sitemap on wordpress.com

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  barryturbotalk · Member · Sep 22, 2015 at 7:03 am

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  Hi
  How can I add a sitemap to my wordpress.com site.?
  I own a domain but it is empty and merely points /redirects to the wordpress.com site.

  The blog I need help with is: (visible only to logged in users)

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  kokkieh · Staff · Sep 22, 2015 at 8:18 am

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  Hi there

  How can I add a sitemap to my wordpress.com site.?

  WordPress.com automatically generates a sitemap for your site and provides it to most major search engines. But you can see here for instructions on how to see or display a sitemap on your site: https://en.support.wordpress.com/sitemaps/

  I own a domain but it is empty and merely points /redirects to the wordpress.com site.

  I’m not sure how this relates to the sitemap. Looking at https://turbotalkblog.wordpress.com/ it doesn’t appear as if you have your own domain mapped to it. If you want to have that site appear at a domain you already own, you need to buy the Domain Mapping upgrade: https://en.support.wordpress.com/map-existing-domain/

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  barryturbotalk · Member · Sep 22, 2015 at 8:35 am

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  Thank you!
  I simply wanted to add the sitemap to my Google Search Console,
  (not realising WordPress.com does create the sitemap automatically). I have now added the sitemap address to the Google SC and hey presto.! It is recognised. Thank you so much for that.
  As for my second comment I had not realised that I aught to purchase the domain mapping upgrade – I thought it was enough to own a domain and redirect it to the WP site.
  See http://www.turbotalk.co.za (it automatically redirects to WP site). I’m thinking there must be benefits to doing the domain mapping.
  Could you mention some of those benefits please?

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  kokkieh · Staff · Sep 22, 2015 at 8:46 am

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  I have now added the sitemap address to the Google SC and hey presto.! It is recognised. Thank you so much for that.

  You’re very welcome :)

  I thought it was enough to own a domain and redirect it to the WP site.

  I’m thinking there must be benefits to doing the domain mapping.

  Ah, okay. What you’re currently doing is to redirect the custom domain to your WP.com site, so if someone clicks your custom domain they can get to the correct site. With domain mapping, your site will actually be at the custom domain, i.e. if someone views your site they will see http://turbotalk.co.za/ (the “www” is automatically removed) in their browsers instead of http://turbotalkblog.wordpress.com/, and search engines will also index your site at the custom domain instead of the free address.

  (Note this will mean a temporary drop in search ranking if you apply domain mapping, as all the search engines will need to re-index your site at the new address, but it should return to normal after six weeks or so.)

  Adding the domain mapping has an obvious effect on branding, as you won’t have “wordpress” appearing in your URL anymore, and it might have an effect on your overall SEO as well, though I’m not entirely sure about that. As such, it’s not a must-have, but if you already own your own domain it just makes sense to add it – why have a custom domain if no one can see it?

  Keep in mind this will mean you have to renew the domain each year wherever you bought it AND renew the mapping upgrade each year here.

  Please ask if you have more questions about this.

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  barryturbotalk · Member · Sep 22, 2015 at 8:50 am

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  Wow! Thank you!
  Now I am fully in-the-picture.
  Much appreciate it.

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  kokkieh · Staff · Sep 22, 2015 at 8:52 am

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  You are very welcome *smile*