Both HTML and XML sitemaps?

Cristian Level X³

August 1, 2016, 4:18 pm

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Both HTML and XML sitemaps?

Do you have both HTML and XML sitemaps?
Do you think a websites needs 2 sitemaps? Apparently, an XML sitemap is only for search engines, to make everything easier to crawl and therefore index.

I have no problems with creating and submitting an XML sitemap, though for websites that are coded in asp.net I had to use SiteMap.aspx and not XML.

Anyway, what do you think about HTML sitemaps? Should such sitemaps be also submitted in Search Console together with the XML?
I remember back in the old days of the internet most websites indeed had a HTML sitemap, but that was for the users, not search engines.

Are HTML sitemaps mandatory for modern websites? Is it a "best practice" type of situation? What do you think?

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Lynne

Oh my gosh Cristian now you are getting into things that are outside of my comfort zone. Yes I have submitted sitemaps to Google and I think to Bing too.

I wasn't even aware that there were different types of sitemaps until this post so I don't know what type I submitted. So my sitemap was generated by my SEO plugin if I remember correctly, so I went into my All In One Seo and got the sitemap there. Whatever they gave me is what I submitted.

What is the best way to submit your sitemap and have I done it correctly?

9 years ago

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Cristian

Well, you most probably generated an XML sitemap if you used the All In One Seo plugin.
I recommend you switch for YOAST SEO is way better and has more functionalities. Either way, you have done everything right if you submitted that sitemap to Google Search console and whatever Bing haves.

As far as for the HTML sitemap, that's what I'm asking. It's more for the user and less for search engines. I usually don't develop an HTML sitemap anymore, wondering if it's still useful for SEO and user experience?

9 years ago

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sumoncps

As Google webmaster tool only allow XML sitemap so we are having XML version of our sitemap. And along with XML sitemap, we also have html version of sitemap which is visible to our website.

9 years ago

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overcast

For most of the clients that I know, I have decided to go with the XML version. And the sitemap.xml is even the google search console accepts that. It can be good to have both options. But these days the XML version is required. That being said, both Bing and Google search console accept the XML sitemap. I wish to make use of only XML for personal preference. Other people can make use of both if they want.

8 years ago

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SEOClerks

Both HTML and XML sitemaps?

Both HTML and XML sitemaps?

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