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XML Sitemap

What Is XML Sitemap?

This is a file that lists important URLs of an eCommerce site, such as product pages, ensuring that browsers can find them organically. You can include various types of information such as the latest site updates, or even tags to segment data.

What Is The Use Of Sitemap XML In eCommerce?

An XML directory structure does more than traditional links in eCommerce websites. They ensure that the site is structured properly for browsers to crawl through them. In return, new clients can find your merchandise easily on the Internet.

How To Create An XML Sitemap For eCommerce?

You can create an XML sitemap for your eCommerce store in five steps:

Review the structure and content of your existing product pages;
Code important URLs and format them with XML tags;
Use an XML directory tool to validate the code;
Add the directory structure to the root;
Submit the directory structure to Google.

HTML Map VS Sitemap XML

An HTML sitemap includes aggregated URLs that contain important user content on your eCommerce store, which enhances the experience of navigating the page. Typically, an HTML map is human-readable and is geared towards enhancing user experience.

On the other hand, XML (Extensible Markup Language) sitemaps are only readable by machines, such as bots. Hence, they increase the visibility of your site among Internet bots. Besides simply listing the URL, the XML map also includes the page’s metadata, such as how important it is to the website.

How To Update eCommerce Sitemap

One of XML sitemap best practices include regular updates. You can update your XML sitemap in the following steps:

Use an XML sitemap generator to get a copy of the file;
Upload the generated file to the eCommerce site’s root server;
Verify the file;
Submit the updated website map to your preferred engine.

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Frequently Asked Questions About XML Sitemap

How to find XML sitemap?

You need to know how to find XML sitemap if you’re going to enhance the visibility of your product pages in browsers. This file usually exists inside your domain’s root directory and is publicly accessible provided it is live.

How to submit XML sitemap to Google?

You already know what is XML sitemap. It will also help if you understand how to submit XML sitemap to Google. You can do it in the following easy steps:

Log in to Google Search Console;
Choose your eCommerce site inside the bar;
Look for the Index section in the Site tree menu;
Delete an old structure if any exists in the index section;
Click on add a new site tree and enter your file’s index XML;
Submit the site tree to Google.

What sitemaps are used for?

Site trees are used to increase the visibility of important URLs in an eCommerce store, such as product pages by allowing browsers to crawl over them easily.

How a missing or incomplete sitemap could harm your store?

A missing or outmoded website map could harm your store in the following ways:

Customers may not discover new pages;
Image search results won’t capture your product pages;
Fewer links mean exclusion from everyday search results.

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