Site Map at root level?

[toolman]

Would there be any benefits to having a site map at root level as opposed to putting it in it's own directory?

[Internetguru]

In relation to Google a site map at root level will get the highest possible link popularity points on a given site. This link popularity can be directed anywhere you wish. However, unless the site has got a lot of link popularity I reccomed that you keep the site map at a limited size. Remember that the link popularity passed on from a link from any given page equals the link popularity of that page divided by the number of outgoing links from that page.

[alexjc]

From a SEO point of view, I can see it being very beneficial.

But as a user, I wouldn't really appreciate this. I'd like to have highly relevant and recent information highlighted to me.

I suppose you'd fair better by having a limited site map, more like a general menu with additional links to the important pages you wish to 'pass' the link popularity to.