What is a WordPress sitemap ?
A sitemap is like a data list of all your URL or in other terms web addresses also known Uniform Resource Locator, which is a reference to a web resource that specifies its location on a computer network.
Sitemap helps search engine robots to obtain information about your content’s structure, while accelerating your site’s indexing. They do this by visiting your site via your internal links. By using sitemap, you website or blog posts and pages are indexed.
During site indexing , search engine robots store your site content in a database, before it is returned to the Internet users through the search results.
In short – sitemap is a kind of road map, but specifically designed for a search engine.
Sitemap allows user or visitor to navigate quickly, easily and efficiently through the content of your site.
Sitemap is therefore very useful for your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) strategy.
Types of sitemaps.
- The XML sitemap
- The HTML sitemap
The XML sitemap.
XML acronym stands for an Extensible Markup Language and as its name indicates, it is a file in XML format
The XML is intended mainly for search engines and therefore it is advisable to submit it to Google and Bing and others.
The HTML sitemap.
HTML sitemap ,is a page that presents the details of the content of your site, its architecture in a way.
It is frequently found in the footer, next to the legal notices, for example. It often includes the pages, posts, categories etc. of its site.
This allows a visitor – but also a search engine – to easily find their way around and navigate within your WordPress.
How to create a sitemap on WordPress.
The easiest and fastest way to create a sitemap on WordPress is to use a plugin.
The plugin is Yoast SEO plugin that is downloadable for free from wordpress plugins.