What is the purpose of a sitemap?

A sitemap serves an essential role in enhancing the discoverability and indexing of web content by search engines. Its primary purpose is to provide a clear, organized overview of the website's structure, detailing the relationships among pages and how they are categorized. This comprehensive mapping allows search engines to navigate the site more effectively and ensures that all pages, especially those that may not be easily found through other means, are included in the indexing process.

While options like increasing site loading speed, improving website design, or creating backlinks may be valuable in their own right, they do not align with the core function of a sitemap. The sitemap's focus is entirely on facilitating better communication between a website and search engines, thereby influencing how well a site performs in search results over time.