Ensuring that your website is discoverable by search engines is important for its success. One of the most effective ways to assist search engines like Google in understanding your website’s structure and content is by submitting a sitemap through Google Search Console. This process can significantly improve your website’s visibility in search results, driving organic traffic and reaching a wider audience. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to submit your sitemap through Google Search Console.
DNS Record for GiftSite subdomains – If your website is exists on a subdomain of GiftSite, for example – myshop.giftsite.co.uk, then we will verify the property for you and submit your site map. If you want access to your Search Console property you will need to give us the email account of a Google account with which we can share access.
DNS Record for custom domains – If your GiftSite is using a custom domain that you have bought, follow the instructions below to create your search console property.
Step 1: Set Up Google Search Console If you haven’t already, create a Google Search Console account for your website. Simply log in with your Google account, click on the “+ Add Property” button. You will be asked to choose between “Domain” and “URL prefix” property type. You should choose the “Domain” property type.
Step 2: Verify your domain You will need to demonstrate to Google that you own the domain. Use the credentials provided by your domain name provider to log into the control panel for your domain. Locate the “DNS settings” area. This is sometimes described as “Advanced DNS settings”. Enter the DNS record provided to you by Google search console.
Step 3: Access Your Property After verifying your website, select the property (website) you want to work with from the Google Search Console dashboard. This will open up a range of tools and options to improve your website’s presence in Google search results.
Step 4: Locate the Sitemap Section In the left-hand menu, find and click on “Sitemaps” under the “Index” section. This is where you’ll be able to submit and manage your sitemap.
Step 5: Add Your Sitemap In the “Sitemaps” section, you’ll find a field labelled “Add a new sitemap.” Enter the URL of your sitemap. You will find this at https://www.yourdomain.com/wp-sitemap.xml/. For example the GiftSite sitemap is here: https://www.giftsite.co.uk/wp-sitemap.xml
Step 6: Enter Your Sitemap URL Once you have check that you have entered the sitemap URL correct click the SUBMIT button.
Step 7: Monitor Google Search Console will now process your request and start crawling your sitemap. You’ll be able to track the progress and see if there are any issues through the same “Sitemaps” section.
Step 7: Review the Report After some time, Google Search Console will generate a report on the status of your submitted sitemap. This report will show you the number of submitted URLs versus the number of indexed URLs. Discrepancies could indicate issues with crawling or indexing certain pages.
Step 8: Resubmit or Troubleshoot If you encounter any issues, such as URLs not being indexed or errors in crawling, you can use the information in the report to troubleshoot and make necessary adjustments. If needed, you can resubmit an updated sitemap to reflect changes on your website.
In conclusion, submitting your sitemap through Google Search Console is a fundamental step toward improving your website’s visibility and search engine ranking. By providing search engines with a clear and organized roadmap of your website’s content, you’re helping them index your pages more efficiently. Regularly monitoring the indexing status and addressing any issues that arise ensures that your website remains accessible to a wider online audience.
