Creating and setting up a sitemap.xml (my guide)

A sitemap.xml is essential for proper indexing. It tells search engines which pages are important, how often they change and when they were last updated. In this article, I explain step by step how to create a sitemap, what to watch out for, and how to submit it to Google.

1. What is a sitemap.xml?

A sitemap.xml is an XML file that contains the structure of your site, intended for search engines (not users).

Sample statement:

The sitemap is not a ranking factor, but it is a tool for crawlers to index your content more efficiently.

2. Automatically generate a sitemap

Most modern CMSs and SEO tools automatically generate a sitemap.

WordPress:

• Yoast SEO: https://jouwdomein.nl/sitemap_index.xml
  
• Rank Math: https://jouwdomein.nl/sitemap_index.xml
  
• All in One SEO Pack: idem
  

Shopify / Wix / Webflow:

• Automatically generated, usually at /sitemap.xml
  

Own website:

• Use tools such as:
  
  • Screaming Frog XML Sitemap Generator
    
  • XML-Sitemaps.com
    
  • Custom script in Python/PHP
    

Make sure dynamic websites do not show temporary or irrelevant URLs in the sitemap.

3. What do and don’t you include in your sitemap?

Did:

• Pages with unique content
  
• Key landing pages (SEO pages, blog articles, product pages)
  
• Canonical versions of URLs
  
• Pages with index status (no noindex)
  

Not:

• 404s, redirects or noindex pages
  
• Erroneous parameters, test pages, admin urls
  
• Duplicate content or alternative language versions without hreflang
  

Less is more: rather 300 truly relevant URLs than 3000 noise.

4. Making sitemap available to search engines

Step 1: Make sure your sitemap is accessible

• Go to https://jouwdomein.nl/sitemap.xml
  
• You should see the XML structure (without 404 or redirect)
  

Step 2: Add to robots.txt

Add this line:

Step 3: Submit to Google Search Console

1. Log in to Google Search Console
   
2. Choose your property
   
3. Go to Sitemaps in the menu
   
4. Add the path: sitemap.xml
   
5. Click on Send
   

5. Best practices & common mistakes

Error	Solution
Redirects or 404s in sitemap	Restore or remove from sitemap
Sitemap not up to date	Use dynamic sitemap or automatic update
Too many irrelevant URLs	Filter by noindex/canonical
Sitemap not included in robots.txt	Add the sitemap line
Dual languages without hreflang	Implement hreflang or split by language into separate sitemaps

6. Multiple sitemaps? Use a sitemap index

For larger sites (>50,000 URLs or >50MB XML file) use a sitemap index.

Example:

Most SEO plugins do this automatically. Make sure each component loads correctly.

In conclusion

A good sitemap is a fundamental part of technical SEO. No overkill, no clutter – just an up-to-date and clear roadmap for search engines. Combine with good internal link structure and robots.txt, and you lay a solid indexing foundation.