How to submit website sitemap

 Submitting a website sitemap is an essential step in improving the visibility and presence of your website on search engine results pages (SERPs). A sitemap helps search engines understand the structure and organization of your website, ensuring that all your webpages are accessible and indexed. In this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through the process of submitting a website sitemap to popular search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo.

Step 1: Generate your sitemap

The first step is to generate a sitemap for your website. A sitemap is essentially a file that lists all the URLs on your website that you want search engines to crawl and index. There are various online tools and plugins available that can help you generate a sitemap quickly. Some popular options include Yoast SEO (for WordPress users), XML-Sitemaps.com, and Screaming Frog SEO Spider.

Step 2: Verify your website with search engines

Before submitting your sitemap, it's important to verify ownership of your website with the search engines. This process ensures that you have access to make changes and manage your website's listings. Each search engine has its own verification process, but generally, you'll need to sign up for an account and follow their verification instructions. Google Search Console, Bing Webmaster Tools, and Yahoo Site Explorer are the respective tools for each search engine.

Step 3: Sign in to the search engine's webmaster tools

Once you have verified ownership, sign in to the respective search engine's webmaster tools. For Google, visit Google Search Console, for Bing, go to Bing Webmaster Tools, and for Yahoo, access Yahoo Site Explorer. If you don't have an account, you'll need to create one.

Step 4: Add your website to the search engine's webmaster tools

After signing in, you'll need to add your website. Look for an option to "Add a Property" or "Add a Site", and click on it. Enter your website's URL and follow any additional instructions to complete the process. Repeat this step for each search engine you want to submit your sitemap to.

Step 5: Locate the sitemap submission feature

Once your website is added and verified, locate the sitemap submission feature within the respective webmaster tools. In Google Search Console, click on the website you want to submit a sitemap for, and then navigate to "Sitemaps" under the "Index" section. In Bing Webmaster Tools, find the website you added and go to "Sitemaps" under "Configure My Site". For Yahoo Site Explorer, click on the website and look for the "Submit a Sitemap" option.

Step 6: Enter your sitemap URL

In the sitemap submission section, you'll find a field to enter your sitemap URL. Copy the URL of your generated sitemap and paste it into the appropriate field. Double-check the URL for accuracy to ensure search engines can access and crawl your sitemap correctly.

Step 7: Submit your sitemap

After entering the sitemap URL, click on the "Submit", "Add", or "Save" button to submit your sitemap to the search engine. This action will notify the search engine that you have a sitemap available for crawling and indexing.

Step 8: Monitor sitemap status

Once you have submitted your sitemap, you can monitor its status in the webmaster tools interface. Search engines will often provide information about the number of submitted URLs, how many have been indexed, any errors encountered, and more. Regularly check this section to ensure your sitemap is being processed correctly.

Step 9: Update your sitemap regularly

As you make changes or add new content to your website, it's crucial to update your sitemap regularly. Generating an updated sitemap and resubmitting it ensures search engines are aware of your latest website structure and content. Some tools and plugins provide automatic sitemap updates, but always double-check to be certain.

In conclusion, submitting your website's sitemap to search engines is an essential step in improving search engine visibility. By following these step-by-step instructions, you can ensure that your website is properly crawled and indexed, leading to increased organic traffic and better search engine ranking.