The Google XML Sitemaps plugin and the Yoast SEO plugin are both popular tools that can be used to improve the search engine optimization (SEO) of a WordPress website. However, it is possible for conflicts to arise when these two plugins are used together. In this article, we will discuss how to fix the error message “The Google XML Sitemaps plugin might cause issues when used in conjunction with Yoast SEO.”

First and foremost, it is important to understand the purpose of each of these plugins. The Google XML Sitemaps plugin generates an XML sitemap for your website, which is a list of all the pages, posts, and other content on your site. This sitemap is submitted to search engines like Google and Bing, making it easier for them to crawl and index your website. The Yoast SEO plugin, on the other hand, is a comprehensive SEO solution that helps you optimize your website’s content and structure for better search engine visibility.

If you are using both the Google XML Sitemaps plugin and the Yoast SEO plugin on your WordPress website and have encountered the error message mentioned above, there are a few steps you can take to fix the issue.

STEP 1. Deactivate the Google XML Sitemaps plugin.

The first step is to deactivate the Google XML Sitemaps plugin. To do this, go to the Plugins section of your WordPress dashboard and click the “Deactivate” button next to the plugin.

STEP 2. Generate a new sitemap using Yoast SEO.

Once the Google XML Sitemaps plugin is deactivated, you can use Yoast SEO to generate a new sitemap for your website. To do this, go to the Yoast SEO section of your WordPress dashboard and click the “Sitemaps” tab. Then, click the “Generate XML sitemap” button to generate a new sitemap for your website.

STEP 3. Check your sitemap for errors.

After generating a new sitemap using Yoast SEO, it’s a good idea to check it for errors. To do this, click the “XML Sitemap” link in the Yoast SEO Sitemaps tab. This will open your sitemap in a new tab, where you can check for any errors or issues.

STEP 4. Resubmit your sitemap to search engines.

If your sitemap is free of errors, you can resubmit it to search engines like Google and Bing. To do this, go to the Webmaster Tools section of your search engine account and submit your sitemap.

Conclusion and Takeaway

The error message “The Google XML Sitemaps plugin might cause issues when used in conjunction with Yoast SEO” can be resolved by deactivating and re-activating the Google XML Sitemaps plugin, enabling the “Advanced settings pages” in Yoast SEO, excluding the sitemap from the Yoast SEO sitemap, or using a different sitemap plugin. By following these steps, you should be able to fix the issue and continue using both the Google XML Sitemaps plugin and the Yoast SEO plugin on your WordPress website.