Create and Submit a Sitemap in WordPress

If you run a website, ensuring that search engines can find and index your content is of utmost importance. One way to aid search engines locate your content is by producing and submitting a sitemap. A sitemap is basically a file that comprises all the pages on your website that you want search engines to know about. This file facilitates search engines crawl and index your website more efficiently, which can drastically boost your SEO and search engine rankings.

Step 1: Install a WordPress Plugin for Creating Sitemaps

The first step in creating and submitting a sitemap is to install a sitemap plugin. Many plugins are available that can help you produce sitemaps. One of the most commonly used plugins is Yoast SEO, which has over 5 million active installations and is an excellent option for creating a sitemap. You can install Yoast SEO by heading to your WordPress dashboard and clicking on Plugins > Add New. Search for “Yoast SEO,” and then click on the “Install Now” button. After installation, activate the plugin by clicking on the “Activate” button.

Step 2: Enable XML Sitemap Functionality in Yoast SEO

Once Yoast SEO is installed and activated, you need to activate XML sitemap functionality. You can do this by heading to SEO > General > Features on your WordPress dashboard. Scroll down until you see the “XML sitemaps” option and toggle the “On” button to activate it.

Step 3: Configure Yoast SEO Sitemap Settings

After enabling XML sitemap functionality, the next step is to configure Yoast SEO sitemap settings. You can do this by going to SEO > General > Features > XML sitemaps from your WordPress dashboard. From this page, you can configure various settings related to your sitemap, such as the URLs to include/exclude, the frequency of updates, and the number of entries per sitemap.

Step 4: Generate Your Sitemap

Once you have configured your sitemap settings, generate your sitemap by clicking on the “See the XML sitemap” button adjacent to the “XML sitemaps” option in the Yoast SEO settings page. This action will redirect you to a page where you can view your sitemap.

Step 5: Submit Your Sitemap to Google Search Console

The last step in creating and submitting a sitemap is to submit it to Google Search Console. This will help Google discover and index your content more efficiently. To submit your sitemap, go to Google Search Console and select your property. Next, click on “Sitemaps” in the left-hand menu, and then enter the URL of your sitemap in the “Add a new sitemap” field. Finally, click on the “Submit” button to submit your sitemap.

Conclusion

Creating and submitting a sitemap is an easy process in WordPress. By following the steps mentioned above, you can effortlessly create, configure, and submit a sitemap to Google Search Console. Carrying out this task can ultimately enhance your SEO and search engine rankings, so it is definitely worth taking the time to do.