Every year, Google puts out recommendations for how to design a website that aligns with the search engine’s powerful algorithms. Inside all the technical jargon is a simple list of tools you need to rank higher, including adding a sitemap to your NFP’s website.
Whenever a user lands on a website with confusing navigation, it’ll likely lead to that searcher bouncing to another site instead. Cluttered menus, buried resources, or navigation that requires a guide push visitors away. Having a clear sitemap is a crucial step in ensuring your Australian nonprofit attracts visitors and retains them for as long as possible.
What is a Basic Sitemap?
The primary purpose of a website’s sitemap is to provide a clear structure for both readers and search engines to navigate your website. The sitemap acts like a blueprint for building a house or a treasure map for finding buried pirate booty.
There are two primary types of sitemaps you’re likely to come across:
- HTML sitemap: Meant for the average reader. It is a clickable page that organises all your most relevant content into an easy-to-browse experience, allowing people to quickly locate what they need.
- XML sitemap: Meant for search engines. The .xml files are a technical way to communicate the same information you’re providing to readers, including when pages are updated and how they interlink with other areas of your website.
The good news is you can auto-generate both types of sitemaps from several free online resources, but knowing the ins and outs gives you a competitive advantage if your NFP is in a highly competitive market for donor funding.
Why Does Your NFP Need a Sitemap?
You need a comprehensive website sitemap to get more resources. We cannot be any clearer than that. If you want to rank higher and make it easier for people to explore your online presence, a sitemap is crucial.
Visitors want clarity, so you use a sitemap to structure the website, creating a better user experience. That, in turn, boosts your SEO with major search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and DuckDuckGo.
Properly formatted sitemaps also help ensure accessibility for those with limited digital literacy or disabilities. As many NFPs operate in the medical arena, that aspect might be a must to maintain NDIS funding.
Most importantly, having a clear website sitemap improves your content management. Every year will mean endless announcements about upcoming donor campaigns or updates to operations and volunteer services. The sitemap helps reduce redundancies, so your content is streamlined enough to build trust with your audience.
What to Include in a Powerful Sitemap
Not all sitemaps are designed the same way. Even if you use an auto-generator, you may be adding too many unnecessary elements. To ensure complete website usability, your sitemaps should include:
- Clear Hierarchy: Organise the website’s pages in a way that reflects how your target audience thinks. Place the most important pages at the top level (Home, About Us, Contact, Donate, etc.), followed by secondary and third-level pages underneath.
- Focused Coverage: Exclude pages that are not important or outdated. Stick to the URLs that directly support your mission goals and the most common audience questions or needs.
- Logical Naming: Clarity always beats cleverness. Your sitemap should have straightforward naming. A donor page should be labelled “Donor Opportunities.” That is far better than something ambiguous like “Join the Movement.”
- Regular Updates: Be sure to run your sitemap every now and then to ensure it is fully updated with any new campaign pages, or you exclude outdated information that is no longer relevant.
The last element you want is for your sitemap to be user-centric. That means the HTML version should be mobile-friendly, easy to scan, and styled in line with the rest of your NFP’s branding.
How to Create a Sitemap
Most NFP website operators or designated managers will automatically generate a sitemap through tools available on the native platform, such as WordPress or Squarespace. Those tend to be XML generators only, but they will save you a lot of time.
In other cases, there are plugins, applications, or extensions that you can run, such as Yoast SEO on WordPress, which will help customise what pages are included, exclude any duplicates, and submit the sitemap to Google Search Console on your behalf.
If you do go the DIY route for your NFP’s website sitemap, you should:
- Start by auditing your site’s current page structure and list only the pages you think are relevant.
- Define the type of structure you want by designating a hierarchy of pages based on levels of importance.
- Format the sitemap for both users and search engines (XML and HTML).
- Submit your sitemaps to search engine webmaster tools.
- Run regular maintenance checks to ensure the sitemap is in good shape.
For example, at Web 105, we use a series of different sitemaps for different purposes. Our page sitemap is located at https://web105.com/page-sitemap.xml, and you can clearly see what information is most important for our readers, like you.
Final Thoughts
When you’re running an Australian nonprofit, every single visitor to your website matters. You want to maximise volunteers, donors, clients, and online reputation. A website sitemap helps ensure you present a well-structured design that guides people and search engines to what matters most.
At Web 105, we can help with sitemap management as we update your existing website or build a new and improved one for your NFP. With years of experience working alongside Australia’s top government agencies, healthcare providers, and nonprofit organisations, we have the skills and deep technical knowledge needed to help you get noticed.
Give us a call today to set up a consultation, and let’s get your website clearly outlined and ready to launch.
FAQs
What is the main purpose of a sitemap?
The primary goal of a website’s sitemap is to organise your most important pages into a structure that both readers and search engines will understand.
Is it mandatory for a website to have a sitemap XML file?
There is no rule that you “must” have a sitemap for your NFP’s website, but it helps ensure you are correctly indexed by Google and makes it much easier for your guests to find the information they want in a logical way.
Are sitemaps still relevant?
Yes! Now that all major search engines are using AI snippets, you want your website optimised as much as possible to get noticed. Sitemaps go a long way to boosting your content visibility, supporting browsing accessibility, and enhancing public trust in your organisation.