An XML sitemap is a list of all pages on a website that tells search engines about the structure of the site. Sitemaps help search engines crawl and index websites more efficiently. Both HTML and XML sitemaps are useful - HTML sitemaps help users navigate a site while XML sitemaps provide additional metadata to search engines for crawling. The document provides steps for creating both sitemaps to maximize a site's discoverability.

1. How to Create a Sitemap | Submit a Sitemap in
Google Search Console

2. An XML Sitemap is a list of all Webpages on your website. Once you finished to a
create and submit a Sitemaps, then it tells the search engine about the pages on
your website, total how many pages are there, and which page is updated
frequently, and which page is most important.
Sitemaps are files that contain a listing of all the content for your site.
What is XML Sitemap?
In the case of XML sitemaps, they also include additional information to help the
search engine more accurately crawl and index your site content.
For most webmasters, there are tools used for planning, organization and reporting
the way a website is structured.
They do this by identifying the different URLs and content within each section of your
website.

3. HTML Sitemap (also referred to as a site index) is created to help users navigate
your site quickly and easily. They are most often used as a table of content is used in
a book or magazine to show the different categories and the different content
contained within each category or section.
They can also be used to provide website visitors a big picture or top-down view of
all of the content contained on the site.
Their primary function, however, is to provide your visitors with a quick and easy way
of navigating from one page of your website to any other page on that site.
They are created primarily to provide search engine bots with a list of all the URLs
and pages on those sites that are available to be crawled.
They also provide additional information such as how often updates are made, when
the last change was made and the priority of importance for each page within the
site.

4. This allows a search engine to use this information to crawl your site faster and more
efficiently.
Sitemap XML Dynamic generator software is a PHP based sitemap generator for
Google, HTML and text sitemaps.
How to Check if your website already has a sitemap?
Before generating the first check if your website, have already sitemap is there or
not.
Go to Google and type in the search box your website name/sitemap_index.xml. If
any URL opens, then you will get all sitemap URL. If that URL is not open then you
generate a sitemap for your website.

6. How to create a sitemap?
In WordPress, so many plugins are there but all plugins are doing the same job to
build a sitemap for your website, it doesn’t matter which plugin you choose. But, I
recommend no need for installing an additional plugin for the sitemap. By using the
Yoast SEO plugin you can create your sitemap. For WordPress website, almost
everyone is using the Yoast SEO plugin. Because Yoast SEO is the most popular
plugin for WordPress.
● Login to your website admin panel.
● Go to plugins < Add New < Install Yoast SEO < Activate.
● Click on Yoast SEO <General
● Go to the Feature < Enable Sitemap.
● Once you enable XML sitemap then Yoast SEO will generate your XML
sitemap URL and in that XML sitemap URL, you have added in google
search console.

8. ● Once you copy that URL don’t forget to save changes.
How to submit sitemap in Google Search console:
● Login to your Google search console. If your search console is not verified
ownership, then first you need to verify your website ownership then after
adding your sitemap URL in Google search console.
● Go to sitemaps and add your XML sitemap URL < submit.

9. ● Your sitemap is uploaded successfully.

10. Why You Need SiteMap:-
Web crawlers or search engine bots usually find new sites or content as a result of
crawling a site that has a link to the new site or content on it.
This is why it is important to build links to all of your new content to ensure that all of
your content is being crawled and indexed by creating and submitting an XML
sitemap.
To the major search engine, you are being more proactive in informing the search
engine about your site and its content.
It is not mandatory to have a sitemap, but a sitemap can be helpful in many ways.
The XML sitemap will help in SEO, and it helps Google and other search engines
also to find your webpages. This is important because, Google gives the rank for
web pages also, not only for websites.

11. If you observe at the above picture, you will see a date to every URL, that will tells
Google when this post is updated. That will helps in SEO when Google can crawl
your updated content.
Without sitemap also Google will crawl your site. Go to Google in search box type a
“site:yourdomain” then it will show all the indexed pages in Google.

12. Improving Indexing:
By creating and submitting an XML sitemap to Google search console. You are
informing Google of all of these pages and content that currently have on my
website.
This greatly increases the odds that all of your content will be crawled and indexed.
This is very important when you have a large authority site with 100’s (or more)
pages without submitting a sitemap. Some of your pages might get overlooked and
that means that they would not show up in the search results.
Improved visitor experience:
Users have a short attention span and as a result of many users already know. What
they are interested in and can quickly locate that information using your sitemap to
go the content that is important to them.

13. This also means that they will be spending more time on your site instead of clicking
away and going to another site. This can also help to reduce your site bounce rate.
How XML & HTML Sitemaps are used:
HTML Sitemaps:
HTML sitemaps are most effectively used as a planning tool. Which can allow you to
map out the different categories, for your site along with the different pages or post
that will be needed for each category?
HTML sitemaps can be in any document format type such as a word document used
to plan the development of a new site or a webpage used for on-site navigation by
website visitors.
In addition, they are also primarily created to allow users quick and easy site
navigation.

14. XML sitemaps:
Extensible markup language (XML) is the newer formatting language used to encode
data in a way that is readable by both humans and machines.
XML sitemaps protocols were adopted in response to the increasing complexity and
increasing number of pages, post, and content. Contained within multiple sections of
many blogs, forums, and business websites.
They are created primarily for the benefit of both the website owner (or webmaster)
and the major search engine.
Ideally, both HTML and XML sitemaps should be used in the following manner:
Step 1:
Create an HTML sitemap as a flowchart to diagram all of the different aspects that
you want to have included in your site creation.

15. You may want to duplicate an already completed site that is very similar to the site
you have in mind to create.
An HTML sitemap can be created by creating a new page with the title HTML
sitemap and listing all of your web content with links to each piece of content.
If you choose to create your site first, you can then use a free online sitemap
generator to crawl your site and create your sitemap. For WordPress users, there are
plugins available to automate this process.
Step 2:
After your site has been created your HTML sitemap to include all of the completed
sections, pages and content. That you would like your visitors to have access to.
This can be done by updating your HTML sitemap page with a link using. The title of
the new content as your anchor text linking back to that content.

16. Step 3:
Next, create an XML sitemap using an XML sitemap generator to submit. To the
major search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing.
One way to create your XML sitemap is to use a free automated sitemap creator like
the one available at sitemaps.com.
You will simply need to enter your site URL (along with optional data for better
accuracy). And it will be crawled and an XML sitemap will be created. That, you can
then submit to Google through your Google search console.
You can also monitor and manage your crawl stats in the diagnostics section of your
account.
Step 4:
Update your HTML sitemap as your content changes. This will ensure that your
visitors will always be able to navigate and access all of your site’s content.

17. You can update your HTML sitemap by listing your new post, page or content on
your HTML sitemap page with a link to it
Step 5:
Monitor your Google webmaster account in the diagnostic section to see if a new
XML sitemap is needed. If you notice that all of your content is not being crawled.
You can then and submit a new XML sitemap.
By creating and using both an HTML and an XML sitemap for each of your sites.
You will be ensuring that you are taking the necessary steps to maximize. Your
site’s crawl and usability for both your users and the search engines.