Sitemap Settings in CranSEO #
CranSEO generates an XML sitemap to help search engines efficiently crawl and index your website. A well-structured sitemap improves visibility and ensures all important pages are discoverable by search engines.
Accessing Your Sitemap #
Your sitemap index can be found at: https://yoursite.com/sitemap_index.xml
This index contains links to individual sitemaps for different post types, taxonomies, and other content elements.
Sitemap Configuration Options #
1. Links Per Sitemap #
- Default: 210 links per sitemap
- This setting controls the maximum number of links that appear in each sitemap file.
- Adjust this setting if your website has a large number of pages to ensure efficient crawling.
2. Images in Sitemaps #
Including images in sitemaps helps search engines recognize and index the important images on your pages.
- Enable this option to allow search engines to discover images within your content.
3. Include Featured Images #
By default, CranSEO can include featured images in sitemaps, even if they don’t appear directly in the post content.
- Enabling this option ensures search engines index featured images, improving image search rankings.
4. Exclude Specific Posts #
If you want to exclude specific posts from your sitemap:
- Enter the post IDs of the posts you want to exclude.
- Separate multiple IDs using commas (e.g.,
102, 205, 308). - This applies to all post types, including posts, pages, and custom post types.
5. Exclude Terms (Categories, Tags, and Taxonomies) #
If you want to exclude certain categories, tags, or other taxonomies:
- Enter the term IDs separated by commas (e.g.,
15, 22, 39). - This option applies to all taxonomies, including categories, tags, and custom taxonomies.
Best Practices for Sitemap Optimization #
- Ensure all important pages are included in your sitemap.
- Avoid adding thin content or low-value pages to your sitemap.
- Regularly update your sitemap when new content is published.
- Submit your sitemap to Google Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools for faster indexing.
