XML sitemap

An XML sitemap is a file, usually at /sitemap.xml, that lists the pages on a website so search engines and other crawlers can find them all.

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What it means for a Dubai business

A sitemap does not make pages rank. It makes sure crawlers know they exist, especially new pages and pages that few other pages link to. Most website builders make one for you.

It helps to point to it from your robots.txt and to submit it in Google Search Console, where you can also see whether Google has indexed your pages.

Example

A brokerage publishes twelve new area guides. Without links from the homepage, Google takes weeks to find some of them. They are in the sitemap, so they are found and indexed sooner. This site lists every guide and glossary term in its sitemap.

Common mistake

Listing pages you do not want found, like test pages. Or leaving out the pages that matter. Read your sitemap once and check it matches the site you want people to see.

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