Sitemap for online store is a file in xml format that contains a map of the URLs of your e-commerce site. This map must be sent to sites such as Google in order to speed up the indexing or registration of URLs in the search engine.
In practice, sites like Google crawl the internet and can find the URLs of stores like yours at any time without the need for a sitemap. However, the sitemap speeds up the process.
In this post, you will get to know the importance of sitemap in e-commerce. In addition, you will find out how to generate it from your online store. And finally, you'll know how to send it to Google. Keep reading and stay in the loop!
IMPORTANCE OF SITEMAP FOR VIRTUAL STORE
Submitting a sitemap to a search engine is an act of Search Engine Optimization (SEO). That is, it is an action that aims to optimize the organic content of your e-commerce so that it appears in the results of searches made by consumers on the web.
Basically, sitemap submission allows, for example:
- Accelerate the indexing of the virtual store in search engines such as Google;
- Make the indexing of product pages from new online stores much faster;
- Speed up access from organic searches and thus increase sales in the virtual store.
In fact, the more your product pages appear in good positions in the search rankings of sites like Google, the more visits your online store will receive. So, finally, the higher your lead and sales conversion rate will be.
All this is possible through the sitemap. But how to generate it and send it to the search engine? Well, keep reading because this is the topic of the next topic!
HOW TO GENERATE THE SITEMAP FILE
The first step to generate the sitemap file for your online store is to check if your e-commerce platform has its own resource for this action. In fact, in the control panel of the same, look in the menu for a correlated button. Note, for example, if the button is on the “catalogs” or “product feed” tab, among others.
If you can't find a native way to generate a sitemap, then use a plugin. Visit your platform's plugin store and try to find one that can generate the file. Follow the installation procedures. Either way, native or plugin, follow the instructions to generate the sitemap. Once you have the file, copy the link and submit it to Google Search Console.
Sign up for Search Console if you haven't already done so. Soon after, log in to the system and click on the “Sitemaps” button in the menu on the left. Paste the sitemap URL you got into your e-commerce platform. Then click on the “Send” button. Ready. Now, your pages will be indexed in Google more quickly.
As soon as you can, click on " Google Updates " to learn about the main ones and get an idea of how to optimize the SEO of your online store.
