Should You Really Remove the Priority Parameter from Your XML Sitemaps?

What does this statement from Google actually mean?

The statement from Gary Illyes, senior engineer at Google, describes the priority parameter in XML sitemaps as a "bag of noise." This means that Google completely ignores this tag when processing sitemaps.

The priority parameter was supposed to indicate to search engines the relative importance of a URL compared to other pages on the site, with values between 0.0 and 1.0. In practice, Google has never used it as a crawling or indexing signal.

Why does Google ignore this parameter?

Google prefers to determine page priority itself by analyzing their content, backlinks, internal structure, and user behavior. The search engine believes that webmasters naturally tend to overestimate the importance of their own pages.

By relying on its own algorithms, Google can establish an objective hierarchy of pages to crawl and index, rather than relying on subjective indications provided by site owners.

Which sitemap elements does Google actually use?

Google primarily focuses on two pieces of information in XML sitemaps: the URL itself and the lastmod tag (last modification). This data helps the search engine discover new pages and identify recently updated content.

• The <loc> tag indicates the URL to crawl (essential element)
• The <lastmod> tag helps Google prioritize recently modified pages
• The <priority> tag is completely ignored by Google
• The <changefreq> tag is also considered unreliable and largely ignored
• Sitemaps primarily serve for URL discovery, not their prioritization

Is this statement consistent with practices observed in the field?

Absolutely. Tests conducted over the years by SEO professionals confirm that the priority tag has no measurable impact on crawling or indexing. Sites that use it gain no detectable advantage.

Observations show that Google determines its own priorities based on signals such as page depth, internal PageRank, content freshness, and user engagement. The sitemap serves solely as a list of URLs to discover.

What important nuances should be added to this statement?

Although Google ignores this parameter, other search engines like Bing or Yandex may theoretically use it. However, no official documentation clearly confirms its actual use by these engines.

The lastmod tag, on the other hand, deserves special attention. Google actually uses it, but only if it is reliable and consistent. If your system updates this date without actual content modification, Google will eventually ignore it as well.

In what cases might this rule evolve?

It's unlikely that Google will reverse this position. The search engine is investing heavily in artificial intelligence and machine learning to automatically determine content relevance and priority.

Future evolution of sitemaps might instead involve adding new structured tags or integration with IndexNow, the instant notification protocol for content changes.

What should you actually do with your current sitemaps?

Simplify your sitemaps by removing the priority parameter if you wish, but it's not urgent. Its absence or presence doesn't affect your SEO. Instead, focus on the quality of URLs included.

Make sure your sitemap contains only canonical URLs that are accessible (code 200) and that you actually want indexed. Exclude duplicate pages, redirects, and low-value content.

• Verify that the sitemap contains only HTTPS and canonical URLs
• Exclude pages blocked by robots.txt or noindex tags
• Keep the lastmod tag up to date only when actual content modifications occur
• Limit each sitemap file to a maximum of 50,000 URLs (official standard)
• Submit the sitemap via Google Search Console and monitor errors
• Organize sitemaps by content type or section to facilitate tracking
• Remove or ignore the priority and changefreq parameters in your future sitemaps

What critical mistakes should you absolutely avoid?

Never include in your sitemaps URLs that you don't want indexed. This is the most common and most damaging mistake. The sitemap is an invitation to crawl, not an indexing directive.

Also avoid generating sitemaps containing thousands of URLs without real SEO value. Google has a limited crawl budget, and you must direct it toward your strategic content.

How can you optimize your sitemap strategy to maximize effectiveness?

Adopt a segmented approach by creating multiple thematic sitemaps (products, articles, categories) rather than a single monolithic file. This facilitates diagnosis and analysis of indexing performance by content type.

Use a sitemap index file to reference all your individual sitemaps. Regularly monitor Search Console to identify submitted but unindexed URLs, a potential sign of quality or technical issues.

• Create separate sitemaps for each language or region on international sites
• Implement specific sitemaps for images, videos, or news if relevant
• Automate sitemap generation and updates via your CMS or a script
• Compress your sitemaps in .xml.gz format to reduce bandwidth
• Verify that your sitemap is accessible and properly referenced in robots.txt