How to Generate a Sitemap

When performing an SEO audit for a site, one of the first things we look at is the indexability of that site. Specifically, we identify whether or not the site’s pages are being indexed by the search engines, and if pages are missing from the indexes, we offer solutions for getting them indexed. An extremely effective technique for notifying the search engines about your site’s pages is to use a Sitemap, which serves as a road map for your site’s content.

This short video shows you how to generate a Sitemap:

Video Transcription

Hello and welcome to Gnome Tips! Today we will learn how to generate a Sitemap.

There are a number of sites that will automatically generate a Sitemap for you, but in this video, we’re going to use the Sitemap generator provided at www.xml-sitemaps.com.

Once you’re at the site, you simply fill in your site’s details. First, enter the site’s full URL. Then, select a “Change frequency” option, which will tell search engines how frequently your site changes. Next, select a “Last modification” option, which will tell search engines when the site was last modified. Now, select a “Priority” option, which will tell search engines how important each of your pages is with respect to each other. Finally, click the “Start” button, and let the generator do its magic.

Once your Sitemap has been generated, you should see a page similar to this one. Now, simply upload your new Sitemap to the root directory of your Web server, and you’ll be good to go.

One more quick note. If your site is powered by WordPress, you can use a plugin to automatically generate a Sitemap for you. We recommend using WordPress SEO by Yoast.

Thank you for watching this edition of Gnome Tips. To learn more about Search Engine Marketing, visit our website at www.webgnomes.org.