XML sitemap
Definition
The XML sitemap is your website's map for search engines: the structured list of all the pages you want indexed.Search engines discover your website by following links. The XML sitemap makes their job easier: it is a file, usually at /sitemap.xml, listing all your important pages with their last modification date.
Its role is both overestimated and underestimated. Overestimated: a sitemap does not raise your rankings, it only helps pages get discovered. Underestimated: on a site that publishes regularly (blog, news), it clearly speeds up the indexing of new content, and it cleanly signals what should and should not be indexed.
A healthy sitemap lists only useful pages: no test pages, no duplicates, no technical pages. A polluted sitemap sends confusing signals. On a well-built site, it is generated and updated automatically with every publication, with no human intervention.
The sitemap is part of the technical SEO foundations built into our projects by default, along with robots.txt, meta tags and structured data. See also our definition of technical SEO.
Check yours: type yourdomain.be/sitemap.xml. If it does not exist, or lists dead pages, your supplier has work to do.