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Remove <priority> tag from your XML sitemaps Illyes compared the <priority> tag in XML sitemaps to “a bag of noise.” So if you’re depending on search engines to crawl your URLs in your XML sitemap based on priority, you’ll be waiting a long time. XML sitemaps. 14. If you have navigational structure issues, pair your XML sitemap with an HTML sitemap There have always been mixed feelings about HTML sitemaps. Mueller shared that HTML sitemaps “should never be needed.” He continued: “I changed my mind on HTML sitemaps over the years, they should never be needed. Sites small & large should always have a clear navigational structure.
If you feel the need for a HTML sitemap, spend the DB to Data improving your site’s architecture instead. HTML sitemaps fit into the same bin with HTML loading spinners. When working on large websites at an enterprise level, there are often multiple layers of decision-makers on a website navigation structure. And oftentimes, SEO best practices are taken into consideration. I pair both my XML sitemap with an HTML sitemap until I’m confident in our website navigation and internal linking hierarchy. 15. Don’t forget to include all your XML sitemaps in your robots.file Don’t forget to include your XML sitemaps (all of them) as links in your robots.txt file. Here is an example: Include all your XML sitemaps in your robots. file Don’t worry about where in the robots. file these should go.

There is no impact on the location of your XML sitemap in your robots.txt file. Mueller confirmed this: No, it doesn't matter. — John Mueller (official) · MaybeABot September 23, 2021 XML sitemaps are the blueprint of your website for search engines Whether you’re launching a new webpage or just adding a canonical tag to a duplicate page, your XML sitemap is something you should update 24/7. But do so with caution. While you shouldn’t be paranoid, your XML sitemap is the blueprint of your house for search engines. So don’t forget to submit your XML sitemaps to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.
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