Would a site map help your small-business site?

You can't imagine taking a long road trip without a map. Why build a Web site without one?

Site maps are a simple visual representation of your site's content. Think of it as a book's table of contents. But instead of listing chapters, indexes, and bibliographies, a site map can offer a birds-eye view of your site, with links to your "About" page, products, terms and conditions, and blog. (There’s a second type of site map, but more on that in a minute.)

There are no reliable surveys on the number of small-business Web sites with site maps, but that doesn’t mean the topic isn't subject to debate. In fact, there's been some discussion in the Web design community about the value of site maps, especially as they relate to search engine marketing.

Bottom line? You might not need a site map if the following is true:

• Your Web site is small, meaning fewer than five pages.
• Readers are finding what they need without the map. (You’ll know they’re lost if you get regular e-mails or calls asking for the location of a particular page.)

Why should you skip the site map if readers already know how to find something? Because search engines could index the site map instead of the page you want everyone to visit—creating a problem instead of solving one.

But if neither of those applies to your site, here are three reasons why a site map is a good idea.

1. It helps users find what they’re looking for.   When customers get lost on your site, one of two things is likely to happen. They can either leave (not good) or they can look for the way back. One way to do that is by scrolling up to a "search" box. But another way is to mouse over to the "site map" link. From there, it's easy to find your way.

   When considering a site map, it helps to think outside the box. For example, most of the sites I’ve created contain thousands of articles and blog postings. So my site map is called "archives," and allows readers to navigate the site hierarchically. If it were a photo blog (I’ve also published a few of those), the site map would consist largely of thumbnail pictures. The point is, your site map doesn’t need to look like everyone else's site map in order to be effective. It has to be right for your site.

    Tip   Don't make it difficult to find the site map. Office Live Small Business sites include it in the left-hand navigation. It also is commonly seen at the bottom of Web pages. "A site map is not such a useful thing, if I’ve got to dig through several pages just to get to it," says Chris Jernigan, chief executive of Hefty Media, a Web design firm in Portland, Ore.

2. It allows you to organize your site.   Your customers aren’t the only ones who will directly benefit from your site map. It also gives you, the business owner, a chance to see your site in a single glance. You'll quickly know what’s there and what’s missing (for example, do you have a "terms of use" on your site?).

   As part of my research, I reviewed my own site map and arrived at some interesting conclusions that will affect future publishing decisions. For example, I'm posting a lot more information than ever. In December 1997, I posted just six items (all long-form stories) that generated a single comment. In December 2007, I made more than 40 posts, about half of which were blog entries, which averaged more than five comments each. I also realized that I have no terms of use on my site. I’m going to need to address both of those issues. Studying a site map can trigger some serious soul-searching. It's left me wondering if I’m publishing too much on my site. I’ll ponder that some more in a moment—right after I’ve made another blog posting.

    Tip   Keep the site map simple. If you have to scroll beyond one page, it’s probably too long. (Something else to add to my "to-do" list.)

3. It helps search engines find your pages.   If the major search engines are ignoring your pages, a site map can help. How do you know if you’re being overlooked? Run a search for the top keywords for your site. If your pages aren’t showing up in the top 100 results, a site map could help. "A site map is generally a good idea because it not only helps search engines find your site, but it also helps index it faster," says Sally Falkow, a search engine expert with Expansion Plus, a marketing firm in Pasadena, Calif.

   For search engine purposes, there are two different kinds of site maps. One is a standard HTML page that links to the major sections on your site. It helps readers find what they’re looking for. The other is an XML page that gives a search engine the same guidance. (Of course, search engines can and do index both the XML and HTML pages).

   If your HTML site map is not delivering results with the search engines, try adding an XML site map. For more information on XML site maps, you can check the Sitemaps site which lists the accepted standards for these pages. (Warning: It’s a little techie. Head over to the FAQ section for the English translation.)

   I published an XML site map for my sites about a year ago, and I'm not sure what kind of impact the map had on my search engine placement. I’m still getting 35 percent of my traffic through search engines (an increase of just 1 percent from a year ago). I’ve heard that some of the more advanced search engines can index your site with or without an XML or HTML site map. So on balance, publishing one may be the equivalent of hedging your bets on search engine popularity.

Still, whether it’s a map or search engine that helps a customer find what he or she is looking for, I'm still in the site map camp. Anything that can help people find something faster is worth considering.

About the author   Christopher Elliott is an Orlando, Fla., writer and independent producer who specializes in technology, travel, and mobile computing. His work has appeared in numerous newspapers, magazines, and online. You can find out more about him on his Web site or sign up for his free weekly newsletter.