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How to Manage Documentation SEO

This guide shows you how to use DocuMCP's sitemap management tools to improve your documentation's search engine visibility.

Quick Setup​

# Generate sitemap for your documentation:
"generate sitemap for my documentation"

SEO Overview​

DocuMCP provides basic SEO support through sitemap management:

Available SEO Features​

  • XML Sitemap Generation: Automatic sitemap creation for documentation
  • Sitemap Validation: Verify sitemap structure and URLs
  • Link Discovery: Automatic detection of documentation pages
  • GitHub Pages Integration: Optimized for GitHub Pages deployment

SEO Benefits​

  • Search Engine Discovery: Help search engines find your documentation
  • Crawling Efficiency: Provide structured navigation for crawlers
  • URL Organization: Maintain clean URL structure
  • Update Tracking: Track when pages were last modified

Setup Methods​

Method 1: Automatic Sitemap Generation​

# Generate sitemap for your documentation:
"generate sitemap for my documentation"

This will:

  1. Scan your documentation directory
  2. Discover all markdown and HTML files
  3. Generate XML sitemap with proper URLs
  4. Include last modified dates from git history
  5. Validate sitemap structure

Method 2: Manual Sitemap Management​

Step 1: Generate Sitemap​

# Create XML sitemap:
"create sitemap for my documentation with base URL https://mydocs.com"

Step 2: Validate Sitemap​

# Validate existing sitemap:
"validate my documentation sitemap"

Step 3: Update Sitemap​

# Update sitemap with new content:
"update my documentation sitemap"

Sitemap Management​

Using MCP Tools​

// Generate sitemap using MCP tools
import { manageSitemap } from "./dist/tools/manage-sitemap.js";

// Generate new sitemap
const sitemap = await manageSitemap({
  action: "generate",
  docsPath: "./docs",
  baseUrl: "https://mydocs.github.io/repo",
});

// Validate existing sitemap
const validation = await manageSitemap({
  action: "validate",
  docsPath: "./docs",
});

// Update sitemap with new content
const update = await manageSitemap({
  action: "update",
  docsPath: "./docs",
  baseUrl: "https://mydocs.github.io/repo",
});

Sitemap Configuration​

# Sitemap generation settings
sitemap:
  base_url: "https://mydocs.github.io/repo"
  include_patterns:
    - "**/*.md"
    - "**/*.html"
  exclude_patterns:
    - "node_modules/**"
    - ".git/**"
  update_frequency: "weekly"
  use_git_history: true

Best Practices​

Sitemap Management​

  1. Regular Updates: Regenerate sitemap when adding new content
  2. Proper URLs: Ensure all URLs in sitemap are accessible
  3. Git Integration: Use git history for accurate last modified dates
  4. Validation: Always validate sitemap after generation
  5. Submit to Search Engines: Submit sitemap to Google Search Console

URL Structure​

  • Use clean, descriptive URLs
  • Maintain consistent URL patterns
  • Avoid deep nesting when possible
  • Include keywords in URLs naturally

Content Organization​

  • Structure content logically
  • Use clear headings and navigation
  • Maintain consistent documentation patterns
  • Link related content appropriately

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Problem: Sitemap not generating Solution: Check documentation directory permissions and file patterns

Problem: Invalid URLs in sitemap Solution: Verify base URL configuration and file paths

Problem: Sitemap not updating Solution: Ensure git history is accessible for last modified dates

Problem: Search engines not finding pages Solution: Submit sitemap to Google Search Console and verify accessibility

Sitemap Debugging​

# Debug sitemap issues:
"validate my sitemap and check for errors"

Sitemap Tools​

Built-in DocuMCP Tools​

  • Sitemap Generation: Create XML sitemaps automatically
  • Sitemap Validation: Verify sitemap structure and URLs
  • Link Discovery: Find all documentation pages
  • Git Integration: Use git history for modification dates

MCP Tools Available​

  • manage_sitemap: Generate, validate, and update sitemaps
  • check_documentation_links: Verify all links work correctly
  • validate_content: Check documentation accuracy

Next Steps​