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How to Create, Submit, and Monitor a WordPress Sitemap for Better SEO (3 Methods)

Updated on September 15, 2023

13 Min Read
Create a Sitemap in WordPress

Key Takeaways:

  • A sitemap helps search engines understand your website’s structure and find all your pages, which is crucial for SEO.
  • WordPress offers built-in sitemap functionality and plugins like Yoast SEO and All-in-One SEO make creating and managing sitemaps easy.
  • Submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools helps search engines crawl and index your site effectively.

Ever wondered why your website isn’t getting the visibility it deserves on search engines? Or why some pages on your site are not being indexed? The answer could lie in your sitemap.

A sitemap is a blueprint that provides a roadmap of your website’s content, guiding search engine bots to crawl your site more intelligently. This can significantly improve your site’s visibility and increase its SEO ranking.

But how does a sitemap work? And what’s its role in SEO? More importantly, how do you create and validate a sitemap if you’re using WordPress?

In this blog post, I’ll answer these questions and tell you the importance of a sitemap in SEO, provide an overview of WordPress sitemaps, and guide you through creating, submitting, and monitoring a WordPress sitemap. So, let’s get started!

How Does a Sitemap Work?

A sitemap works as a communication tool between your website and search engines.

When a search engine bot visits your site, it looks for the sitemap to get an overview of the structure of your site. The sitemap gives the bot details about each page, like its last update and change frequency, guiding the bot on which pages to crawl and when.

wordpress sitemap structure

– An example of a sitemap hierarchy

A sitemap also helps search engines understand the hierarchy and categorization of your site, which can be particularly useful for larger websites with many pages. It ensures that all pages are discovered by search engines, even if internal links don’t reach them.

Importance of a Sitemap in SEO

The importance of a sitemap in SEO cannot be overstated. It enhances the crawlability of your website, ensuring that search engine bots can find and index your content efficiently. This leads to improved visibility and higher rankings in search engine results.

In the context of WordPress, a sitemap can be particularly beneficial. Given WordPress’s popularity as a content management system, having a well-structured sitemap can give your site an edge over others.

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Overview of WordPress Sitemap

There are two main types of sitemaps in WordPress: XML and HTML. Here’s a quick comparison of them.

XML Sitemap HTML Sitemap
Purpose Primarily for search engines. Designed for human visitors.
Function Informs search engines about the pages on your website, their relative importance, and how often they are updated. Provides a user-friendly overview of your website’s content and structure.
Benefit Helps search engines to more intelligently crawl your site. Makes it easier for visitors to navigate your site.

Example of XML Sitemap

An XML sitemap might look something like this:

example of xml sitemap

Cloudways XML Sitemap

And here’s the code structure of an XML sitemap.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<urlset xmlns="http://www.sitemaps.org/schemas/sitemap/0.9">
   <url>
      <loc>http://www.example.com/</loc>
      <lastmod>2023-01-01</lastmod>
      <changefreq>monthly</changefreq>
      <priority>0.8</priority>
   </url>
   <url>
      <loc>http://www.example.com/blog</loc>
      <lastmod>2023-04-01</lastmod>
      <changefreq>weekly</changefreq>
      <priority>0.9</priority>
   </url>
</urlset>

Here’s a breakdown of the XML sitemap code:

  • The first line tells us that this is an XML file.
  • The <urlset> line starts the list of URLs.
  • Each <url> tag starts with info about a specific webpage.
    • <loc> has the webpage’s URL.
    • <lastmod> has the date when the webpage was last changed.
    • <changefreq> tells how often the webpage changes.
    • <priority> tells how important this webpage is compared to others on your site.
  • The </url> tag ends the info about a webpage.
  • The </urlset> line ends the list of URLs.

This pattern repeats for each webpage you want to include in your sitemap.

Example of HTML Sitemap

An HTML sitemap might look something like this:

cloudways sitemap

Cloudways HTML Sitemap

And here’s the code structure of an HTML sitemap.

<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<body>

<h1>Sitemap</h1>

<ul>
  <li><a href="http://www.cloudways.com/">Homepage</a></li>
  <li><a href="https://www.cloudways.com/blog">Blog</a></li>
  <!-- Add more links as needed -->
</ul>

</body>
</html>

Here’s a breakdown of the HTML sitemap code:

  • <!DOCTYPE html>: Tells the browser this is an HTML5 document.
  • <html>: Starts the HTML document.
  • <body>: Starts the section where webpage content goes.
  • <h1>Sitemap</h1>: Creates a main heading that says Sitemap.
  • <ul>: Starts a list.
  • <li><a href=”http://www.cloudways.com/”>Homepage</a></li>: Makes a list item that’s a link to http://www.cloudways.com/ and says Homepage.
  • <li><a href=”https://www.cloudways.com/blog”>Blog</a></li>: Makes another list item that’s a link to https://www.cloudways.com/blog and says Blog.
  • <!– Add more links as needed –>: A note in the code that isn’t shown on the webpage.
  • </ul>, </body>, </html>: Ends the list, webpage content, and HTML document.

Your sitemaps would likely include more URLs and possibly additional information. Both types of sitemaps have their own unique benefits and uses, and understanding them is key to maximizing the SEO potential of your WordPress site.

Create a WordPress Sitemap

Creating a sitemap in WordPress can be done in three ways:

  1. Using Built-in Feature
  2. Using SEO Plugins
  3. Using Online Tools

Method 1: Using Built-in Feature

WordPress 5.5 and later versions come with a built-in XML sitemap feature. This feature automatically creates an XML sitemap for your website and makes it available to search engines.

The sitemap is located at yourwebsite.com/wp-sitemap.xml. It includes posts, pages, and custom post types, ensuring that search engines can efficiently find and index your content.

Method 2: Using SEO Plugins

Several SEO plugins can help you create a more customized sitemap. Each of these plugins offers unique features and benefits, so you can choose the one that best fits your needs.

1. Yoast SEO

yoast seo plugin

Yoast SEO generates an XML sitemap for your WordPress site automatically. It also allows you to choose which types of content to include in the sitemap and notifies search engines whenever your site’s content is updated.

1. Install and Activate the Yoast SEO plugin.

install and activate yoast seo

2. Click Yoast SEO on the left menu.

yoast seo plugin dashboard

3. Click Settings → Site Features.

yoast seo site features

4. In the APIs → XML Sitemaps Card, turn on the Enable Feature.

yoast seo enable feature

5. Click View the XML Sitemap to see your sitemap.

yoast seo view the xml sitemap

6. You’ll see your XML sitemap generated by Yoast SEO in the new tab.

yoast seo xml sitemap

2. All-in-One SEO

aioseo plugin

All-in-One SEO creates an XML sitemap and allows you to fine-tune its settings. You can set priorities, change frequencies for your posts and pages, and add additional pages to your sitemap.

1. Install and Activate the All-in-One SEO plugin.

install and activate aioseo

2. Click All in One SEO on the left menu.

aioseo plugin dashboard

3. Click Sitemap → General Sitemap.

aioseo general sitemap

4. Check that Enable Sitemap is set to on. If not, toggle the button and click Save Changes.

aioseo enable sitemap

5. Click Open Sitemap to see your sitemap.

aioseo open sitemaps

6. You’ll see your XML sitemap generated by All-in-One SEO in the new tab.

aioseo xml sitemap

7. From Sitemaps → Sitemaps Settings, you can customize the following settings.

  • Enable Sitemap Indexes: This option allows you to organize sitemap entries into distinct files in your sitemap. It’s recommended to enable this setting if your sitemap contains more than 1,000 URLs.
  • Links Per Sitemap: This setting allows you to specify the maximum number of posts in a sitemap (up to 50,000).
  • Post Types: Here, you can select which Post Types appear in your sitemap.
  • Taxonomies: This option allows you to select which Taxonomies appear in your sitemap.
  • Date Archive Sitemap: Enable this if you want to include Date Archives in your sitemap.
  • Author Sitemap: Enable this if you want to include Author Archives in your sitemap.

aioseo sitemap settings

8. In the Additional Pages section, you can add URLs to your sitemap that are not part of your WordPress site. For instance, if you want a contact form to appear in your sitemap, you can manually enter its URL here.

aioseo additional pages

9. The All-in-One SEO plugin also includes Advanced Settings. Here’s how you can use them:

  • Exclude Posts/Pages: You can remove specific posts or pages from your sitemap.
  • Exclude Terms: Use this to remove certain terms from your sitemap.
  • Priority Score: This lets you set the importance of a URL relative to other URLs on your site.
  • Post Type Priority Score: This allows you to prioritize different types of posts on your site.
  • Taxonomy Priority Score: Use this to set the priority of different taxonomies on your site.
  • Exclude Images: You can use this setting if you don’t want images to appear in your sitemap.

aioseo advanced settings

Remember, each of these settings can be enabled or disabled according to your needs.

3. Google XML Sitemaps

google xml sitemaps plugin

Google XML Sitemaps generates a special XML sitemap to help search engines like Google, Bing, Yahoo, and Ask.com better index your blog. It also provides options to customize priorities and change frequencies.

1. Install and Activate the Google XML Sitemaps plugin.

install and activate google xml sitemaps

2. Click Settings → XML-Sitemap on the left menu.

google xml sitemaps settings

3. The plugin will automatically generate a sitemap for you but don’t notify search engines until you save your changes.

google xml sitemaps notification

4. On the XML-Sitemap page, scroll down to the Basic Options section. Here, you can enable options to notify search engines when your site is updated.

google xml sitemaps basic options

5. To save your settings, scroll to the bottom of the page and click on Update Options.

google xml sitemaps update options

Method 3: Using Online Tools

Another way to create a sitemap on WordPress is by using the online tool XML Sitemap Generator. Start by clicking on the Online Generator button. This will take you to the Web Page Settings page.

online xml sitemap generator

1. Web Page Settings: This section provides basic details for your sitemap. If you need more advanced settings, you’ll need to sign up.

    • Website address: Enter the URL of your website here.
    • Modified date: Choose whether or not to include the date your website was last modified. If you choose not to include it, leave this field blank.
    • Change frequency: This refers to how often the content of your website is expected to change. If you’re unsure, select None.
    • Default priority: This indicates the importance of a particular URL relative to other URLs on your site. If you’re unsure, select None.

2. Image Settings: This section sets up options for your site’s images.

    • Image sitemap: Decide whether or not to include images in your sitemap.
    • Include images: If you want to include images in your sitemap, select Include. If not, select Do not include.

3. Email address: Enter your email address to be notified when your sitemap is ready. You can also choose to receive updates about bugs, fixes, and features (your email won’t be passed to third parties).

4. Verification: Enter the four characters in the image to verify that you’re real.

5. User Terms and Privacy Policy: By clicking Generate sitemap, you agree to the User Terms and Privacy Policy.

online xml sitemap settings

6. And that’s it! Once you’ve filled out all the necessary fields, click Generate Sitemap, and your sitemap will be created.

Validate WordPress Sitemap

Sitemap Validator is a tool for SEOs and web developers to validate sitemaps by entering their URLs. It checks if the sitemaps are well-formed and up-to-date according to the XML schema. The page also offers free website audit tools by SEOptimer.

  1. Enter your website’s sitemap.xml URL.
  2. Click Check Sitemap.
  3. The tool will check your sitemap for any errors.

seoptimer sitemap validator

Submit WordPress Sitemap

Once you’ve created your WordPress sitemap, the next step is to submit it to search engines. This will help search engines find and index your content more efficiently.

1. Google Search Console

Google Search Console is a free tool provided by Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site’s presence in Google Search results. Here’s how to submit your sitemap:

1. Sign in to Google Search Console.

gsc sign in option

2. Go to Search Property → + Add Property → and enter your Domain Name.

gsc enter site manually

3. Verify your Domain Ownership via DNS record.

gsc verify domain ownership

4. Or Select Your Property if it’s already submitted.

gsc search property

5. On the Dashboard, go to Indexing and click on Sitemaps.

gsc indexing sitemaps

6. In the Add a New Sitemap field, enter the URL of your sitemap and click Submit.

gsc add new sitemap

7. Once submitted successfully, it will check your sitemap and notify you of any errors.

gsc submitted sitemaps

2. Bing Webmaster Tools

Bing Webmaster Tools is a similar service provided by Bing. Here’s how to submit your sitemap:

1. Sign in to Bing Webmaster Tools.

bing webmaster permission

2. Enter your Domain Name and click Add.

bing add site manually

3. Choose one of the Verification Methods.

  • Download and upload the BingSiteAuth.xml file to your WordPress root directory.
  • Click Verify.

bing sitemap verification

4. You’ll notice that your sitemap has been successfully added to Bing Webmaster Tools.

bing sitemap success

5. In the Home menu, click on Sitemaps.

bing home sitemaps

6. In the Submit Sitemap field, enter the URL of your sitemap, and click Submit.

bing submit sitemap

7. After submitting your sitemap, you’ll notice that Bing Webmaster Tools is Processing it.

bing sitemap status

After you submit your website’s sitemap to Google and Bing, it might take a while for them to scan and index your pages. Keep an eye on your Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools account to track the progress and spot any potential issues.

3. Other Search Engines

While Google and Bing are the most popular search engines, others like Yahoo, Ask.com, and DuckDuckGo also allow you to submit your sitemap.

The process is usually similar: sign in to their webmaster tools, select your website, find the option to submit a Sitemap, enter your Sitemap URL, and click Submit.

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Monitor WordPress Sitemap

Monitoring your WordPress sitemap is crucial to ensure that search engines can access and index your site’s content effectively.

Understanding Sitemap Errors

Search engines, like Google and Bing, provide tools that allow you to see if there are any issues with your sitemap. These could include errors like:

  • URL Errors occur when the search engine cannot access a URL listed in your sitemap. This could be due to a number of reasons, such as the URL being incorrect or the page being removed.
  • Format Errors occur when your sitemap is not formatted correctly according to the sitemap protocol. This could include missing tags or incorrect use of tags.

Fixing Common Issues

Fixing issues with your sitemap involves identifying the problem and then taking the appropriate action:

  • URL Errors: If a URL listed in your sitemap is inaccessible, you should check if it is correct and if the page it points to exists. If the page has been removed, you should update your sitemap to reflect this.
  • Format Errors: If your sitemap has formatting errors, you should ensure it adheres to the sitemap protocol. This could involve adding missing tags or correcting incorrectly used tags.

Regularly monitoring your WordPress sitemap and fixing any issues that arise ensures that search engines can effectively index your site’s content.

Summary

A WordPress sitemap helps search engines to find your site’s content. You can create one using WordPress’s built-in feature or SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, All-in-One SEO, Google XML sitemaps, or online tools.

However, the process doesn’t end there. Regularly monitor your sitemap to ensure it remains error-free. Understanding common sitemap errors and knowing how to fix them is key to maintaining your site’s SEO health.

Remember, a well-structured and error-free sitemap can significantly improve your site’s visibility in search engine results, leading to increased traffic and better engagement with your content.

Q. What is a WordPress sitemap?

A. A WordPress sitemap is a structured list of all the pages on your website that helps search engines discover and index your content. It acts as a roadmap, guiding search engines to important pages and improving SEO.

Q. Why is a sitemap important for my WordPress site?

A. Sitemaps are crucial for SEO because they help search engines crawl and index your pages efficiently. This ensures all essential content is discovered, even if your site has complex navigation or few backlinks.

Q. How to create a sitemap in WordPress?

A. You can create a sitemap in WordPress using SEO plugins like Yoast SEO, Rank Math, or Google XML Sitemaps. These plugins automatically generate and update your sitemap whenever you add new content.

Q. How to submit a sitemap on WordPress?

A. To submit your WordPress sitemap to search engines:

  1. Locate your sitemap URL (usually yoursite.com/sitemap.xml).
  2. Go to Google Search Console or Bing Webmaster Tools.
  3. Add your website and verify ownership.
  4. Submit your sitemap under the Sitemaps section.

Q. How to improve SEO with a sitemap XML?

A. A well-structured sitemap improves SEO by ensuring search engines find and index all key pages. Regularly update your content, remove broken links, and use SEO plugins to manage your sitemap efficiently.

Q. How often should I update my WordPress sitemap?

A. Your sitemap should update automatically whenever new content is published. SEO plugins handle this by dynamically refreshing the sitemap when posts, pages, or categories are added.

Q. Can I customize my WordPress sitemap?

A. Yes, most SEO plugins allow customization. You can choose which content types (posts, pages, categories, or tags) to include or exclude in your sitemap settings.

Q. How to display a sitemap in WordPress?

A. To display a sitemap on your website, you can:

  • Use a shortcode provided by your SEO plugin.
  • Manually create an HTML sitemap page for users.
  • Embed the XML sitemap link in your footer or a menu.

Q. How to create a WordPress sitemap without a plugin?

A. If you prefer not to use a plugin, you can manually create an XML sitemap using an online generator and upload it to your root directory via FTP.

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Salwa Mujtaba

Salwa Mujtaba is a Technical Content Writer at Cloudways. With a strong background in Computer Science and prior experience as a team lead in Cloudways Operations, she brings a deep understanding of the Cloudways Platform to her writing. Salwa creates content that simplifies complex concepts, making them accessible and engaging for readers. When she's not writing, you can find her enjoying good music, reading a book, or spending quality time with her family.

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