pages
of the site.
Employ a recurring design and the
same HTML template for all pages to establish identity and build
character to your website.
Now that you
have learned basic things about sitemaps, maybe it is time for you to
build one for your site.Copyright ©
Ferdinand Martinez
About
the Author
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Ferdinand
Martinez is the owner of the HomeBiz-Resources
Website. To
find the best home based business
ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home
visit:
http://www.HomeBiz-Resources.com
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