GlossaryTechnical SEO
XML sitemap
An XML sitemap is a file that lists the URLs you want search engines to find. It helps discovery but doesn't guarantee indexing.
An XML sitemap is a machine readable list of the pages on your site that you'd like search engines to know about. It can include the date each page was last changed. Most content systems create one automatically.
It helps crawlers discover pages, especially new ones or pages with few links to them. It doesn't force indexing, and Google may skip pages it considers low value or duplicates. A sitemap full of redirects, errors or noindex pages sends mixed signals.
Practical point: list only canonical, indexable pages that return a normal status. Submit the sitemap in Google Search Console and read the coverage report to see what was found and what was left out. Update it when pages change. For a small, well linked site, it's helpful but not decisive.
Links you can check.
Every link we place comes with a receipt. The free link plan shows the pages worth pushing and what the links would cost.