How to Create a Perfect Sitemap: Example and Best Practices

Elevated Magazines
Aug 27
4 min read

Updated: 4 days ago

A sitemap is one of the most fundamental yet underrated components of a successful website strategy. It not only aids search engine bots in crawling and indexing your content but also provides a clear roadmap for your website structure. Whether you're launching a new website or optimizing an existing one, understanding how to create a perfect sitemap can significantly enhance your site's SEO and usability.

In this article, we’ll explain a sitemap, why it matters, how to build one correctly, and provide an example to guide you. Let’s dive in.

What Is a Sitemap?

A sitemap is a file that lists all the pages on your website, designed to help search engines like Google understand the structure of your site. There are two main types of sitemaps:

XML Sitemaps – Intended for search engine bots.
HTML Sitemaps – Designed to help human users navigate large or complex websites.

An XML sitemap is typically the most critical for SEO purposes. It includes metadata such as when a page was last updated, how often it changes, and how important it is relative to other URLs on the site.

Why a Sitemap Is Important

Creating a sitemap offers several benefits:

Improved Indexing: Helps search engines discover new or updated pages.
Crawl Priority: Indicates the importance of different pages.
Structured Website Planning: Useful during the design and architecture stages.
Faster Changes Recognition: Especially helpful for large or frequently updated websites.

For instance, if you have a blog with thousands of articles, a sitemap ensures that all your pages, not just the ones linked on your homepage or menu, are considered for indexing.

Sitemap Example (XML)

Here’s a simple XML sitemap example to illustrate the format:

xml

CopyEdit

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<url>

<loc>https://www.example.com/</loc>

<changefreq>monthly</changefreq>

</url>

<url>

<loc>https://www.example.com/blog</loc>

<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>

</url>

<url>

<loc>https://www.example.com/contact</loc>

<changefreq>yearly</changefreq>

</url>

</urlset>

This sitemap example lists three pages: the homepage, blog, and contact page. Each entry includes:

<loc>: URL of the page
<lastmod>: Date of last modification
<changefreq>: How often the content is likely to change
<priority>: Relative priority of the page

Best Practices for Creating a Sitemap

1. Include Only Canonical URLs

Ensure all URLs listed in your sitemap are canonical — that is, the primary version of a page. Avoid duplicate or redirecting URLs.

2. Update Regularly

If your website changes frequently (e.g., a blog or news site), make sure your sitemap updates to reflect new content.

3. Submit to Search Engines

Once your sitemap is ready, submit it to:

Google Search Console: Navigate to Index > Sitemaps
Bing Webmaster Tools

This lets search engines know where to find your sitemap and prioritize crawling your content.

4. Segment Large Sitemaps

If your site has more than 50,000 URLs or exceeds 50MB, split it into multiple sitemaps and create an index file.

Example:

xml

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<loc>https://www.example.com/sitemap1.xml</loc>

</sitemap>

<loc>https://www.example.com/sitemap2.xml</loc>

</sitemap>

</sitemapindex>

5. Use Tools and Generators

For non-technical users, tools like these simplify the process:

Yoast SEO (WordPress)
Screaming Frog SEO Spider
XML-Sitemaps.com
Google XML Sitemap Plugin

These tools can automatically generate and update your sitemap as your site evolves.

Common Sitemap Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Using Dynamic Parameters

Avoid including URLs with session IDs, tracking codes, or UTM parameters. Stick to clean, readable URLs.

❌ Forgetting to Update

Many websites add new content but forget to update their sitemaps. This delays indexing and can hurt SEO performance.

❌ Linking Broken Pages

Ensure every link in your sitemap leads to a live, functional page. Broken links can waste crawl budget and reduce trust.

❌ Overusing Priority Tags

Don’t mark every page as <priority>1.0</priority>. Reserve high priority for truly critical pages like your homepage and cornerstone content.

Sitemap Example for E-commerce Website

Here’s another sitemap example, tailored for an e-commerce business:

xml

CopyEdit

<url>

<loc>https://www.mystore.com/products/shoes</loc>

<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>

</url>

<url>

<loc>https://www.mystore.com/products/shirts</loc>

<changefreq>weekly</changefreq>

</url>

<url>

<loc>https://www.mystore.com/sale</loc>

<changefreq>daily</changefreq>

</url>

For a store, pages that change rapidly—like a seasonal sale—deserve a high crawl priority and frequent update tags.

HTML Sitemap: Bonus for Users

An HTML sitemap complements your XML version by helping visitors find key content. Place it in your website’s footer or about section and structure it with readable titles and links.

Example:

html

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<ul>

<li><a href="/products">Products</a></li>

<li><a href="/contact">Contact Us</a></li>

</ul>

Although HTML sitemaps are not essential for SEO, they improve user experience and can reduce bounce rates.

Where to Place Your Sitemap

Your XML sitemap should be located at:

arduino

CopyEdit

https://www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml

Then, reference it in your robots.txt file:

arduino

CopyEdit

Sitemap: https://www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml

This ensures search bots can find it easily, even without manual submission.

Conclusion

Creating a perfect sitemap is more than a technical checkbox — it’s a strategic step toward better SEO, content visibility, and site usability. Whether you're managing a small blog or a massive e-commerce platform, a well-structured sitemap ensures that your content gets discovered, crawled, and ranked.

Always keep it clean, updated, and aligned with your website’s actual structure. With the help of the sitemap example and best practices above, you're well on your way to building a stronger online presence.

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