The debate about the utility of HTML sitemaps and their efficacy with regards to SEO rages on.
But as far as I’m concerned, they are useful for users and there is no good reason not to have one. If there is additional SEO value, that’s even better.
A sitemap guides your website visitors to where they want to go. It’s where they turn if they haven’t found what they are looking for in your dropdown menus or on-site search.
Beyond helping your visitors navigate your website (which should be the primary focus of any marketing effort) there are lots of other great reasons to use a sitemap. We’ll explore those below.
