Did you know that you (yes, you!) can create and submit a sitemap for your website??
Sitemaps and SEO go hand in hand. A sitemap is an essential step in improving your site's visibility (SEO) in search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo!, etc.
It’s not as complicated as it sounds (or feels) and will go a long way to boosting your search engine rankings!
Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create and submit a sitemap:
This is how to create an XML sitemap, semi-automatically. There are a number of different ways and types of sitemaps, but this will hopefully give you a headstart!
Creating a Sitemap to boost SEO:
Identify the Pages: Make a list of all the pages on your website that you want to include in the sitemap. This typically includes your main pages, blog posts, product pages, and any other important content.
Choose a Sitemap Generator: There are various tools and online sitemap generators available that can help you create a sitemap. Some popular options include Google's Search Console, Yoast, Screaming Frog SEO Spider (for larger websites), and online generators like XML-sitemaps.com.
Generate the Sitemap: Use your chosen sitemap generator to create the XML sitemap file. Follow the tool's instructions to specify which pages should be included and configure any additional settings.
Check the Sitemap: Before you carry on from here, double-check the generated sitemap to ensure that it lists all the relevant pages and that the URLs are accurate.
Submitting the Sitemap to Google:
Create or Sign In to Your Google Account: If you have a Google account, sign in to it.
Access Google Search Console: Go to Google Search Console.
Add Your Website: Click the "Add Property" button and enter your website's URL. Follow the verification steps to prove ownership of your website.
Select Your Property: After verifying your ownership, select your website property from the list on the Google Search Console dashboard.
Open the Sitemaps Tool: In the left sidebar, under "Index," click on "Sitemaps." This will take you to the Sitemaps tool.
Add Your Sitemap: Click the "Add/Test Sitemap" button. You will be prompted to enter the URL of your sitemap. The URL is often in the format: https://www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml. Replace "yourwebsite.com" with your actual domain.
Submit the Sitemap: After entering the sitemap URL, click the "Submit" button. Google will now fetch and process your sitemap.
Monitor Sitemap Status: Google will display the status of your submitted sitemap. You can check for any errors or issues that need attention.
Submitting to Other Search Engines:
If you want to submit your sitemap to other search engines like Bing do a quick search but it will be a similar process. Each search engine may have its own tools or submission process. For Bing, for example, you can use Bing Webmaster Tools to submit your sitemap.
Once your sitemap is submitted and processed, search engines will use it as a reference to index your website's pages more efficiently and improve your rankings.
Be sure to keep your sitemap updated whenever you add new content or make significant changes to your website's structure!
IF all of this is a little beyond your scope right now, that's ok! Have a chat to your Web Developer and they will sort it for you.
We put together a list of simplified SEO terms that may be of use to you, while you're here!
Otherwise, thank you for visiting! Let us know what you think!
Ruka Business Support (Knight Shift Services Ltd.) is a team of professionals dedicated to serving established small businesses with operational and digital services. We love business strategy and are privileged enough to see our client organisations embrace their vision and enjoy the journey to achieving it!
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