Best eCommerce Sitemap: Benefits, Features, & Setup

Building the best eCommerce website means it should be easy to navigate for both the customers and search engine crawlers. That’s where the eCommerce sitemap comes in. Without it, your customers might struggle to find the products they desire, and search engines might miss indexing important pages. That will hurt the visibility and sales.

So how do you set up the eCommerce sitemaps? Both XML and HTML. And what kind of benefits will it offer? That’s what this blog aims to uncover.

Our eCommerce development company follows a variety of practices to ensure the best search visibility as well as user experience on the eStore. Let’s discuss them. But first, what are sitemaps?

What is a Sitemap?

A sitemap is a file that provides information about the pages, videos, and other files on your website, and the relationships between them. It acts as a roadmap for search engines like Google, helping them crawl and index your website’s content more efficiently.

Sitemaps help search engines understand:

• What content exists: A sitemap lists all the important URLs (pages) you want search engines to know about.   
• How it’s organized: It can show the hierarchy of your website, indicating which pages are most important.   
• When it was updated: Sitemaps can include information about when pages were last modified, signaling to search engines to re-crawl them for fresh content.

Ultimately, a sitemap helps your website get found by the right people searching for the products or information you offer.

Types of Sitemaps in eCommerce

A meticulously crafted sitemap ensures that your valuable content is not only discoverable but also easily accessible. That fosters an intuitive and engaging experience for every visitor. To that end, there are two primary types of sitemaps:

XML Sitemaps

Encoded in Extensible Markup Language (XML), this sitemap serves as the technical guide for search engine crawlers. That offers a structured schema of your website’s hierarchy. It meticulously lists all essential URLs, encompassing product pages, category pages, blog posts, and other vital content.

This sitemap offers metadata such as last modification dates, update frequencies, and priority indicators. So the search engines can efficiently crawl, index, and prioritize your website’s content within search results.

HTML Sitemaps

Functioning as an intuitive directory, the HTML sitemap helps users navigate your eCommerce platform with ease. Presented as a user-friendly web page, it offers a clear and organized overview of your website’s structure, facilitating effortless exploration and discovery.

The HTML sitemap enhances the website navigation and provides internal linking structure. That contributes to a seamless and satisfying user experience, fostering engagement and conversion.

Why Implement Both XML and HTML Sitemaps in eCommerce?

While XML sitemaps cater to the technical requirements of search engine optimization, HTML sitemaps prioritize user experience, ensuring intuitive navigation and content accessibility. It cultivates a robust online presence, driving organic traffic and enhancing user engagement. It will ultimately maximize your eStore’s potential.

How to Implement the XML Sitemap in eCommerce?

An XML sitemap ensures that search engines can discover and index your product pages, category pages, and other important content. Here’s how you implement it:

Step 1: Generate Your XML Sitemap

The first step of implementing the XML sitemap is to generate it. There are two ways to go about it: built-in tools by eCommerce platforms and online sitemap generators.

Leverage Your eCommerce Platform’s Built-in Tools

Most popular eCommerce platforms recognize the importance of XML sitemaps and offer built-in functionality or readily available plugins to simplify the process. Let’s take three of the best platforms for example: WooCommerce, Shopify, and Magento.

• Shopify: Navigate to your online store’s settings and find the “Sitemaps” section. Shopify automatically generates an XML sitemap for you, usually located at /sitemap.xml.
• Magento: Magento often includes a sitemap generation feature within its marketing or SEO settings. You can configure the frequency of updates and specific types of content to include.
• WooCommerce: This popular WordPress plugin often has sitemap functionality built-in or readily available through popular SEO plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math. These plugins offer extensive customization options for your sitemap.

Utilize Online Sitemap Generators

If your eCommerce platform lacks built-in tools, or you prefer more control over the process, online sitemap generators are a valuable resource.

• XML-Sitemaps.com: This popular tool allows you to enter your website’s URL, and it will crawl your site to generate an XML sitemap. You can customize various settings, such as the number of pages to crawl and the frequency of updates.
• Screaming Frog: This powerful website crawler offers a comprehensive sitemap generation feature. While it requires a download, it provides advanced options for customization and analysis.

You can also hire our expert eCommerce developers if you want custom sitemap solutions for your eStore. We consider all important things like size limits, dynamic content, and mobile versions to ensure the best, most effective solutions.

Step 2: Optimize your XML Sitemap

Simply having an XML sitemap may not be enough for your eStore. You need to optimize it to ensure search engines can effectively use it to understand and index your content. Here’s what you need to do:

• Focus on indexable, valuable pages: Prioritize pages that are unique, informative, and optimized for relevant keywords. These are the pages you want to rank highest in search results.
• De-emphasize low-value pages: Avoid including pages with thin content, duplicate content, or pages that are not meant to be indexed (e.g., login pages, thank you pages). You can use the <priority> tag in your sitemap to assign different priority levels to different pages.
• Specify the “master” URL: Ensure your sitemap only includes the canonical URL to avoid confusing search engines with duplicate content.
• Use the <link rel=”canonical”> tag: Implement this tag on all variations to point to the main page. This helps consolidate ranking signals and avoids duplicate content issues.
• Use the <lastmod> tag: Include this tag within each <url> entry to inform search engines about the last modification date.
• Encourage frequent crawling: Accurate lastmod values signal to search engines that your content is fresh and deserves frequent re-crawling. It’s especially important for eCommerce sites with frequent product updates or blog posts.

This kind of optimization can help improve the crawling, indexing, and visibility in search results.

Step 3: Submit your XML Sitemap to Google Search Console

Now that the XML sitemap is ready, it’s time to submit it to the Google Search Console. It allows Google to quickly and efficiently understand your website’s structure, discover new pages, and index your content for search results.

• Access the Google Search Console: Sign up for a free GSC account and follow the website verification steps. This usually involves adding a DNS record or uploading an HTML file to your website.
• Navigate to “Sitemaps” Report: In your GSC account, choose the property (website) you want to submit the sitemap for. Then, in the left-hand navigation menu, click on “Sitemaps” under the “Indexing” section.
• Submit Your Sitemaps: In the “Add a new sitemap” field, enter the full URL of your XML sitemap. This is typically something like https://www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml. If you have a sitemap index file, submit that instead. Then, click “Submit”.

After submitting, Search Console will process your sitemap. Check back later to see if there are any errors or warnings.

Whenever you add new pages, remove old pages, or make significant changes to your website, update your XML sitemap to reflect these changes. If you need help with this part of the eStore SEO, our eCommerce site maintenance services will help.

How to Implement HTML Sitemap in eCommerce?

While XML sitemaps cater to search engines, HTML sitemaps are designed with your human visitors in mind. They provide a user-friendly overview of your website’s structure, making it easier for customers to navigate and find what they’re looking for.

Here’s how you can implement an HTML sitemap for your eStore.

Step 1: Plan Your Sitemap Structure

This first step is all about making it easier for customers to find what they need quickly and intuitively. Here’s how the approach goes:

Visualize your website’s hierarchy: Your sitemap should reflect this hierarchy, guiding users from general categories down to specific products.

• Top Level: Homepage and main categories (e.g., Men’s Clothing, Women’s Clothing, Accessories).
• Mid Level: Subcategories (e.g., within Men’s Clothing: Shirts, Pants, Shoes).
• Bottom Level: Individual product pages.

Prioritize key pages and categories: Not all pages are equally important. Prioritize those that are crucial for your business goals and user experience:

• Homepage: Always the starting point.
• Top-selling categories: Feature categories that drive the most traffic and sales.
• Promotional landing pages: Include pages for special offers or seasonal campaigns.
• Essential pages: Link to “About Us”, “Contact Us”, “FAQ”, and other important pages.

Group related pages: Cluster related pages together to make navigation intuitive:

• Product Categories: Group products into logical categories and subcategories.
• Content Clusters: If you have a blog, group related blog posts under relevant categories.
• Seasonal or Thematic Pages: Create sections for holiday promotions, special collections, or themed content.

Consider user intent: Think about how users typically navigate your site and what they’re looking for:

• Search Functionality: If users often search for specific products, ensure your sitemap has a clear path to those products.
• Browsing Behavior: If users tend to browse by category, organize your sitemap to facilitate easy browsing.

Keep it concise and scannable: Avoid overwhelming users with a dense, text-heavy sitemap:

• Use clear headings and subheadings: Break up the content into digestible sections.
• Employ bullet points or lists: Make the sitemap easy to scan and read.
• Limit the number of links: Focus on the most important pages.

Planning your HTML sitemap structure effectively can help enhance the browsing experience for the customers.

Step 2: Create Your HTML Sitemap Page

After planning comes the execution. This is where your planning structure takes shape as a navigable, user-friendly page on your website. There are three ways to go about it.

Manual method

If you’re comfortable with HTML, use a text editor or a dedicated HTML editor like Atom, Sublime Text, or VS Code.

Create a basic HTML page with a <header>, <body>, and <footer>. Within the <body>, use heading tags (<h1>, <h2>, etc.) to define sections and unordered lists (<ul>, <li>) to list your pages. Use anchor tags (<a>) to link each page title to its corresponding URL.

Here’s an example.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
  <title>Sitemap - Your Website</title>
</head>
<body>
  <h1>Sitemap</h1>
  <h2>Shop</h2>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="/category/mens-clothing/">Men's Clothing</a></li>
    <li><a href="/category/womens-clothing/">Women's Clothing</a></li>
  </ul>
  <h2>About</h2>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="/about-us/">About Us</a></li>
    <li><a href="/contact-us/">Contact Us</a></li>
  </ul>
</body>
</html>

Plugins and Modules

WordPress has plugins like WP Sitemap Page along with SEO plugins like Yoast SEO for sitemap generation. They automatically generate an HTML sitemap based on your website’s structure.  You can customize the appearance and included pages.

Many eCommerce platforms have built-in sitemap functionality or offer extensions specifically for generating HTML sitemaps. Check your platform’s documentation or app store for options.

Online Generators

Websites like XML-Sitemaps.com also offer HTML sitemap generation. You provide your website URL, and the tool crawls your site to create a basic sitemap. These tools may offer basic customization options, but for advanced styling, you’ll likely need to edit the generated HTML code.

Ensure your sitemap is accessible to users with disabilities by following accessibility guidelines (e.g., proper heading structure, alt text for images).

Step 3: Optimize for User Experience

An HTML sitemap isn’t just a list of links; it’s a navigational tool that can significantly impact a user’s experience on your eCommerce site. Here are a few things you need to do for maximum usability:

• Informative Anchor Text: Use link text that clearly describes the destination page. Instead of “Click Here,” use “Shop Men’s Winter Jackets.”
• Concise Language: Keep link text brief and to the point, avoiding jargon or overly technical terms.
• Consistent Formatting: Maintain a consistent style for all links (e.g., font size, color, hover effects).
• Heading Structure: Utilize heading tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.) to create a clear visual hierarchy, mirroring your sitemap’s structure.
• Bulleted or Numbered Lists: Organize links within categories using bullet points or numbered lists for easy scanning.
• White Space: Use ample white space to prevent the sitemap from feeling cluttered and overwhelming.
• Search Functionality: If your sitemap is extensive, consider adding a search bar to allow users to quickly find specific pages.
• Breadcrumbs: Include breadcrumbs to show users their current location within the sitemap hierarchy.
• Responsive Design: Ensure your sitemap is responsive and adapts seamlessly to different screen sizes.
• Touch-friendly Links: Make sure links are large enough and spaced appropriately for easy tapping on touchscreens.
• Broken Link Checks: Periodically check for broken links within your sitemap and fix them promptly.

Create an HTML sitemap that enhances user experience, reduces bounce rates, and encourages exploration of your eCommerce website.

Step 4: Link to Your Sitemap

Linking to your HTML sitemap is the crucial final step in making it easily accessible to your website visitors. Think of it as putting up clear signs directing customers to the store directory. Here’s how to strategically place those signs:

Footer Link

The footer is the most standard and expected place for a sitemap link. It’s consistently present on every page, providing easy access no matter where users are on your site.

<footer>
  <a href="/sitemap.html">Sitemap</a>
</footer>

Main Navigation Menu

Consider including a sitemap link in your main navigation menu, especially if your website has a complex structure or extensive content. This placement makes the sitemap more prominent and easier to find for users who actively seek it.

<nav>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="/">Home</a></li>
    <li><a href="/shop">Shop</a></li>
    <li><a href="/about">About</a></li>
    <li><a href="/sitemap.html">Sitemap</a></li>
  </ul>
</nav>

Finally, make sure you keep the sitemap regularly updated. That involves new pages, product additions, category changes, and more. An outdated sitemap can mislead both users and search engines.

If you need help with implementing the HTML sitemap for your eStore, our eCommerce experts will be of help. But how would it help?

What are Benefits of XML and HTML eCommerce Sitemaps?

Both XML and HTML sitemaps play crucial roles in enhancing your eCommerce website’s performance. They offer distinct benefits:

XML Sitemap Benefits

• Improved Crawling: Provides a clear roadmap for search engine bots to discover and index all important pages on your site.   
• Faster Indexing: Helps search engines quickly understand your website’s structure and content, leading to faster indexing of new or updated pages.   
• Enhanced Visibility: Increases the chances of your pages appearing in relevant search results, driving organic traffic to your store.   
• Handling Dynamic Content: Effectively communicates changes in dynamic content to search engines, ensuring they always have the latest information.   
• Prioritization: Allows you to prioritize important pages, signaling to search engines which pages to focus on during crawling.   
• Managing Large Websites: Helps manage large websites with thousands of pages by breaking down the sitemap into smaller, more manageable files.

HTML Sitemap Benefits

• Improved Navigation: Provides a user-friendly overview of your website’s structure, making it easier for visitors to find what they’re looking for.   
• Enhanced User Experience: Reduces frustration and improves user satisfaction by simplifying navigation and content discovery.   
• Lower Bounce Rates: Encourages users to explore more pages on your site, reducing bounce rates and increasing engagement.
• Accessibility: Can be optimized for accessibility, making it easier for users with disabilities to navigate your website.   
• Internal Linking: Serves as an internal linking structure, which can boost SEO and improve the flow of link equity throughout your site.

While XML sitemaps focus on search engine optimization, HTML sitemaps prioritize user experience. You need to implement both types to increase the traffic and improve the engagement. It may even help improve the conversion rates of your eStore.

FAQs on Best eCommerce Sitemap

To Summarize

Implementing and optimizing both XML and HTML sitemaps helps build a bridge to connect with your target audience and drive business growth. While XMl sitemaps act as a guide for the search crawlers, HTML sitemaps cater to the human experience.

But remember that maintaining your sitemaps is equally crucial. Regularly updating them to reflect changes in your website’s structure and content ensures accuracy and effectiveness for both search engines and users. If you need help with your eCommerce sitemaps, have a consultation with us today!