Site Map vs. Site Index

[techfuzz]

Do you think there is a different between a "Site Map" and a "Site Index"? Is a "Site Map" a graphical/hierarchical representation of a website? Is a "Site Index" a table of contents? Are they the same or different? Do they have different content? Do they have different purposes?

Ultimately, the main question is does "Site Map" and "Site Index" mean the same thing, but just called two different names?

techfuzz

 

[xtknight]

My personal opinion is that sites that need Site Maps or Indexes are poorly designed to begin with, and that feature is a detour to avoid the negligence involved in making the original site.

I've actually never seen a "Site Index" before but the Site Maps I've seen are simply like a Table of Contents. I'd expect an "index" to be more detailed. Think yellow pages vs a county map. You may see hospitals on the map, but you won't necessarily see all the businesses in the area.

 

[Alex]

same thing different name afaik

also why go through the trouble when google and yahoo have already done it for you? 🙂

 

[CrazyLazy]

They mean the same thing, Site Map is the more commonly used term though. Site Maps are basically used to help search engines organize and index your site, the average user won't ever use them/see them.

 

[Snapster]

Originally posted by: xtknight
My personal opinion is that sites that need Site Maps or Indexes are poorly designed to begin with, and that feature is a detour to avoid the negligence involved in making the original site.

I've actually never seen a "Site Index" before but the Site Maps I've seen are simply like a Table of Contents. I'd expect an "index" to be more detailed. Think yellow pages vs a county map. You may see hospitals on the map, but you won't necessarily see all the businesses in the area.

Good point but they are still useful for both bots and search engines to index your site in terms of SEO, and also the types of people who would rather still look at a sitemap.

 

[jjones]

They've always meant the same thing from my experience.

 

[techfuzz]

Weird coincidence, but I'm subscribed to a website that posts usability tips and in-depth reports every couple of weeks. This week I received notification about a new tip:
Site Map Usability
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/sitemaps.html

Basically they use "site map" as the all encompassing term and "index" is one of many other terms. They do say that a site map can come in many different forms including alphabetical, diagrams, and lists. To different people they can mean different things. In summary, they are just another method of navigation for users no matter what you call them and there really isn't a standardized name.

techfuzz