To site map, or not worry for Google

After all, webmasterworld does not have a site map

[GrinninGordon]

I have a large site which, like this one, is pretty much all important pages are just two clicks away from the index page.

Is it worth me putting a sitemap (specifically for Google) in and, if yes, why?

Appreciate any input.

[jeremy goodrich]

If you don't have a site search :) it's worth it, because people might have a hard time finding *exactly* the page they want.

Also, Google has a site map. Don't you do everything that Google does? lol.

<- joking

Aside from that, it can help 'balance' the link distribution through your site...and 'contextualize' the pages, through the link text.

Cheers.

[jimbeetle]

Hi GrinninGordon,

If your navigation is such that *all* pages are reachable through some path from the home page then you probably don't need a site map specifically for Google.

Actually, you should never do anything specifically for Google or other SEs unless its something that will help your visitors or further enhance your site.

Can your visitors easily find what they want? Would a site map help visitors more easilty see the structure at a glance and zero in and what they need? If so, then make a site map.

The only time a site map would really help with Google is if your links are in a form that Googlebot won't follow (javascript, some tracking urls, etc). And this also helps visitors that don't have javascript enabled.

<added>Okay, sure, and what Jeremy says too.</added>

Jim

[GrinninGordon]

Thanks Guys

Still not sure though, as I have such a large site, that I would need more then one site map to cover it without going over 100 links per page.

Is it really important if my site is easy to navigate anyway with text links?

Will it have any effect at all on PR distribution as all main pages are just 2 clicks from the index page anyway? Adding a site map will not get the bots there any quicker right? So there is no PR benefit, or am I missing something?

As for doing it for users. There are too many sites with site maps that are not, and I am concerned if this element is helping them with Google.

[Shak]

The trick is to "have" a site map with the correct anchor text, but for it not to look like a site map.

WebmasterWorld is a prime candidate :)

Shak

[GrinninGordon]

Shak

Gotcha ;-)

Thanks

[GrinninGordon]

BTW (Anyone)

For Google purposes, does anyone have a recommendation regarding;

1) How many (max) internal site links to put on the index page?

2) How many (max) internal site links to put on the site map (question is really, should I have several site maps for 400 links, and how to do this).

Thanks

:-)

[Mohamed_E]

In their Webmaster Guidelines [google.com] Google say:

Offer a site map to your users with links that point to the important parts of your site. If the site map is larger than 100 or so links, you may want to break the site map into separate pages.

On the same page they say:

Keep the links on a given page to a reasonable number (fewer than 100).