XML Sitemaps Vs. HTML Sitemaps

In-depth knowledge of HTML and XML Sitemaps with other technical terms has for a long time been reserved for website developers and administrators. This is no longer because currently, it is imperative for every webmaster to master HTML and XML if you are to realize a website’s maximum potential. You can createa sitemap using a myriad of online tools like DYNO Mapper, an effective website sitemapgenerator even if you are not technologically endowed.

What are XML and HTML Sitemaps?

XML means External Markup Language while HTML means Hyper Text Markup Language. The two mark up languages serve different purposes, especially when creating sitemaps but jointly, make it easier for online users and search engines to find content pages amongst over a billion websites. XML and HTML differ, from their creation process and purposes.

• HTML Sitemaps. These sitemaps organize various pages and sections of either your blog or website through hyperlinks, which are listed in a particular hierarchy and placed on the website’s homepage. It also includes descriptions of the links so that users understand what kind of information to expect when they opt to click on the links.
• XML sitemaps. They organize various sections of a webpage through URLs by adopting a particular format for the search engines’ consumption. While HTML is human-based, the XML sitemaps are designed for the search engines. Furthermore, unlike HTML sitemaps, the XML sitemaps should be placed on the website’s root directory for easy access by the search engines.

It is the responsibility of every webmaster to generate and submit both sitemaps to various search engines for there are numerous benefits for doing that. This has to be done with utmost caution, but sitemap generators guarantee a higher level of accuracy during the whole process.

Differences and Benefits of XML and HTML Sitemaps

While XML adheres to a particular format, HTML has no particular standard for webmasters to follow since they include internal links to pages and URLs. One of the advantages of using HTML sitemap is the fact that it makes it easier for the users searching for particular content on the website to find it pretty fast. It also lets search engines easily index the web pages. If properly created and submitted, it can tremendously influence and compliment your SEO efforts. The XML sitemap is useful in getting your web pages discovered by search engines especially when you have quality contents. In fact, it makes website crawling and indexing very easy and fast because all the links can be found on a single page, making it easy for the bots to move from one page to another. 

Sitemap generators can be used to create both HTML and XML sitemaps such as DYNO Mapper. That is not all; you can also use the tools to create content inventories for the site. For sites with hundreds or even thousands of pages, it is  abest practice to create multiple sitemaps, limiting the number of links per sitemap to 50,000 URLs. Each URL must be accompanied by a comprehensive, keyword-rich description about the content on the page.