How to Configure Pages Sitemaps in CranSEO #

CranSEO allows you to manage how your pages appear in XML and HTML sitemaps, helping search engines properly index your most important content.

1. Include in Sitemap #

This setting controls whether pages are included in the XML sitemap.

How to Enable: #

1. Navigate to CranSEO > Sitemap Settings.
2. Find the Pages section.
3. Toggle Include in Sitemap to On to add pages or Off to exclude them.
4. Click Save Changes.

Best Practice: Only include essential pages like service pages, landing pages, and important content pages. Exclude duplicate or low-value pages.

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2. Include in HTML Sitemap #

If your site has an HTML sitemap, you can choose whether to include pages in it.

How to Enable: #

1. Go to CranSEO > Sitemap Settings.
2. Locate Include in HTML Sitemap under the Pages section.
3. Toggle On to add pages or Off to exclude them.
4. Save changes.

Note: The HTML sitemap helps users navigate your website while also assisting with internal linking for SEO.

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3. Image Custom Fields #

If your pages use custom fields (post meta) to store image URLs, you can manually add them so CranSEO includes them in the sitemap.

How to Configure: #

1. Navigate to CranSEO > Sitemap Settings.
2. Find the Image Custom Fields section under Pages.
3. Add the custom field names that contain image URLs, entering one per line.
4. Click Save Changes.

Example:

custom_page_image
header_banner_url
page_thumbnail_url

Best Practice: Adding image metadata ensures that search engines index all important visuals, improving image search visibility.

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Final Tips for Optimizing Page Sitemaps #

• Include only relevant pages that you want indexed.
• Use custom fields to ensure all key images are included.
• Regularly update sitemap settings as your site grows.