<b>A sitemap is not a fix for orphan pages</b>
Listing an orphan URL in the sitemap gets it discovered — not valued. Pages with zero internal links get crawled, then deprioritized.
SOP:
Step 1 — Diff sitemap URLs against URLs reachable by internal links from the homepage.
Step 2 — Flag any URL that exists only in the sitemap with no inbound internal link.
Step 3 — Either add real internal links or question why the page exists.
Pass/fail:
— ✅ Every sitemap URL has at least one internal link pointing to it.
— ❌ Sitemap-only URLs stuck in "Discovered – not indexed."
Threshold: orphan-in-sitemap count = 0.
The rule: the sitemap announces URLs; internal links argue for their importance. You need both.
Definition of done: no URL relies on the sitemap as its sole route to discovery.
The Sitemap SOP
@SitemapSOP
<b>A sitemap is not a fix for orphan pages</b>
Этот пост опубликован в Telegram-канале The Sitemap SOP. Подписаться можно по ссылке: @SitemapSOP.