How To Submit A Sitemap To Google

Submitting a sitemap to Google is a foundational step in improving your website’s visibility on search engines. A sitemap acts as a roadmap, guiding search engine crawlers to all the important pages on your site and ensuring nothing gets overlooked. In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to submit a sitemap to Google and why it’s a vital part of your SEO strategy.

What Is A Sitemap?

A sitemap is a structured file, often written in XML, that provides a detailed list of all the pages on your website. Its primary purpose is to help search engines like Google navigate your site efficiently and identify the most important pages.

Types of Sitemaps

1. XML Sitemap: This format is the most common for submission. It is created for search engines and includes technical details like page URLs, last modified dates, and crawl priority.
2. HTML Sitemap: Designed for users, it provides a clickable list of pages to improve user experience.
3. RSS Feeds: These can act as dynamic sitemaps for websites with frequent updates, like blogs or news sites.

Creating and maintaining a proper sitemap ensures that even your site’s deepest pages are accessible to search engines.

Why Submitting A Sitemap To Google Is Important

Submitting a sitemap to Google is about more than getting your pages indexed—it’s about ensuring that they’re indexed effectively and efficiently.

1. Indexing New Content: If you add new pages or update existing ones, a sitemap signals Google to prioritise these changes for crawling. Without it, updates may take longer to appear in search results.
2. Improved Crawl Efficiency: For large or complex websites, a sitemap ensures that all sections, including those with intricate navigation, are discovered.
3. Boost SEO Performance: Sitemaps help Google understand your site structure, aiding in better rankings. They also highlight important pages you want Google to focus on, such as high-converting landing pages.
4. Addressing Crawl Limitations: If your site has pages that aren’t linked internally (orphan pages), a sitemap ensures these pages don’t go unnoticed.

Steps To Submit A Sitemap To Google

Step 1: Create a Sitemap
Creating a sitemap is the first step. This process involves generating an XML file listing all your site’s relevant URLs. Here’s how to create one:

• Manual Creation: For small websites, you can manually create an XML file using online generators like XML-sitemaps.com.
• Automated Tools: Platforms like WordPress often offer plugins such as Yoast SEO or Rank Math to generate sitemaps automatically.
• Crawler Tools: Screaming Frog or Sitebulb can generate comprehensive sitemaps for larger websites.
• Best Practices:
  • Exclude unnecessary pages, such as admin URLs or duplicate pages.
  • Ensure the sitemap is stored in the root directory (e.g., www.yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml).

Step 2: Verifying Website in Google Search Console
Before submitting a sitemap, you must verify your site’s ownership in Google Search Console. Verification is critical to ensure that only authorised individuals can manage your website’s presence on Google.

1. Log in to Google Search Console: Use your Google account to access the platform.
2. Add Property: Enter your website’s URL and choose the domain or URL prefix option. Domain verification covers all subdomains, while URL prefix verification focuses on a specific domain version (e.g., HTTPS vs. HTTP).
3. Verification Methods:
   • Upload an HTML file to your root directory.
   • Add a DNS record in your domain provider settings.
   • Use Google Tag Manager or a meta tag in your website’s header.
4. Confirm Verification: After completing the setup, click “Verify” to finalise the process.

Step 3: Submit the Sitemap to Google Search Console
Once your site has been verified, you can submit your sitemap:

1. Access the Sitemaps Tool:
   • In Google Search Console, navigate to your website’s property.
   • Select Sitemaps from the left-hand menu.
2. Enter Sitemap URL:
   • In the “Add a new sitemap” field, input the URL of your sitemap (e.g., /sitemap.xml).
   • Ensure the URL is accessible by testing it in your browser.
3. Submit the Sitemap:
   • Click the Submit button. Google will validate the file and begin processing.

Step 4: Monitor Submission Status
Submitting a sitemap is not a one-and-done task. Monitoring its performance ensures that Google successfully crawls and indexes your site.

Check Status in Search Console:
After submission, the sitemap’s status will display as “Success”, “Pending”, or “Error”.

Address Errors:

• Resolve invalid URLs, blocked pages, or large sitemap sizes.
• Use the “Open Report” option to get detailed insights about the errors.

Ongoing Maintenance:

• Regularly update your sitemap when adding or removing pages.
• Ensure Google can always access it by avoiding server errors or blocking via robots.txt.

Common Issues And How To Resolve Them

When submitting a sitemap to Google, you may encounter errors. Here’s how to address the most frequent issues:

1. Invalid Sitemap Format:
Ensure your sitemap adheres to XML standards.
Test it using tools like the Google Structured Data Testing Tool.

2. Blocked Resources:
Check your robots.txt file for blocked URLs.
Avoid disallowing resources like JavaScript or CSS files that are essential for rendering.

3. Large Sitemaps:
Break large sitemaps into smaller ones (max 50MB or 50,000 URLs each).
Use a sitemap index file to organize them.

4. URL Errors:
Ensure all URLs in your sitemap return a 200 status code.
Avoid including URLs with redirects, 404 errors, or noindex tags.

Best Practices For Managing Sitemaps

To get the most out of your sitemap submission, follow these best practices:

1. Keep It Updated:
   • Automatically regenerate the sitemap whenever content changes using plugins or automation tools.
2. Prioritize Important Pages:
   • Use the <priority> tag in XML sitemaps to signal the significance of specific pages.
3. Audit Regularly:
   • Use tools like Screaming Frog to ensure your sitemap reflects your site accurately and doesn’t include broken links.
4. Avoid Including Irrelevant Pages:
   • Exclude low-value pages, such as login or cart pages, to ensure Google focuses on the most relevant content.

Conclusion On How To Submit A Sitemap To Google

Submitting a sitemap to Google is a simple yet impactful way to improve your website’s visibility and SEO performance. By guiding Google’s crawlers to your most important pages, you enhance the chances of ranking higher and driving more organic traffic.

Ready to optimise your website’s visibility? Submit your sitemap today and watch your rankings soar! Partner with Best SEO and achieve your SEO goals sooner!

Contact us today and avail of our free 30-minute strategy session.

Frequently Asked Questions About Submitting A Sitemap To Google

Do I Need A Sitemap For A Small Website?

A sitemap can be beneficial even for small websites. It ensures Google indexes all your pages and prioritises critical content.

How Often Should I Update My Sitemap?

You should update your sitemap every time you make major changes to your website. For example, adding new pages or removing outdated ones.

Can I Have Multiple Sitemaps For One Website?

Yes, especially if your site is large. To manage them efficiently, you can create multiple sitemaps and submit a sitemap index file.

What Happens If I Don’t Submit A Sitemap?

Google may still find your pages but could miss important ones, especially those not linked internally. Submitting a sitemap ensures better crawl coverage.