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  • Kristie Hill

Make it easier for search engines to find your blog: create a sitemap.

July 17, 2014

This quick and easy tutorial will help you create a Sitemap for your blog. An XML Sitemap is a must have for any blogger looking to improve their SEO. Take a minute and make sure yours is set up.

What is an XML Sitemap? An XML Sitemap is a page on your blog that lists every page on your website.  Having this sitemap makes it easier for Google and other search engines to crawl (find) pages on your blog.

You could create your own sitemap following Google’s instructions, or use an online, sitemap generator.

Lucky for us, creating a Sitemap with WordPress is super easy. Especailly for bloggers using the Yoast SEO plugin

Create a Sitemap using the Yoast SEO Plugin

If you haven’t yet, install and activate the Yoast SEO Plugin.

Once it is activated, navigate SEO > XML Sitemaps (not seeing this tab? You may have to activate it by going to Yoast SEO > Dashboard > Features and turn on Advanced Settings Page)

Click the enable button

Yoast Sitemap Screenshot

Your XML Sitemap is now all ready to go!

To review your sitemap settings at anytime, navigate to this page and click the link next to “You can find your XML Sitemap here”.

As you create new pages and posts, the XML sitemap will automatically update for you.

Don’t you just love plugins that do the work for you?

You’re not done yet though. Now you need to give your sitemap to Google to help them find your blog. Copy that link to your sitemap and head over to the next tutorial.

Next Step: Submit your sitemap to Google.

Did you like this quick and easy tutorial? If so will you save it to Pinterest to help me out? Thanks!

Pin it!

Sitemap Tutorial Header Image

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Filed Under: Build, How to Start a Blog Tagged With: grow your blog traffic, Plugins, SEO Conversation: 20 Comments

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Comments

  1. Erin says

    August 28, 2016 at 5:08 pm

    Thanks so much for the always helpful advice! I had Google Sitemaps + Yoast and kept receiving an error message from Yoast about having 2 sitemaps. I was scared to delete either of them, so I came to your site to see what you advised. Now I only have Yoast 🙂 Thanks, Kristie!

    Reply
    • Kristie Hill says

      September 7, 2016 at 6:43 am

      Glad you only have one! Did you go and let google know? Loving what you and your daughter are doing with your blog. 🙂 It’s been fun watching your journey Erin.

      Reply
  2. Miranda M. Nahmias says

    November 15, 2015 at 12:07 am

    Hi! I have a question…you said that, if you already have the Yoast plug-in, you don’t need that one and the one you recommended. What if you’re a brand-new blogger? Should I install XML Sitemaps to make the sitemap, and then install Yoast for SEO?

    Reply
    • Kristie Hill says

      November 16, 2015 at 7:41 am

      Nope. If you plan on using Yoast (and most bloggers do these days) then you won’t need the XML sitemaps plugin. You don’t need or want duplicate sitemaps. Not only does it add unnecessary bulk to your blog, but it could potentially confuse search engines.

      If you decided to use the Yoast SEO plugin, then creating a sitemap is super easy. From your WordPress dashboard navigate to SEO < XML Sitemaps and make sure the box is checked next to Check this box to enable XML sitemap functionality.

      Reply
  3. Sandie says

    November 4, 2015 at 7:00 pm

    Hello Kristie! It looks like I am having the same problem a few other people above are experiencing. I don’t have the “build it” option for my Google XML Sitemap plugin, just Deactivate or Edit. I am hoping that it will still work for me though!
    Thank you for these great posts on getting my blog set up, they have been SO helpful!

    Reply
    • Kristie Hill says

      November 5, 2015 at 1:37 pm

      Hi. We figured out the problem everyone was having, there is a plugin with a similar name. Delete the plugin you have installed and add the Google XML Sitemaps (with an s) by Arne Brachhold. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have issues after installing this plugin instead.

      Good luck setting up your blog!

      Reply
      • Sandie says

        November 5, 2015 at 10:16 pm

        Yup that did it, thank you! The only change I have is it looks like mine automatically created without me having to build it. Pretty cool! It gave me the URL and everything.

        Thanks again!

        Reply
        • Kristie Hill says

          November 6, 2015 at 7:11 am

          Glad that worked!

          Reply
  4. Jere says

    September 26, 2015 at 7:11 pm

    Hi Kristie,
    Thanks for sharing so much information. I need all the help I can get. I was trying to active the Google Site Plug-In of which I did install it but when I go to Settings it does not show up there so I feel it is not totally installed properly since I did not to the “Build It” step. Any thoughts???

    Jere’

    Reply
    • Kristie Hill says

      September 28, 2015 at 3:50 pm

      Hmmm.. Zornitsa, the commenter below you had this same issue. They must have updated how the plugin works since I wrote this post. Do you see the options to BUILD IT? Or no?

      Reply
      • Tess says

        October 7, 2015 at 10:08 am

        Hello 🙂 I am working on creating a sitemap and am having the same problem as the above poster. I do not see a Settings option, nor do I see a “Build It” option. I don’t see any other options that seem to apply. Any advice on what to do next?

        Reply
        • Kristie Hill says

          October 7, 2015 at 10:50 am

          Tess, will you let me do this for you? I obviously need to figure out how it needs to be done + update this post. I’ll shoot you an email…

          Reply
          • Tess says

            October 7, 2015 at 10:55 am

            Absolutely! Thank you!!

          • Kristie Hill says

            October 7, 2015 at 2:54 pm

            Sent!

  5. Zornitsa says

    September 19, 2015 at 2:41 am

    Hi Kristie! I installed and activated the plugin. I see it in my list with plugins, but I don’t see any “Settings” that I can click on. There’s just the Deactivate and Edit options. What should I do?

    Reply
    • Kristie Hill says

      September 21, 2015 at 2:42 pm

      Hi Zornitsa! In order to find the settings, you’ll need to go to your WordPress dashboard and then navigate in the left sidebar and hover over settings > then click on XML-Sitemap.

      That should do the trick!

      Reply
  6. Erin says

    October 4, 2014 at 8:41 pm

    Thanks for popping by my site earlier! I just downloaded this plugin — something that I hadn’t seen yet that I needed. Thanks so much! Following you on Facebook now as well. Looking forward to reading more tips!

    Erin | It All Matters Mom

    Reply
    • Kristie Hill says

      October 8, 2014 at 2:41 pm

      Yay! Now Google will have an easier time finding you!

      Reply
  7. Natalie Mesbah says

    September 23, 2014 at 1:22 am

    Kristie, thank you for the detailed instructions for creating an XML Sitemap! Any help I can get about raising search engine awareness of my blog I will take (and do)! I will definitely be checking your blog for more tips! Thanks again!
    Natalie @ *Faux Jewels*Real Gems*

    Reply
    • Kristie Hill says

      September 23, 2014 at 12:24 pm

      You’re welcome! This will help a lot. Good Luck blogging!

      Reply

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