A web definition of a sitemap is thus: A hierarchical visual model of a web site. That is to say, where a web site has more than one page, a sitemap provides the viewer a guide for navigation through the web pages. It is something similar to a table of contents given in a book. The more intricate a web site the more is the need for a sitemap.

Not only does a sitemap help the surfer to navigate through a web site but it makes it really very easy for any search engine to notice all the web pages of a web site. As sitemaps help in linking all the pages together, the search engine spider can easily find all the web pages of a site.

Care should be taken while designing a sitemap. The links on the site should be arranged in a logical order. A sitemap can also be used as a default page. That is, when a visitor clicks on a bad URL (broken link), your site map should open instead of the 404 error page.