You know that feeling when you’ve spent weeks (or even months!) creating content, optimizing pages, and tweaking your website…only to check your rankings and be left wondering if Google even knows your website exists?
Here’s the good news: it doesn’t have to be that way! You can submit your sitemap to Google to cut out the whole waiting-and-guessing-game. This step is like handing Google a clear, organized map of your website, meaning your website pages get noticed, indexed, and found faster.
Now, I won’t promise that submitting a sitemap magically gets your site to the top of Google overnight. But what I can tell you is that it definitely helps. It shortcuts how Google finds your amazing content (and makes sure that it sees ALL of your content), so none of your hard work goes to SEO waste.
Ready to learn how to submit your sitemap to Google Search Console, without all the tech overwhelm? Grab your coffee and let’s get started!
What exactly is a sitemap, anyway?
Let’s break it down. A sitemap is like a roadmap for your website. There are actually two types of sitemaps you’ll want to know about: XML sitemaps and HTML sitemaps. Both serve a purpose, and they’re not the same.
XML sitemaps are designed specifically for search engines. They’re like a behind-the-scenes list that helps Google’s bots quickly scan your site and understand what’s where. It’s usually a simple file that lives at yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml, and it includes links to all the important pages on your site, along with info like how often you update them.
HTML sitemaps, on the other hand, are made for people. These are clickable pages on your site (usually found in the header or footer) that help users navigate your site more easily, which is especially helpful for larger websites.
When it comes to SEO, we want to focus on XML sitemaps. They give search engines a clean, organized view of your site’s structure. So when Google’s bots (also called “crawlers” or “spiders”) come to visit, your sitemap says:
- Here’s exactly what’s on the site
- Here’s when it was last updated
- And here’s how all the pieces connect
Google can find and crawl your website on its own, but submitting a sitemap is the best way to be 100% sure Google is finding your website quickly (and seeing it the way you want it to!)
Why you definitely want to submit your sitemap to Google
So, why should you care about submitting your sitemap to Google? There are MANY reasons!
When you submit your sitemap directly through Google Search Console, you’re basically handing Google an updated cheat sheet of your website.
This helps Google:
- Index your content faster. Instead of waiting around for Google to stumble across your new content, submitting your sitemap gets you on Google’s radar ASAP.
- Understand your site’s structure clearly. Google sees how your pages connect, helping it serve your content to the right audience.
- Spot any crawling issues quicker. Submitting your sitemap lets you see any problems Google runs into while indexing your site, so you can fix them fast.
- Highlight your most important pages. You can show Google exactly which pages are top priority (like your service pages or latest blog posts).
Does submitting a sitemap guarantee higher (or better) search rankings?
We get this question a LOT. Let’s set realistic expectations here:
Submitting a sitemap doesn’t automatically guarantee higher rankings or instant traffic boosts. But it does make your website easier to crawl, index, and understand, and those things absolutely help your overall SEO in the long run.
Think of it like planting seeds. You’re setting up the best possible environment for your website to flourish, grow visibility, and climb up in search results organically over time.
How to generate a sitemap on your WordPress website
Alright, friend, now that you know why sitemaps matter, let’s chat about how to get one up and running on your WordPress site. Good news: you don’t have to build one from scratch, because there are plugins that make it easy!
The best plugins for generating sitemaps
- Yoast SEO – Yoast is the go-to SEO plugin for many WordPress users. It automatically creates your sitemap and keeps it updated as you add new content. It’s great if you also want SEO guidance built into your WordPress dashboard.
- Rank Math – Another awesome option (and my personal fave!) It provides an easy-to-use sitemap generator and offers additional optimization tips as you go.
- All in One SEO – A user-friendly choice with a straightforward sitemap creator. Perfect for beginners who want simplicity.
- SEOPress – Powerful and lightweight, this plugin lets you quickly set up and customize your sitemap.
All these plugins automatically update your sitemap every time you add, delete, or modify content on your website, so you can just set it and forget it.
Once you’ve installed the SEO plugin of your choice, your sitemap is usually created automatically. You can typically find it by adding /sitemap.xml to the end of your domain (like yourwebsite.com/sitemap.xml).
Your plugin may also give you a direct link right inside your WordPress dashboard under the “Sitemap” or “SEO” settings. Easy as pie! Just copy that link, because you’ll need it to manually submit your sitemap to Google.
How to submit a sitemap to Google Search Console (Step-by-Step)
You’ve got your sitemap—yay! 🎉 Now it’s time to let Google know it exists so it can start crawling your site more efficiently. Wondering, “how do I submit a sitemap to Google?” It’s easier than it sounds.
Here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Log in to Google Search Console
Head to Google Search Console and log in with your Google account. If you haven’t already added and verified your site, you’ll need to do that first. (There are a few verification methods, but if you’re using Yoast or Rank Math, they make this part super easy.)
Step 2: Click on Main Menu & Navigate to the Sitemaps section
In the left-hand menu, scroll down and click on Sitemaps under the “Indexing” section.
Step 3: Submit your sitemap
Right at the top, you’ll see a box that says “Add a new sitemap.” Paste in the link to your site map. Click Submit and voilà—you’ve officially told Google where to find your sitemap!
Step 4: Refresh and monitor
After a few moments, your sitemap should appear below with a status. You might see “Success” right away, or it may take a bit for Google to process the new info.
Check back every now and then to make sure there aren’t any errors or warnings. Google will let you know if something needs your attention!
What happens after you submit a sitemap?
So, what happens after you hit that “Submit” button in Google Search Console? Is your site going to skyrocket to page one overnight? (We wish!)
Let’s talk through what to expect (and what not to expect).
Submitting a sitemap doesn’t guarantee instant rankings.
Submitting your sitemap is like saying, “Hey Google, here’s everything I want you to look at!” It tells Google what pages exist and gives it a clear path to crawl and index your content. But (and this is important) it doesn’t automatically mean your content will rank higher or even be indexed right away.
Google still does its own thing. It will evaluate your content quality, how relevant it is, how your website performs technically (like page speed and mobile usability), how people engage with your site, and whether it trusts your domain based on things like backlinks and consistency.
You may not see immediate changes
Sometimes you’ll see your sitemap indexed within a day or two, and sometimes it takes longer (especially for newer websites or newly published content.) It’s not unusual for a site to take a couple of weeks to get fully crawled and indexed after submission. Don’t stress if you don’t see an instant traffic spike. It will happen soon!
What to watch for after you’ve submitted your sitemap to Google
Index Status: Check in Google Search Console under “Pages” to see how many pages have been indexed vs. how many were submitted.
Errors and warnings: If something’s off with your sitemap (like broken links, noindexed pages, or redirect loops), Google will flag it. Make sure to check back for any issues you need to fix.
Performance: After your pages are indexed, you can start monitoring how they perform using the “Performance” tab in Google Search Console. Look at clicks, impressions, and average position.
TL; DR
Submitting your sitemap is a BIG and necessary step in your SEO journey, but it’s just one piece of the puzzle. You still need great content, solid technical performance, and a little patience to start seeing results.
Keeping your sitemap up to date
Submitting your sitemap to Google is not a one-and-done situation, especially if your site is growing. Anytime you add new content (like blogs, landing pages, or new service pages), you’ll want to make sure your sitemap reflects those updates so Google can keep up.
Luckily, if you’re using one of the SEO plugins we mentioned earlier, your sitemap usually updates automatically.
Still, it’s smart to:
- Check your sitemap URL periodically to make sure it’s working and up to date.
- Re-submit your sitemap in Google Search Console if you make significant changes to your site structure (like deleting lots of old pages or launching a big new section).
- Keep tabs on Google Search Console to make sure there are no errors or warnings associated with your sitemap.
Think of your sitemap as a map you’re handing to Google. If the map keeps changing (because you’re growing—yay!), then Google needs a fresh version so it can keep finding your content. Keeping it up to date ensures your latest and greatest pages get seen, crawled, and ranked.
Submitting your sitemap is a small step with big SEO impact
You do not have to be an SEO expert to start seeing more traffic from search engines. Submitting your sitemap to Google is one of those super simple tasks that can have a big impact on how easily Google can find and rank the content you’ve already put on your website.
Need help getting your SEO ducks in a row?
That’s exactly what we do. Whether you’re launching a brand new site or trying to get your existing one to show up in search results, we’re here to make SEO feel less like a black hole and more like a plan.
Reach out to learn more about our SEO support and website services, and let’s get your business in front of the people already searching for what you do.
