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Best Sitemap Plugins to Use with WordPress – African2nice Technology

14 Best Sitemap Plugins to Use with WordPress

One of the most important aspects of any website is ranking highly on search engines on Google. This helps your website reach its target audience, and one way to help accomplish this is by choosing one of the dozens of sitemap plugins for WordPress.

A sitemap contains links to all of your site’s content and search engine bots can use it to quickly navigate your site to index pages. Without one, some pages may not be indexed or could take a very long time until they are.

Due to how important SEO is for your site, there are a lot of plugins that offer sitemap functionality in WordPress. And for the most part, this is usually available for free by most of them. That said, WordPress also does this automatically as of version 5.5.

Today, I will share the best sitemap plugins you can use to help boost your ranking in WordPress.

What Do I Do with a Sitemap?

One of the biggest mistakes beginners make is not submitting their sitemap to Google or other search engines. You see, just because you have a sitemap made, doesn’t mean that the search engines know you have one.

For this reason, you can actually submit your sitemap directly to Google. This will actually speed up how quickly your site is indexed.

How you submit one is different for each search engine, but in the case of Google, you would visit the Google Search Console. Once there, you can find the sitemap section where you can submit one for review.

If you do not submit the sitemap, it has no value for your website, as the search engine would eventually crawl through your site, but it prioritizes sites that have submitted a sitemap.

Thus, be sure to submit one after choosing one of these plugins.

Our Picks for the Best Sitemap Plugins in WordPress

Due to how integral sitemaps are to getting your content indexed in a timely manner, there are a lot of plugins that add this functionality. And even better, they are mostly free tools.

Here are our top picks for 2024:

1. XML Sitemap Generator for Google

When it comes to creating a sitemap for your site, the XML Sitemap Generator for Google is hands down one of the best options available. This free tool offers users a simple interface that makes creating a sitemap take seconds.

The actual process to generate a sitemap is to just install and activate the plugin.

Once this is done, the plugin automatically generates a sitemap for you that can be submitted to Google. There are some settings that give you more control over what content appears on the sitemap, which is ideal if you want search engines to avoid certain things.

That said, for 99% of websites, the default sitemap generated will be the perfect choice to submit to Google. And you can easily generate a new one anytime you release a new piece of content in WordPress.

It’s free and easy, so try it today.

Benefits of Using XML Sitemap Generator for Google

• Despite the name, it also works with search engines besides Google
• Allows you to configure the memory limit of your site
• Create sitemaps in multiple formats like HTML

Drawbacks of Using XML Sitemap Generator for Google

• Very few support options for using this plugin

2. Yoast SEO

Yoast SEO is one of the most popular plugins for WordPress with over 5 million active installs. The plugin focuses on being a one-size-fits all SEO solution for WordPress that can help boost your site’s rankings.

Naturally, it includes a full sitemap generator that you can use with the free version of the plugin.

For the tool itself, there’s not much to say other than it generates a full sitemap that you can submit to Google or any other search engine. However, that’s just one feature of Yoast SEO.

The plugin provides real-time tips to help you rank higher, with easy-to-understand directions and explanations as to why you should do it. It also has other dedicated tools like a breadcrumb tool to help improve site navigation.

Benefits of Using Yoast SEO

• Improves your site’s load times with data management tools
• Uses the best Schema structured data to improve your chances of getting a click
• Yoast is constantly updated to ensure the latest information is being displayed

Drawbacks of Using Yoast SEO

• Many features are locked behind a paywall

3. XML Sitemap & Google News

XML Sitemap & Google News is a plugin dedicated to creating sitemaps for WordPress. It focuses on keeping the process as simple as possible to ensure that it is a quick process at any skill level.

The good news is that it succeeds completely at doing this, as it is one of the easiest ways to generate an XML sitemap.

While the default options will work for the vast majority of sites, there are more advanced options that give you more control over what content appears in your sitemap. You can choose to exclude certain post types or taxonomies at your discretion.

The strongest aspect of this plugin is the long list of compatible plugins it works with. This entails major plugins like WooCommerce all the way to Polylang. It also includes virtually any caching solution such as that offered by Cloudflare.

Benefits of Using XML Sitemap & Google News

• Complies with Google News Sitemap protocol
• Compatible with all major search engines
• Generates XLS sitemaps for humans to read

Drawbacks of Using XML Sitemap & Google News

• Does not generate a robots.txt file if you do not have WordPress installed in a subdirectory

4. WP Sitemap Page

The WP Sitemap Page plugin is very different than the others we have discussed so far because it does not generate XML sitemaps. Instead, it creates a sitemap page that is intended to be read by humans and not search engine bots.

Thus, this won’t help you index pages. However, it can help you easily track links and see how your site is structured.

Using the plugin is a cinch, as all you need to do is add the plugin’s shortcode to a page and a sitemap will appear. The page shows a full hierarchy of your pages and how they connect with one another. It is extremely useful when making changes to the site structure.

It can also help you with your XML sitemap settings. You can easily see which pieces of content you want indexed by Google and which you don’t. Again, this does not generate XML sitemaps that you would submit to a search engine.

Benefits of Using WP Sitemap Page

• You can customize the display with custom CSS improve the design
• Supports multiple languages with the option to add your own translation
• Create a sitemap for a single type of content (Pages, Posts, Categories, Tags, etc.)

Drawbacks of Using WP Sitemap Page

• Does not generate XML sitemaps for search engines to index your content

5. All In One SEO

All in One SEO is another popular SEO plugin for WordPress. It provides real-time insights into how your website is ranking and provides an overall score to make it easier to understand. Naturally, it is full of features that help improve SEO.

And of course, one of those features is the ability to generate XML sitemaps for WordPress.

These sitemaps can be submitted to any search engine and only require the click of a button. It is worth noting that it can also create Video, News, RSS, and HTML SEO sitemaps for your site. So, there is no limit when it comes to sitemaps.

Sitemaps are only one feature this plugin brings to the table. It can also use AI to generate titles and descriptions for your content as well as about another 100 features to help you rank higher.

Benefits of Using All in One SEO

• Keeps historical record of your rankings to see your growth
• Automatic 404 error redirection support
• Compatible with most major plugins for WordPresss

Drawbacks of Using All in One SEO

• The number of options available can be overwhelming at first

6. Simple Sitemap

Simple Sitemap is another sitemap plugin that focuses on creating a visual sitemap for users by producing an HTML sitemap. And it has one of the best designs with its latest addition of a tabbed sitemap view.

And just to be clear, this is accomplished with CSS and does not use JavaScript.

You have multiple options to place the sitemap. You can use the blocks for Gutenberg or you can use the available shortcodes. This means even if you are still using the Classic editor, you can use this plugin.

With all of this said, it is worth pointing out that this plugin does not generate an XML sitemap, thus you would need an additional plugin to do that. However, if you are looking for an HTML sitemap, this is one of the best options.

Benefits of Using Simple Sitemap

• Decide which content belongs in each tab
• Can use a horizontal sitemap display
• The option to display a post excerpt in the sitemap

Drawbacks of Using Simple Sitemap

• Many basic features are locked behind the Pro version

7. Dynamic XML Sitemaps Generator for Google

The Dynamic XML Sitemaps Generator for Google plugin is exactly what it sounds like and does a great job. Even better, it does more than just your standard XML sitemap tool.

It can generate Google News, Image, and Video sitemaps for your site.

In terms of display, the sitemap uses Color Banding (when the rows alternate colors) to display all of the links in a visually pleasing format. And when it comes to using the plugin, there isn’t much to say.

You can use the settings to configure what you want to include and click the Generate button to finish. Overall, the tool is very simple but gives you enough customization to make most search engine bots happy.

Benefits of Using Dynamic XML Sitemaps Generator for Google

• Includes Import & Export options so you can use this tool on multiple sites
• Choose to include or exclude taxonomies, authors, and more
• Includes caching tools for the plugin itself

Drawbacks of Using Dynamic XML Sitemaps Generator for Google

• Creating an HTML sitemap is locked behind the Pro version of the plugin

8. Sitemap by BestWebSoft

Sitemap by BestWebSoft is one of the best plugins you can choose to generate an XML sitemap in WordPress. And that’s because everything is handled automatically by the plugin. Thus, it is as easy as installing and activating the plugin.

The file is generated automatically the moment the plugin is activated, and in most cases, the default settings work great.

That said, there are plenty of settings that you can configure if you want more control over what content is included in the sitemap. For the most part, this just consists of checking a few boxes.

Thus, it is easy to configure the settings if you desire. And the best part is that this plugin is completely free to use, so there’s no reason not to give it a try.

That said, there is a Pro version that can add even more customization if you desire.

Benefits of Using Sitemap by BestWebSoft

• Available in multiple language translations
• Allows you to connect your Google Webmaster Tools account to the plugin
• Change the Sitemap file name (Pro Version)

Drawbacks of Using Sitemap by BestWebSoft

• Sitemap structure options are locked behind the Pro version

9. Rank Math SEO

Rank Math SEO is another popular SEO plugin that can help take your website to the top of the rankings. And similarly to the others we have covered on this list, it also includes the ability to create XML sitemaps for your site.

The sitemaps generated by this plugin are fast-loading to give your site an even better advantage.

It also has the ability to generate a local and WooCommerce sitemap. Otherwise, the tool is pretty much identical to any other sitemap tool for WordPress. The real power of this plugin is all of the SEO tools that at your disposal.

It has a built-in SEO analyzer that will scan your site and offer insights on how you can improve your rankings. It even includes tips on how you can achieve these changes without being too technical.

Benefits of Using Rank Math SEO

• Integrates your SEO view into the Elementor interface
• Rank Math will automatically configure itself for your website to get the best results
• Supports Google AMP for mobile pages

Drawbacks of Using Rank Math SEO

• Looking through the options can be overwhelming due to the number available

Other Tools You Can Use to Create Sitemaps

Plugins are not the only way to generate a sitemap for your website. There are several tools that can do this for you. In some cases, they are just as easy as plugins, and in others, not so much. Here are some of the best options I could find.

1. XML-Sitemaps.com

What if I told you the easiest way to generate a sitemap for your site just required entering a URL? Well, it does, and it is called XML-Sitemaps.com. This site will generate a free sitemap for any site with under 500 pages.

After that, you will have to purchase a premium plan, but it is quite cheap. This is the perfect option for smaller sites that are not interested in adding a dedicated sitemap plugin for their site.

Nonetheless, by the time you outgrow this site, you probably want to rely on a good SEO plugin as this option would no longer be free.

2. Sitemap Creator 5

Another great tool you may want to consider using is Sitemap Creator 5. This tool offers a trial version that works for sites with less than 25 pages, so it’s great for new sites. This program only works on Windows devices, unfortunately. So, Mac users will have to look elsewhere.

All you need to do is download the program, and you can generate a sitemap in minutes. There is a premium version that has more advanced features like scheduled sitemap generation, email notifications, and more.

With a price tag of $39.99, it is a bit a much. I would recommend just sticking to the free version unless you really like this interface. Needless to say, it does a good job, so it may be worth the expense for some users.

3. Sickplan Sitemap Builder

While some of the sitemap plugins we have covered have excellent designs, none of them match the quality of the Sickplan Sitemap Builder. This tool aims to improve the clunkiness of other sitemap generators by offering the most intuitive design.

And for the most part, they really succeed. The interface is easily the best on this list and you can edit it using a simple visual editor, which allows you to control font sizes, colors, spacing, and more.

You can try the tool for 14 days free before needing a paid subscription. That paid subscription also includes email support in case you need some assistance, so it can be a great choice for beginners.

4. Dynamo Mapper

Dynamo Mapper is a visual site mapping tool that can crawl up to 200,000 pages per crawl, making it an ideal choice for larger websites. Eventually, generating sitemaps becomes problematic as the number of pages increases.

The sitemaps it generates offer an excellent design that allows you to include the link, image, and excerpt of the page. This can help provide more information for anyone looking at it.

The tool includes 5 styles you can pick from, so there are plenty of options.

Its best feature would be the Google Analytics integration. You can view page-specific information like the amount of traffic it gets, traffic demographics, and more. You can try the tool for free before purchasing a subscription.

5. WriteMaps

WriteMaps is a great visual sitemap builder that can help you plan out websites before you start. The tool allows you to create two sitemaps for free before requiring a subscription, but that should be plenty to get a feel of if the tool is for you or not.

Since this is really intended for teams, there are several sharing options like the ability to convert it to a PDF that can be easily shared with your team or customers. As such, it is a great choice for site designers.

Just to be clear, this tool also creates XML sitemaps once your site is built. It will crawl through your site and generate one for you without any extra work. It’s a great tool, so be sure to give it a try.

Sitemap Plugins FAQ

Create A Sitemap in WordPress with These Plugins Today

As you can see, there are a lot of amazing plugins that you can use to build an XML sitemap in WordPress. While you can use a tool built exclusively for sitemaps, it is better to choose one that does much more like an SEO plugin like Yoast.

The results should be the same no matter which tool you use, but you’ll get more versatility out of them. Just keep in mind that creating the sitemap is only step one, you still need to take a minute and submit it to Google, or another search engine.

I hope you found this information helpful in learning how to create a sitemap in WordPress.

Which plugin did you choose to build a sitemap with? Have you tried using the automatically generated sitemaps by WordPress?