{"id":542,"date":"2020-10-31T15:59:00","date_gmt":"2020-10-31T15:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/nickiong.com\/wp\/?p=475"},"modified":"2021-08-08T12:36:15","modified_gmt":"2021-08-08T12:36:15","slug":"what-is-a-sitemap-why-is-it-important","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nickiong.com\/simplesprout\/2020\/10\/31\/what-is-a-sitemap-why-is-it-important\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Sitemap & Why Is It Important?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

You\u2019ve put the time and effort into creating a powerful navigation structure for your website<\/a>, but you\u2019re not done yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You still need to create a sitemap.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re hearing the word \u201csitemap\u201d for the first time, never fear. You\u2019re in the right place. Let\u2019s talk about what sitemaps are and why they\u2019re so important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What is a sitemap?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s how the almighty Google<\/a> describes sitemaps:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A sitemap<\/em> is a file where you provide information about the pages, videos, and other files on your site, and the relationships between them. Search engines like Google read this file to more intelligently crawl your site.<\/p>– Google<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sitemaps also give search engines other key information like when a page was last updated and more information about the page and files on the page.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From an SEO<\/a> perspective, sitemaps are invaluable for ensuring all of the pages on your website are indexed<\/a>. (Indexed simply means the pages search engines know about and can, therefore, serve up for searchers.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do I need a sitemap?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

More than likely, search engines will be able to find each of your pages without a problem, especially if you have a robust navigation built. However, there can sometimes be pages (like landing pages, old blogposts, Ecommerce product pages, and more) that can slip through the cracks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s where a sitemap is helpful \u2013 it helps make sure search engines can find each and every page on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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DIY Your Search Engine Optimization with the Ultimate SEO Checklist<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

Check, check, check. That’s the sound of you checking off your SEO to-do list. Don’t miss a single opportunity optimizing your website and web presence by leveraging the Ultimate SEO Checklist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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free download<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

How to create a sitemap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The good news for you? Creating a sitemap is super easy, and you don\u2019t need to be a developer to create one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re using\u00a0WordPress\u00a0as your Content Management System, I highly recommend installing the\u00a0Yoast SEO plugin<\/a>.\u00a0Yoast will auto-generate your sitemap for you at yourwebsite.com\/sitemap_index.xml. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Here’s what ours looks like.)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you\u2019re using Squarespace, you\u2019ll have a sitemap auto-generated<\/a> at yourwebsite.com\/sitemap.xml.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For any other platforms, I recommend doing a quick Google search to find out where yours lives or how to generate one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to submit your sitemap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Now that you have a sitemap, the work still isn\u2019t done. Sure, search engines will likely find your sitemap, but why leave it to fate?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To fully ensure Google can find your sitemap, you\u2019ll want to submit it to your Google Search Console<\/a> account. That way, there\u2019s no question about Google crawling every page on your site.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To do so, log into Search Console<\/a> and navigate to Sitemaps in the lefthand navigation window. Then, copy and paste your sitemap URL.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Once you click \u201cSubmit,\u201d you\u2019ll see your sitemap listed!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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And that\u2019s all there is to it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Now that you know how helpful and powerful sitemaps can be, go create yours and submit to Google Search Console right away!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\n \n <\/div>\n By Nicki Ong<\/span>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n