How to Submit Your Squarespace Sitemap to Google Search Console
In the world of Squarespace SEO, adding your sitemap to Google Search Console is an essential step. By adding your Squarespace sitemap, you allow Google to crawl your site more effectively.
Moreover, by adding your sitemap to Google Search Console, you get the opportunity to proactively monitor your website—keeping an eye out for error messages like broken links and other important SEO issues that need your fix to maintain good standings in search results.
Refer to the video for a brief overview of the process of adding your sitemap — or keep reading for more detailed instructions with some troubleshooting tips.
What is a sitemap
A sitemap, in the form of an XML file located at a specific URL, furnishes information about all the significant pages on your website. This tool proves invaluable for search engines like Google, enhancing the efficiency of crawling and ultimately contributing to improved SEO. Regular updates to the sitemap serve the additional purpose of keeping Google abreast of any changes to your website, especially the addition of crucial new pages.
Although Google relies on various methods, such as following internal links and assessing site navigation structure, to crawl and discover pages, an up-to-date sitemap significantly aids in elevating your website's SEO. Hence, dedicating a few minutes to incorporate your Squarespace sitemap into Google Search Console is a worthwhile endeavor.
Finding Your Squarespace Sitemap Location
In contrast to various website construction tools, a Squarespace sitemap generator becomes unnecessary due to Squarespace's automatic generation of an XML sitemap. This obviates the need for manual creation, as each website update seamlessly integrates changes into the sitemap.
To access your Squarespace sitemap, append /sitemap.xml to the termination of your primary domain's URL.
For instance, with the integrated Squarespace domain, the sitemap URL adopts this structure:
https://example.squarespace.com/sitemap.xml
Conversely, if utilizing a custom domain, the sitemap URL takes the form:
https://www.example.com/sitemap.xml
How to Submit your Squarespace Sitemap to Google Search Console
Before presenting your Squarespace sitemap to Google, the prerequisite is establishing an account with a tool named Google Search Console. Our comprehensive guide and accompanying video meticulously navigate you through this procedure, available here.
After successfully setting up a Google Search Console account and designating your website as a property, adhere to these steps to incorporate your sitemap:
Access Google Search Console at: https://search.google.com/search-console
Confirm your website property selection in the top-left corner's Property dropdown menu.
Within the left dashboard menu's "Index" section, select "Sitemaps."
In the "Add a new sitemap" segment, insert "sitemap.xml" in the field following your website's URL (refer to the screenshot below).
Click "Submit."
Refer to the screenshot for the specific location to input your sitemap URL:
Upon inclusion of your sitemap URL, Google will exhibit the URL within the "Submitted Sitemaps" list. This list includes details on the last crawl date of the sitemap and the status of indexed URLs.
Review the screenshot for the depiction of the Google Search Console sitemap upload:
It's important to note that while Google won't immediately crawl your sitemap, regular intervals are scheduled for checking the sitemap URL as the crawlers reindex your website's content.
Troubleshooting Squarespace Sitemaps
Encountering challenges in accessing your Squarespace sitemap? Consider these troubleshooting insights for assistance.
Trial Mode Hurdle:
Squarespace refrains from automatically generating a sitemap during the trial mode of your website. To initiate the sitemap creation, a pivotal step is subscribing to a Squarespace plan.
Privacy or Password Protection Barrier:
If your website is configured as "private" or "password-protected," the sitemap won't load. It necessitates the "Public" setting for proper functioning. To verify and adjust these configurations, navigate to Settings > Site Availability.
By addressing these specific scenarios, you can overcome obstacles and ensure the seamless accessibility of your Squarespace sitemap.
FAQ
Q: What is a sitemap?
A: A file that lists your website’s URLs to help search engines index your pages.
Q: How do I submit it to Google Search Console?
A: Log in to Google Search Console, go to “Sitemaps”, enter your sitemap URL, and click “Submit.”
Q: Do I need to update the sitemap manually?
A: No, Squarespace automatically updates your sitemap when changes are made.
Q: How long does it take for Google to index my pages?
A: Indexing can take anywhere from a few hours to several days.
