What are the Different Types of Webmaster Tools?

Webmaster tools useful for enhancing a website include tools for creating user-friendly site navigation, diagnostic tools to identify things like error pages or broken links, and tools to analyze traffic. Webmasters use a variety of different instruments to design websites that are easy to use, efficient and that help achieve greater indexing. Many webmaster tools are created by other webmasters and offered free of charge, while other more specific tools may be purchased for a fee.

Many popular webmaster tools are designed to heighten a user’s experience while visiting a website. One such tool is a sitemap, which acts as a sort of table of contents for users. Webmaster tools for creating a sitemap are often offered by independent developers and are easy to install on a website. Once installed, users may search a sitemap for specific content or as a way to browse all of the available content on a site.

Webmaster tools are also useful for things like identifying parts of a website that may not be working properly. In such cases, diagnostic tools tell a webmaster when there is a problem with links that may not be working properly or when certain pages are leading to an error message when a user attempts access. Tools like these are considered to be crucial for a site’s overall success, because they immediately alert a site’s owner to an area needing repair without the owner having to check every page or link manually.

Analytic webmaster tools are also considered crucial to a site’s success. With these tools a webmaster is able to analyze the traffic entering a website, as well as gain an understanding of what users are doing upon accessing a site. For instance, webmaster tools that analyze traffic tell a webmaster which keywords were used in search queries leading to the site, which links from other sites are leading visitors to a site, what pages visitors are the most interested in, how long visitors are spending on a site and how many visitors are new or how many have accessed the site before. Such tools are important instruments in helping a webmaster develop a site that best fits her or his visitors' needs.

While multiple tools are offered for multiple purposes, when the right webmaster tools are selected and properly used, webmasters find them to be helpful with indexing. By tweaking a site to offer the best user experience within a particular niche, a site gains popularity, which increases visitors and inbound links from other websites, and helps increase a site’s search engine rankings and site visibility. Beyond diagnostic and analytical tools, other tools, such as themes, gadgets and plug-ins, may also be used to aid a webmaster in a site’s creation or to add to a site’s aesthetic appeal.