How to create an XML image sitemap

If the Google Search Console points you to a sitemap error, it might have a negative impact on your rankings in search results.
Map indexing for images can be seen in the Search Console panel next to the main sitemap:

In addition, users often search specifically for images on Google. When they find the right one, they will visit the website.

To increase your chances of getting into Google Images, creating an Image Sitemap is a great way to go. Also, don't neglect filling in the title and alt attributes correctly. They are proven to have a positive impact on image ranking.

Create a separate file for the pictures that organizes the information about them, thus, they are more likely to get indexed. Or edit the existing sitemap.xml file of the website by adding the appropriate tags to the root of the website.

Image sitemap uses the following syntax:

Through such rendering, you can specify information about up to a thousand images on one page. As you can see, only HTML tags are used here, as opposed to links that are used when creating a normal sitemap.

The tag information that we used can be easily found in the support section:

If you are creating a separate image sitemap, provide a link to it in the robots.txt, as in the example below. Or specify the image sitemap in the overall sitemap.

Creating a map manually is only cost-effective if the website is small, and the number of images is not changing. In all other cases, use automatic solutions.

Most services you create an image sitemap with are paid. Among the free ones, there is angeldigital.marketing. All you need to do is insert a link to your website in the field:

After a few minutes, the map will be ready and displayed in the field below:

Copy the resulting XML to a text file on your computer; it is more convenient to do it in the Notepad. Name your file sitemap-image.xml or use any other name that works for you:

Save the document in the All files format:

When you're done with the previous step, upload the file to the root folder of your website. If there is no common map for your sitemaps, edit the robots.txt file by placing the image sitemap next to the main sitemap. To speed up the processing, you can add your sitemap to Google Search Console:

The tool for working with sitemaps is located on the main page of the panel. Click on it and go to the working area.

Your map will be processed by the search and displayed separately in the working area of sitemaps.

Netpeak Spider is a tool for conducting a comprehensive website audit. In addition, with this tool, you can generate an image sitemap.

The tool is paid and provides a 14-day trial period. It will be enough to create a sitemap for free. Download the software through Netpeak Launcher and log into your account. To get a sitemap, you need to configure several parameters.

In the upper panel, select Tools and Sitemap Generator, as shown in the screenshot:

Set up the image sitemap:

You will obtain a file that will contain links to all images. If there is no image on the page, the link to such a page will not be added to the Image Sitemap.

In addition, there are plugins for CMS that automatically generate all the sitemaps and the website tree. For example, for WordPress, there are Yoast, Udinra, and others. The Yoast plugin automatically includes an image sitemap when generating the main sitemap.

Undira also generates an image sitemap automatically:

Choose a tool carefully, taking into account the plugins that are already installed on the website in order to prevent any plugin conflicts.

An XML image sitemap is created in order to increase the chances of getting into Google Images search results. The theme of your website is the key factor for deciding whether you need . Thus, if your website is dedicated to writing terms papers, then the image search is irrelevant for you. On the other hand, if you have a clothing store, it's the opposite.

If your website has a relevant subject, the image search may generate additional traffic.

How to make a sitemap manually? Google Technical Support lists all tags which are required for this. However, it's easier and faster to use automatic generation. We have described angeldigital.marketing among the free tools. This system independently creates a file that you need to rename and save in the All Files format.

Another tool that helps to automatically generate an Image Sitemap is Netpeak Spider. The tool provides a trial version for 14 days. Download and install the software on your computer and go to the generator section.

Upload the created document to the root folder of your website. Do not forget to register its presence in robots.txt or create a link in the sitemap. To accelerate the document indexing, you should additionally upload it to the Search Console.