With over 20 years of experience, we transform your digital presence. We specialize in website and E-Shop development, SEO and Digital Marketing, ERP software and smart automation that take your business to the next level.
Address:
154 Egnatia Street, Thessaloniki 546 36
Phone:
+30 231 231 4095
E-mail:
hello@twodots.gr
Ready for the next step?;
How to Submit a Sitemap to Google: Step-by-Step Guide: practical guide to submitting a sitemap to Google, with steps, SEO checkpoints and useful tips.
Submitting a sitemap to Google is one of the most important steps for SEO optimization of any website. online store. A sitemap helps Google and other search engines find, crawl, and index all the pages you want to appear in search results. Creating and properly submitting a sitemap to Google Search Console makes it easier for Google bots to recognize recently added pages or changes to content, increasing the chances of better Google rankings and more organic traffic.
SEO researchers report that websites that have submitted sitemaps to Google see faster indexing of new content, while the chances of an important page of the online store being “forgotten” are reduced to a minimum. Especially for large e-shops with frequent product additions, submitting a sitemap to Google saves valuable time and improves the organization of the site structure.
There are several types of sitemaps you can submit to Google. The most common is the XML sitemap, which is the best choice for online stores and large websites. An XML sitemap depicts the structure of your website, listing all the important pages, product URLs, and categories.
To create a sitemap for your online store, you can use various SEO tools, such as Yoast SEO (for WordPress), Google XML Sitemaps, or even custom scripts if you have very specific needs. The important thing in any case is that the sitemap only contains pages that you want Google bot to be able to crawl and display in search results. Example XML sitemap:
https://www.example-shop.gr/
2024-06-10
https://www.example-shop.gr/proionta/
2024-06-10
If your online store has many products and dynamic URLs, the sitemap should be updated regularly so that Google Search Console receives the latest information.
Submitting a sitemap to Google is a simple but critical process for technical SEO optimization. Follow these steps:
If you don't already have an account, create one and add your domain. Google will ask you to verify that you own the site.
In the left menu, select “Sitemaps” under the “Index” tab.
Enter the full URL of the XML sitemap (e.g. https://www.example-shop.gr/sitemap.xml) and click “Submit”.
Google Search Console will immediately inform you if your sitemap has been successfully submitted or if there are any errors. Check the tool frequently for possible updates or errors (sitemap errors) related to the accessibility or readability of your sitemap by Google bots.
According to Semrush statistics, over 75% of websites that submit XML sitemaps to Google see an improvement in Google's index within the first 2-4 weeks. Regular sitemap updates (sitemap refresh) are essential when you add or change products to your e-shop.
Although submitting a sitemap to Google is a relatively simple process, there are some common mistakes that can prevent your online store from being indexed smoothly. Some of the most common are:
A good practice is to frequently check Google Search Console and use SEO tools that help identify and fix errors in your sitemap. Examples of tools you could use are Screaming Frog SEO Spider or Ahrefs Site Audit.
Submitting a sitemap to Google is not just a formal step, but a targeted strategy to enhance the visibility of your online store in search engines. A correct and up-to-date sitemap speeds up the crawling and indexing of all important pages, while reducing the risk of missing “hidden” product pages from the results.
SEO tools show that regular and proper sitemap checking can be a competitive advantage over e-shops that neglect this stage. Especially for businesses that prioritize SEO optimization and maximizing organic traffic, submitting a sitemap to Google in combination with high-quality content and proper technical website structure can contribute significantly to the success of the e-shop.
Submitting a sitemap to Google remains one of the most reliable and proven search engine optimization practices. By taking the time to properly create, submit, and regularly update a sitemap, any professional or online store owner can see immediate results in their content climbing faster in organic results. Don't neglect to frequently check Google Search Console and use advanced SEO tools for continuous improvements.
Source links:
https://www.semrush.com/blog/submit-sitemap-to-google/
https://developers.google.com/search/docs/crawling-indexing/sitemaps/overview
https://yoast.com/what-is-an-xml-sitemap/
https://ahrefs.com/blog/submit-sitemap-to-google/
https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/183668
