XML Sitemaps: Getting Them Right
A sitemap is a discovery aid, not a ranking factor. Here is how to build one that helps.
Technical SEO
What belongs in it
Only canonical, indexable, 200-status URLs you actually want ranked. Not redirected URLs, not noindexed pages, not canonicalised duplicates. A sitemap full of non-indexable URLs erodes trust in the file.
Structure for large sites
Split into multiple sitemaps by content type with a sitemap index. This makes coverage reporting in Search Console diagnostic rather than aggregate: you can see which section has indexation problems.
Maintenance
Regenerate automatically on publish. Keep lastmod dates accurate, since inaccurate ones train Google to ignore them. Monitor the indexed-versus-submitted ratio in Search Console as an ongoing health signal.
Key takeaways
- Include only canonical, indexable, 200-status URLs
- Split by content type so coverage reporting is diagnostic
- Accurate lastmod dates matter; inaccurate ones get ignored
- Monitor indexed-versus-submitted ratio continuously
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