Web Site HTML Sitemap

Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide

In the Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide, there is section on site navigation. In it Google highly recommends installing sitemaps.

One of those site maps is a visual site map, better known as an HTML sitemap, that you place on your site, preferably in the menu tab at the head of your landing page.

A lot of sites put their sitemaps in the sidebar or in the footer.  But best practices suggests you make your sitemap easy to find. That tells me that up front and with the header menu is a place it can go.

What is an HTML sitemap?

An html sitemap creates a visual display in a list form of all the entries or content pages of your web site. They are listed in the order you designate, alphabetical or chronological, and appears as clickable links to a specific page of content.

Why have an HTML sitemap?

You want one because it offers your visitor a very easy way to navigate your site and find what they are looking for.  That is very important to the user experience and to Google.  So putting an HTML sitemap in an easy to find place is very good for the customer and very good for you.  Your site quality score should register with google and that is a good thing.

How Do I Set One Up?

To set one up is easy in WordPress.  Just go to your Plugin tab and click it.  Go up to the add plugin box and type in sitemap.  Go down the list of offerings and find WP Archive Sitemap Generator. Click the install link.  Then click the activate link. Verify that the WP Archive Sitemap Generator is installed.  In the copy of the description of the plugin it will give you a string of code ,<!–wp-archive-sitemap-generator–>,that you will copy to your notepad.  Then go to your page tab in the dashboard sidebar, click add new to create a new page.  Copy the code into the content area and make sure you have selected the HTML editor tab. Title your page. I recommend calling it Sitemap.

And you are done.

Verify Sitemap Install

Check out your page tab. Depending on your site theme it will be on the top menu bar, the sidebar or in the footer menu bar.  Click the Sitemap tab and you should see a visual sitemap of your web site.

So there you have it. If you want to see the process of installing just check out the video below.

I hope this has been helpful. Stay with it, Stay well and May Your Travels Be Prosperous.

About Claude Pelanne

Claude Pelanne is an internet marketer and consultant who comes out of television broadcast. He works with start ups and small business to optimize their online business.