Don’t Forget Your Site Map
Having a functional XML sitemap is critical for good SEO results.
The sitemap, if you weren’t aware, allows Google to understand your site structure and retrieve essential pages quickly. Your sitemap index is automatically updated as you add or remove content.
The sitemap is often referred to as the “directory” of your website. If there is no index of the content then you are 1) unsearchable and 2) risk having errors on your site. To avoid this problem, make sure to reset your sitemap when making any major changes to your site and be aware of the available functions and requirements when handling SEO- optimized settings.
How to check your sitemap works
Google doesn’t check a sitemap every time a site is crawled, so you can have Google ping your sitemap to validate it. If you have updated pages in the sitemap, make it available to Google by using the following URL:
- https://www.google.com/ping?sitemap=FULL_URL_OF_SITEMAP
Just because Google can see your sitemap, doesn’t mean it will index the full site.
Check and reset your sitemap after a plugin switch
However, it is important to make sure to reset the site map after you shift SEO Plugins or make major changes. This one simple step can save you hours of effort and lost SERP results that could cost you significant dollars in revenue.
Need Help?
Not sure you want to handle your site map or SEO Plugin issues. Big Red Dog is a full-service digital marketing agency based in Raleigh, NC. With small and medium-sized clients located across the United States, we focus on what your business needs to achieve your goals and understand how to make your company competitive to deliver high-quality results. From Integrated Marketing to SEO, ppc, or anything in digital marketing, we tackle any marketing strategy to help drive quality traffic to your website, raise conversions that build results, as well as solve those complex problems that every business owner faces.
Let’s connect
Want to learn more about our team and how we can help your business? Feel free to give us a call at 919-926-8727 or contact us.