The Google Forum

**jimb12** · 07-20-2007, 11:11 PM

Do you think a sitemap is important to have for google.

**ForrestCroce** · 07-20-2007, 11:54 PM

If your site can't be crawled normally, then an XML sitemap gives Google some hints. If you have working html and decent navigation, it really isn't necessary.

An HTML sitemap, on the other hand, is more like a table of contents. Whether that's good or bad for your site depends on your site, and is probably something you should decide pretending there's no such thing as Google.

**stOx** · 07-21-2007, 03:36 PM

If your site is being indexed then a site-map isn't important. If your site isn't being indexed it's more important to find out why not.

Ideally there should be no need for a site-map.

**BreaktheSilence** · 07-21-2007, 11:19 PM

Agreed...

If it's a large site and you include a few deep links, then it shouldn't be necessary. On the other hand, if it's not being indexed properly, then submitting a site map is definitely the way to go.

**seowebdesigner** · 07-27-2007, 11:29 PM

Sitemap important where you are selling any product by online shopping or something........and it makes the site pages easy to cache by search engines and indexes.........

Regards,
Mowglitech.com

**removals** · 07-28-2007, 06:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimb12

Do you think a sitemap is important to have for google.

What a lamer... In my opinion and in opinions of many SEO experts sitemap is a essence of every kind of webpage. Just register in google and then You will have a webamster tools. In this option You will have google site map, when You can add your sitemap.

**shiva** · 07-28-2007, 06:16 AM

yes it is imp otherwise why will google ask for sitemap submit in google webmaster tools.

**stOx** · 07-28-2007, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shiva

yes it is imp otherwise why will google ask for sitemap submit in google webmaster tools.

Just because Google have an option to submit a sitemap it doesn't mean it's important, It's just an option. If a sites pages are being crawled and indexed a sitemap is not only not important, It's redundant.

**Republikin** · 07-28-2007, 10:11 AM

I think a sitemap is important for a different reason. I'm not positive about this but I think given the choice, google would rather access a sitemap than crawl your site. Not only does it use less of their resources but it also reduces the amount of bandwidth googlebot uses on your site.

**stOx** · 07-28-2007, 12:22 PM

While it may reduce thier load i don't agree that it will reduce bandwidth usage. they are still going to have to download all of the pages to index them. Google may prefer it on a perfermance level, But as long as pages are being crawled and indexed there is no reason for us to use a sitemap.

The only thing the sitemap does is tells google abiout the pages. If they already know about the pages or have no problems finding newly created pages the sitemap serves no purpose.

**Republikin** · 07-28-2007, 02:41 PM

Yes, google will still have to crawl the pages to scrape your content but if your sitemap is utilized correctly then you can tell google just which pages have been updated and when. If google knows that only 10 out of 100 pages has been updated since its last crawl then why would they crawl the other 90?

I have no conclusive proof that google takes this approach but it would make sense, otherwise, why would they even care when your page was last updated?

**stOx** · 07-28-2007, 03:48 PM

I don't know if that would be true, But even if it is, It would be google that see possitive effects from people using sitemaps, Not the webmaster. The most we would see is a slight reduction in bandwidth.

**zagu060807** · 07-30-2007, 03:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jimb12

Do you think a sitemap is important to have for google.

Yes, it helps index sub-pages because SEs also crawls them.

**chrishirst** · 07-31-2007, 08:13 AM

If your "sub" pages don't get crawled

FIX your navigation rather than mess about with sitemaps.

**hamesy** · 07-31-2007, 08:19 AM

If you have decent navigation then I wouldn't see a need for a sitemap.

However, there have been times when I've visited a corporate website and I couldn't find what I was looking for. The only reason I found it was because of the sitemap.

**chrishirst** · 07-31-2007, 08:54 AM

Quote:

The only reason I found it was because of the sitemap

Different thing entirely, a on-site sitemap is FAR more useful.

**seowebdesigner** · 10:10 AM

See site is very important factor for users as well as for search engines...!!!

By placing HTML Sitemap on the website is more friendly for locating the page by users

and by placing xml sitemap on the website is more friendly for search engines to study your website and cache for better position and ranking...!!!

Link drop removed

**chrishirst** · 07-31-2007, 10:11 AM

Nope

A XML sitemap is of NO use for ranking.

**fitnfree** · 08-03-2007, 09:03 AM

Quote:

If your "sub" pages don't get crawled

FIX your navigation rather than mess about with sitemaps.

Speaking of navigation and sitemaps, etc., late last year I changed my navigation in hopes of being in keeping with the "one-click" trend...as in one click to get to where you want to be but it almost appears it hurt me rather than helped me. I went with a drop-down CSS menu which I really believed was an improvement, but now I wonder.

Also, regarding the sitemaps, I've been submitting my sitemap to Google Sitemaps for years, yet when I do the site status check, I continually get the following message:

Potential indexing problems:
We do not know about all the pages of your site. You can submit a Sitemap to tell us more about your site.
Anyone know what's up with that?? Tx...