Looking for an easy-to-follow tutorial on how to set up a WordPress HTML sitemap?<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
You’ve landed on the right page then. \ud83d\ude0e<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sitemaps serve different purposes, depending on whether you’re talking about an XML sitemap or an HTML sitemap. In simple terms, the former is made for search engines<\/em> and is important for SEO. In contrast, the latter is intended for humans<\/em> and improves the site visitor experience, with some mild SEO benefits as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udcda In this article, we’ll first discuss the difference between XML sitemaps and HTML sitemaps<\/a> in a little bit more detail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Then we’ll go over why relying on the native WordPress sitemap feature won’t give you the same benefits as creating your own HTML sitemap<\/a>. Finally, we’ll show you how to easily set up an HTML sitemap using a plugin<\/a>. \ud83c\udf3e<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n XML Sitemaps and HTML Sitemaps are two different types of sitemaps used in website development and search engine optimization (SEO) practices. Here’s a breakdown of their differences:<\/p>\n\n\n\n An XML sitemap is designed specifically for search engines to understand the organization of a website’s content effectively. It uses the XML (eXtensible Markup Language) format, which allows for structured representation of URLs, metadata, and the relationships between different pages. XML sitemaps use specific XML tags to convey this information to search engine crawlers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the other hand, an HTML sitemap is intended for website visitors first. It is a human-readable page that presents a comprehensive list of the important pages and sections of a website. By providing a user-friendly layout with organized links, an HTML sitemap facilitates navigation and enables users to locate specific information on the site easily. HTML sitemaps are written using HTML (Hypertext Markup Language), the standard markup language for creating web pages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In general, using both XML and HTML sitemaps can provide a comprehensive approach to website optimization. XML sitemaps help search engines crawl and index your site effectively, while HTML sitemaps enhance user experience and assist with navigation. By utilizing both types, you cater to the needs of search engines and website visitors simultaneously.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83d\udca1 In this tutorial, we’re going to teach you how to create a WordPress HTML sitemap, but if you’re interested, you can also check out our dedicated XML sitemap page<\/a> for an explanation of how to create one of those as well.<\/p>\n\n\n Since 2020, WordPress has been able to generate a simple sitemap to include all your categories, tags, post types, posts, and archive pages. There’s just one issue. The native WordPress sitemap is an XML sitemap and it cannot be customized. So, while it’s useful to help search engines find your content, it doesn’t do anything for your site visitors looking for an easy way to navigate your website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Hence why it’s a good idea to create your own HTML sitemap. Below are some of the benefits you’ll get as a result:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Creating your own HTML sitemap allows you to have complete control over its design, structure, and content. You can customize it to match your website’s branding and layout, providing a consistent user experience.<\/p>\n\n\n A custom HTML sitemap enables you to organize and present links to important pages and sections in a user-friendly manner. You can categorize the links, add descriptions, or include additional information to enhance navigation and help visitors find what they need more easily.<\/p>\n\n\n Unlike the native WordPress sitemap, a custom HTML sitemap can include more than just page URLs. You can deliver additional details such as descriptions, excerpts, or thumbnail images, providing context and attracting visitors’ attention.<\/p>\n\n\n By structuring and organizing your custom HTML sitemap effectively, you can improve the internal linking structure of your website. This can make it easier for search engines to crawl and index your pages. Additionally, a user-friendly navigation tool can indirectly contribute to better user engagement and longer visit durations, positively impacting your website’s SEO performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can even include a link to the native WordPress sitemap within your custom HTML sitemap, ensuring search engine accessibility while still enjoying the benefits of customization and enhanced user navigation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In summary, creating your own WordPress HTML sitemap offers advantages such as customization, improved user experience, flexibility in providing additional information, SEO benefits, and the option to integrate it with the native WordPress sitemap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that out of the way, let’s show you how to actually do it. \ud83d\udc47<\/p>\n\n\nWhat’s the difference between an XML vs HTML sitemap?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Benefits of creating your own WordPress HTML sitemap vs relying on the native WordPress sitemap<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Customization \ud83c\udfa8<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Improved user experience \ud83e\uddd1\u200d\ud83d\udcbb<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Flexibility and additional information \ud83d\uddb1\ufe0f<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
SEO benefits \u2699\ufe0f<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Create a WordPress HTML sitemap using the Simple Sitemap plugin<\/h2>\n\n\n