XML Sitemap Question...
Hi there,
Our robots.txt file currently lists the path to our XML Sitemap. We also have a link to the sitemap listed in our global footer.
QUESTION: Is there any SEO benefit, one way or another, in having this sitemap listed in both areas? Is it better to list in one place only? If so, which one?
Any input would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
Having the sitemap linked in both your robots.txt file and the footer is totally fine and can actually be helpful. The robots.txt is mainly for search engines, making sure they know where your sitemap is, while the footer link is more for user accessibility.
Hi @JonyK,
Thanks for the reply. Instead of linking to the XML sitemap in the FOOTER, do you feel it would be better to generate an "HTML" sitemap and link? My thought is it could be more user-friendly which could help with SEO. Also, the link currently opens up in a new window. Would it be better to target "_self"? Appreciate your assistance on this.
XML sitemap link in robots.txt is fine and the page footer should have HTML sitemap.
I appreciate the feedback. Would it be okay to just have the sitemap listed in the robots file and removed from the footer? Or for SEO purposes, do you feel it's better to have an HTML Sitemap down there? If you lean towards having an HTML sitemap in the footer, is there a recommended permalink naming convention that works best? ie. mydomain .com / sitemap.html
If all the pages are linked together already then there is no need of HTML sitemap link in the footer.
Okay great. Thanks so much for the reply.
Hi there,
Having your XML Sitemap listed in both the robots.txt file and the global footer serves slightly different purposes, and both can be beneficial depending on your goals. Here's a breakdown of the SEO implications:
Robots.txt File Listing your sitemap in the robots.txt file is a common and recommended SEO practice. It serves as a signal to search engines, helping crawlers easily discover your sitemap and efficiently index your site's content. This is especially useful if search engine bots rely on the robots.txt file as an entry point to your site structure.
Global Footer Including a link to your sitemap in the global footer is more user-focused. While it doesn’t directly improve SEO rankings, it can:
Help users (especially web admins or developers) locate your sitemap easily. Build trust with search engines by showing transparency in your site structure. Should You Use Both? Yes, having the sitemap in both areas can be advantageous.
The robots.txt file ensures search engines find your sitemap quickly and crawl your site effectively. The global footer serves as a user-friendly element that also signals to search engines that you value accessibility. When to Choose One Over the Other If you need to prioritize:
Robots.txt File: Focus on this if you want to streamline crawling and indexing. Global Footer: Include this only if it aligns with your user experience or design strategy. If not, it can be omitted without impacting SEO significantly. Conclusion There's no harm in having the sitemap listed in both places, and it might even enhance your overall strategy by covering both SEO and user experience bases. However, if you want to reduce redundancy, prioritize listing the sitemap in the robots.txt file for direct SEO benefits.
Hope this helps! Let me know if you have further questions.
Thanks so much for the clarification. Very informative. I have had a link to our XML sitemap listed in our footer for years (opens up into a new window). XML sitemap is in the robots file as well. I will probably leave it "as is" so it does not disrupt anything unless it could be holding up back. I appreciate your thoroughness in the explanation.