A sitemap is a page that gathers, in the form of clickable links, all the content published on a website. This page is aimed at visitors who wish to browse articles without going through the internal search engine or category navigation.
HTML Sitemap and XML Sitemap: Two Distinct Mechanisms
The term “sitemap” encompasses two technical realities that are often confused. The XML sitemap is a file intended for indexing bots (Googlebot, Bingbot). It lists the site’s URLs in a structured format that search engines automatically interpret. Common formats have names like sitemap.xml, sitemap_index.xml, or wp-sitemap.xml.
The HTML sitemap, on the other hand, is a page designed for human visitors. It presents links organized by category, date, or theme, and can be viewed like any other page on the site. This is the version offered by the Les Humeurs de Gloupsy Chérie sitemap, which groups blog articles in a readable structure.
Both versions coexist on most WordPress sites. One feeds the algorithms, while the other helps the reader find specific content without fumbling around.
Category Navigation or Sitemap: When to Use Each Access
The menu bar of a blog generally classifies articles by major sections (beauty, fashion, lifestyle, for example). This thematic sorting works well when the visitor already knows which topic interests them. However, a sitemap displays all articles without prior filtering, making it useful in several specific situations.
- Finding an article read several months ago without remembering the exact title or category
- Discovering content organized in sections that one might not have spontaneously explored
- Quickly assessing the editorial scope of a blog before deciding whether to subscribe
Keyword search remains a third option. It is suitable when one has a specific term. The sitemap, however, promotes discovery through visual browsing, without needing to formulate a query.
Structure of a Sitemap on a WordPress Blog
On WordPress, the “Sitemap” page is usually created by a dedicated plugin or through a shortcode integrated into the theme. The result varies from blog to blog, but the logic remains comparable.
Grouping by Categories and Subcategories
Articles appear under their parent category. A blog covering beauty, fashion, and wellness will display three distinct blocks, each listing its own publications. This classification reproduces the hierarchy of the main menu, but on a single page.
Chronological Order within Each Category
The most recent articles are listed at the top. This sorting allows for immediate identification of the latest publications without scrolling through the entire blog feed. On a site active for several years, the list can be long, hence the usefulness of grouping by sections.
Static Pages and Legal Mentions
The sitemap is not limited to articles. Static pages (about, contact, privacy policy) are also included. They are often grouped in a separate section at the bottom of the page.
SEO and Crawling: The Technical Role of the Sitemap
For search engines, an HTML sitemap provides a dense internal linking structure. Each link pointing to an article from the sitemap constitutes an additional crawl signal. Orphan pages, those that do not receive any internal links, become accessible thanks to this centralizing page.
The XML sitemap serves a complementary function. When a site exceeds several hundred pages, best practices recommend splitting the file into several distinct sitemaps. The technical limit is several tens of thousands of URLs per file. For a personal blog or a medium-sized media outlet, a single file is usually sufficient.
A well-structured HTML sitemap also improves the time visitors spend on the site. By providing an overview, it encourages the consultation of multiple articles during the same session. This behavior sends a positive signal to ranking algorithms.
Checking for the Existence of a Sitemap on Any Blog
Not all blogs offer a sitemap page visible in their menu. Two quick checks can determine if this page exists.
- Add
/sitemap/or/plan-du-site/to the end of the blog’s URL in the browser’s address bar - Look for a “Sitemap” or “Plan du site” link in the footer, often placed next to legal mentions
- Type
site:nomdusite.com sitemapin Google to check if the page is indexed
If none of these methods yield results, the blog likely does not have an HTML sitemap. The XML sitemap may still exist (accessible via /sitemap.xml), but it is not designed for human reading.
A blog that publishes regularly benefits from keeping its sitemap up to date. On WordPress, most plugins automatically update this page with each new publication, eliminating the need for manual intervention.
The sitemap page remains an underestimated navigation tool. On a blog rich in varied content, it offers a unique entry point to all publications, without relying on a recommendation algorithm or an external search engine.
