If you’re reading a manual and you want to find something fast how do you do it?  If you’re like most people you either go to the Table of Contents or the Index – or both – and within seconds you’re at the information you want.  A Site Map serves as a Table of Contents and Index for your website allowing your visitors to find what they need fast.

The main purpose of a Site Map is to provide a single page that has a link to every item on your website: every page, article, blog entry, etc.

This page does double duty: it allows your users to quickly and easily see what you have to offer and to find whatever they’re looking for within one click of any page on the website, and it provides a list of what you have to offer to search engines so searchers can find your website when appropriate.

But, your Site Map shouldn’t just be a bunch of words and links; if possible you should have short descriptions of each link and what people will find when they click it.

Don’t forget to update your Site Map every time you add a new page to your website, a new article or when the focus of a page changes.  It’s important to keep your site map updated so search engines and visitors have the most up-to-date information about what you offer.