Does every site need a sitemap file?

There is no need for a sitemap.xml file if the platform has one or more pages. However, for large-scale web resources, such as online stores or company websites, the presence of sitemap.xml brings many benefits:

• The search engine robot quickly scans all available pages, including new ones. When you add new content to various pages, Google (if a Sitemap is present) receives notifications and indexes the new content whenever you make changes. All updates appear much faster in search results. This is especially useful if you offer content that quickly becomes outdated, such as news, weather forecasts, or horoscopes.
• Thanks to quality indexing, organic search engine optimization becomes more effortless. Google understands your content and actively promotes it among millions of other pages.
• Having all pages present in search results contributes to sales and a steady flow of organic traffic. The Sitemap works continuously and is a resource that costs you nothing but brings incredible results.
• You can monitor the quality of page indexing and promptly address any errors that might cause inconveniences for your users. Consequently, not only does the number of visitors increase but also the audience’s loyalty, which gains the ability to find the information and content they need quickly.
• Website owners have the ability to prioritize categories: the most important content will be indexed first and urgently.
• Gain more information about your audience by analyzing which pages are visited most often, the keywords that lead people to your site on the Internet, and where your site’s visitors come from (traffic sources).

With a Sitemap, you don’t have to work blindly: you will receive very accurate and detailed information on what can be improved, how to optimize content, and how to attract even more interested audiences.

So, if you have a large site with many sections, categories, and pages, a sitemap will benefit you a lot.

What should you know about sitemaps?

The most common format for sitemaps is XML. This format allows the resource owners to inform the search engine of the priority of the pages, the date of the last changes, and other essential data. In parallel, there is an HTML format. Experts from https://elsitech.com/ now consider such site maps outdated and inconvenient.

How to create a sitemap?

Maps are divided into two categories: static and dynamic. It is easier to create a static one, but the site owner has to make all updates manually. A dynamic map is updated automatically, but it requires the help of an IT specialist to create one. You can also generate a sitemap using special plugins or programs like Screaming Frog.

Place the finished sitemap at the root of the site. Check whether the principle of page hierarchy is respected in this file.

• Main page;
• Sections of the first level (main);
• Subcategories;
• Tag Pages;
• Blog;
• URLs for the top and bottom menus.

Keep the structure as simple and clear as possible, thanks to which the search engine will index the pages faster. Once you’ve completed your sitemap, add it to Google Search Console.

How to add a sitemap to Google Search Console?

The sitemap must be present not only on your site but also in Google Search Console, which is a necessary prerequisite for the site to be well indexed by the search engine and for all pages to be properly displayed in the search. To add a file to GSC, you need to log in to your account, add your site, or select it on this page, and then go to the “Sitemaps” menu (this section is located on the left menu of the administration area. When you click here, you will see an “Add a new sitemap” button. Copy the URL to your sitemap file here and confirm the operation. It may take a few days for all the pages of your platform to be indexed (depending on the volume of your website). After a few days, you can log in to GSC again to track changes. Here, you will see the site indexing results and check the site map’s quality.

In the Sitemaps section, you will see information for analysis. Go to the “Details” tab. Here, you may be surprised that not all pages are indexed. Some of them will have to be corrected or refined. After correcting errors, the robot will automatically index them. If you follow all these recommendations, there will be no errors.

The post Sitemap: Benefits, advantages, features appeared first on How to make your blog.

Since it is difficult to remember a long IP address, simpler and shorter domain names are widely used to access sites.

The domain name consists of two parts: first, the direct name of the resource is indicated, and then the top-level domain (TDL).

For example, in the domain name logaster.com, the .com component will be the TLD. When you choose a URL, you will see that there is a wide variety of top-level domains. Each extension carries certain connotations, so it is important to make the right choice.

The post What is a domain? appeared first on How to make your blog.

Choosing a domain for a blog is as painstaking as choosing a name for a child or business. First of all, you need to decide on the goals and objectives that you pursue by creating a blog. Are you planning to make high profits from your blog or do you want to sell it over time? The choice of a domain name is also influenced by the theme and style of the blog, the number of people in the team. It is also important to decide on the audience for which the blog is designed: whether it will be couples, teenagers or businessmen. It is important that the domain is memorable, and people could easily enter it into the address bar of the browser on their own when you dictate the address over the phone, for example.

Some people prefer to use keywords in the title of their blog, while others insist on creating a brand. Both are important. The first is designed for search engines, the second is for people. You need to be able to look into the future in order to understand if the current name of the blog will tie you hand and foot. There are cases when domain names have become “cramped” for blogs, and this also happens in the case of an increase in the number of blogs on one domain. When searching for a domain name, it is often suggested to create a domain containing the current year. Do not use such names for your blog if you plan to keep it for more than one year. In general, try to avoid names that may become obsolete in the future.

You can still find many blogs and sites on the net with completely idiotic and meaningless domain names. For some reason, their owners are sure that the domain does not play an important role in the fate of an online resource. To avoid mistakes when choosing a domain, consult with two or three reliable friends. It is worth talking with people of other cultures, nationalities, perhaps for them the domain name will mean something else. It is important to check if this domain was registered before you. Sometimes spammers, having used domain names, refuse them, and such names are banned by Google. On the other hand, domains that have already gained a good reputation are also being sold.

The post How to choose the right domain for your blog appeared first on How to make your blog.

A blog can be anything these days. Since media channels are so diverse, you will find that you need a YouTube name generator, a blog name generator, a Twitter name generator, or just a screen name generator for your online front.

Either way, you’ll need some interesting ideas for a blog title. Coming up with good blog titles can be quite a daunting task if you don’t use a dedicated blogging tool. Good blog titles should be short, catchy, and eye-catching. When someone comes across the name of your blog, they should immediately understand what’s going on.

You can think very hard to come up with the best blog name, or you can ask for the services of a professional blog name generator. There are many blog name generators out there, some of which are free while others require payment. Depending on the service you want, you should use any of them, but rest assured that if you need a blog name, you’ll get it quickly with an excellent blog name generator.

Not all blog titles are created equal, and some are much better than others. For example, if you search for bodybuilding.com, you instantly know what the website is about. You should base the name of your blog or website on its content.

The post Name generators for blogs appeared first on How to make your blog.

If you want to be featured on blogging platforms like Tumblr, Blogger, and LiveJournal, then you don’t have to register a domain. In this case, your blog will be available at the internal site address of the form blogname.tumblr.com or blogname.livejournal.com, which you yourself select when creating your account.

At the same time, each of the listed platforms allows you to connect a separately registered personal domain to your blog. It will most likely be shorter than the site’s internal address. Therefore, it will be easier for visitors to remember it and more convenient to type in the browser. In addition, an independent domain increases the reputation of your blog in the eyes of your audience. The benefits are clear.

The post Do you need to register a domain appeared first on How to make your blog.