How To Set Up Your XML Sitemap

Overview

An XML sitemap is a file that lists the pages of your PXME website in a structured way. It helps search engines like Google understand your site’s content, index important pages faster, and prioritize the right information. While smaller sites with strong internal linking may not strictly need one, having an XML sitemap generally improves crawl efficiency and SEO performance.

Why Use an XML Sitemap?

Sitemaps are especially useful for:

• Large sites with hundreds of pages

• New sites with few external links

• Websites with media (images, video) or Google News content

• Sites with archived pages or weak internal linking

Accessing Sitemap Settings

1. Navigate to Sites

2. Click the gear icon in the secondary navigation menu to open Domains

3. Locate your domain and click the three-dot menu → XML Sitemap

⚠️ If you haven’t added a domain yet, you’ll need to do that before accessing these settings.

Configuring Your XML Sitemap

Inside the XML Sitemap settings:

• Websites and Funnels are grouped separately

• Names appear in light blue rectangles

• Checkboxes let you include entire sites or funnels

• Dropdown arrows let you include or exclude individual pages

? Only include the pages you want search engines to crawl. Avoid adding test pages, outdated content, or private pages you don’t want indexed.

Creating or Editing an XML Sitemap

1. Select Pages – Check the boxes for websites/funnel pages you want included

2. Click Proceed – Review your selections

3. Create or Update Sitemap

   • First-time setup → Click Add New

   • Editing → Make updates and click Generate & Save

4. Review Sitemap Path – Typically /sitemap.xml. If you change the path, remember to resubmit it in Google Search Console.

Submitting Your Sitemap to Google

Submit via Google Search Console (Recommended)

1. Open Google Search Console

2. Add and verify your domain if not already linked

3. Navigate to Sitemaps in the left menu

4. Enter your sitemap URL (e.g., https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml)

5. Submit and check status

Once submitted, Googlebot will crawl your sitemap and display insights such as:

• Number of indexed pages

• Crawl errors

• Status updates

Alternative Submission Methods

If Search Console isn’t available, you can also:

• Add the sitemap URL in your robots.txt file:

  Sitemap: https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
  

• Use Google’s ping service:

  https://www.google.com/ping?sitemap=https://yourdomain.com/sitemap.xml
  

FAQs

Q1: What’s the main benefit of an XML sitemap?
It ensures search engines can efficiently discover and index your site’s important pages.

Q2: Do I need to resubmit my sitemap often?
No. Only resubmit when you’ve created a new sitemap or made changes.

Q3: What if I accidentally submit the wrong sitemap?
Update or regenerate your sitemap and resubmit the correct URL in Google Search Console.

Q4: How do I verify my domain in Google Search Console?
During setup, follow the verification steps (DNS, HTML file, or tag) provided by Google.

Q5: Why isn’t my sitemap being crawled?
Check that the sitemap URL is correct, included in robots.txt if needed, and properly submitted. Try the ping method if issues persist.

Q6: How do I monitor sitemap performance?
In Google Search Console under Sitemaps, you’ll see crawled pages, errors, and indexing data.