Why Adding A Html Sitemap Increases Website Traffic?

November 11, 2009

Why Sitemaps Are Linked To Your Search Engine Optimization?

John Mignano
John Mignano

Today I want to talk with about the importance of adding a HTML sitemap to your blog or business website.

First, what exactly is a HTML sitemap?

Html sitemap is an actual page of your business website  outlining the complete structure of your website, and links to all the important pages on your website.

If you want to see an example, check the “Archives” section of this blog here!

Technically it may not be correct to call it “Archives” although in reality a HTML sitemap simply outlines the structure of all content I have published month by month, and this is where every post is also linked together.

Now it is important to not confuse an HTML sitemap with an XML sitemap.

An XML sitemap also outlines the structures of your website, yet the XML format is understood by search engine bots only.

If you visit a XML sitemap you will see only the code.

Therefore the purpose of a XML sitemap is useful to have your business website crawled by search engine spiders.

That way the search engine bots can index your pages correctly.

The HTML sitemap on the other had is very useful for the search engine spiders and people.

First of all because it is useful for your visitors as it allows you to find any page within your website quickly.

Second, and most important is HTML sitemaps represent a very good way
to distribute your link building and PageRank among pages of your website.

Ideally you want all pages linking to the HTML sitemap and the HTML sitemap linking back to all the pages.

You can include important pages like your Privacy Policy or contact page if you want.

One way to accomplish this is to put a link to the HTML sitemap on the main navigation menu or on the footer of your blog or website.

Finally, here is a hot tip that very few people know in getting external backlinks pointing to your HTML sitemap.

This tactic is very good for SEO. Why? Because seo link building will pass directly to all the pages on your website.

If you get a backlink pointing to an internal page (e.g., a blog post) it will need to pass through at least one hop before it passes seo link building or(link juice) to other pages.

Links to the HTML sitemap, on the other hand pass seo link building directly to all other pages on your site.

The next time you do a guest post consider pointing the byline link to your HTML sitemap instead of your homepage.

Taking the time to write a different byline link, anchor text and surrounding text is worth the effort for increasing website traffic.

Finally, if you are using WordPress and want to create an HTML sitemap like mine, just search on Google for “SGR Clean Archives.”

That is the name of the plugin that creates the sitemap for you.

Conclusion

The words you put on a web page have no life of their own until they get read.

And those same words will not gain prominence in search engines until the words are linked to by relevant, authoritative sources.

Search engines can still be used just like offline real-world systems can be exploited.

 However, the goals of the search engines are similar to society at large and they are getting very good at finding rule breakers.

 Creating compelling content and beneficial relationships are strategies that won’t get you banned or penalized.

Add relevant and value to your overall goal of converting website traffic (visitors) into revenue.

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