vRewrite - SEOed URLs for vBulletin

About

vRewrite is an advance but simple system to rewrite vB's URLs. The rewrite system uses preg_match_all and str_replace to rewrite the URLs. It will rewrite any URLs that are dynamic ex: showthread.php?t= to /the-forum/title-of-the-forum-id.html. Why? SEs (Search Engines) rate results based on filename. Not only that, but most SEs give a "boost" to static URLs (what we do here) versus dynamic URLs. vRewrite accomplishes both of this, for all URLs that a search engine (or a guest) will see.

Installation

Please download vRewrite.zip and read install.html for more information on how to install it.

Requirements

vRewrite assumes that you are using Apache with the mod_rewrite module enabled, and running vBulletin 3.5.x. However, if you ask for support here on IIS' module or on vBulletin 3.0.x - I will be more then happy to assist you.

Contributions

I would like to thank Chroder and Cole for assisting me release vRewrite. I could not have released it if it wasn't for them.

I would like to thank the following people/boards for helping beta test vRewrite and making it a better product.

Gaming Ultimate, BP Gaming, NBS Designz Cyclez, Hosting-Talk and Forum University.

Copyright

I've spent many hours working and perfecting vRewrite. The only thing I ask you to do is if you use it, please keep the link back. If you wish to put it in your style instead, simply remove or comment out that line. However, if you use vRewrite you MUST link back. That is the only thing I ask.

Known Issues

There are no known issues with the latest release (1.0).

Support / Issues

If you have any problems or discover a bug please post here in this thread. I have also included my email in the install.html email for one-on-one support. The only thing I ask you is please do not post this email address publicly - it is my personal email.

Changelog

1.5 Release - vRewrite 1.5 has become stable, and all users under 1.5 RC3 and 1.0 need to upgrade. Support for 1.0 will no longer be offered, and you will be told simply to upgrade. Please continue to keep all bug and feature suggestions on the bug tracker at:

http://www.techhelpforum.com/vrewrite

1.1 Release - Several bug fixes, and a few new features. Details here.

03/26/06 - Updated the thread to reflect vRewrite 1.5 Beta links. vRewrite files has NOT changed.

03/11/06 - Updated the thread to take advantage of vB.org's new prefix feature. vRewrite itself has NOT changed.

1.0 Release (02/19/06) - I have released the much awaited 1.0. This is the first stable release of vRewrite. All users now should be safe installing vRewrite. For more information, and how to upgrade, please see here.

1.0 Preview (01/12/06) - I have released a preview version of 1.0. This is the final version before 1.0 is considered stable. I believe everything should work in this new preview, but one bug (see known issues). Please see here for more information and how to upgrade.

01/05/06 - Updated ZIP to include a fix for boards running a table prefix. You do not need to upgrade unless you previously had SQL errors. You can upgrade by importing the product and choose "Allow Overwrite".

Donations

Any donations are very much appreciated! I do this out of my free time and work many hours on it - all for free. Anything to help is always very welcomed

If you use vRewrite, please click Install. This helps you keep track of additional upgrades and shows to me that you care about vRewrite


You may not post vRewrite ZIP or any files contained in the ZIP on any website. You may not also post any support requests/give support on any website other then this one, without my permission. If you do so, you will get a DMCA for copyright infringement. I do not want this spread to pirated users. Please stop piracy and do not share the source outside of this thread and vB.org/com. Thanks.

Support will only be obtained at:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/forumdisplay.php?f=182

[Bhuwan]

Originally Posted by morrow

Ok, I've installed and it appears to be working fine now. I'll test more in tomorrow. Just one question...

How will a post like this "http://www.njflyfishing.com/vBulletin/north-eastern-general-discussion-forum/t-fishing-regulation-question-4368.html"

get spidered?

If I do a google search for, "North Eastern...etc..." Will it come up, or do people have to search for, "north-eastern-...etc..."?

I am not an expert in SEO, so I will not answer this question .
[high]* Bhuwan hopes a SEO expert hijacks this psot lol[/high]

Why the dashes? Also, do I really need the prefix's before each link. Can I remove the dashes? Would it make sense?

You could replace the ddashes with anything you want, but my understanding is that it makes most sense.
If you removed the Dashes then you'd have something like this

thread-name-goes-here would actually be:
threadnamegoeshere
very difficult to read

If you replace it with spaces, you would be shown as
thread%20name%20goes etc...

So as you can see, - was the best option

Submitting to google like this... SHould I submit, www.mysite.com or www.mysite.com/vBulletin

Thanks!

Thanks!

Again, I am no SEO Expert, so I will leave this question.

[Bhuwan]

Originally Posted by Boredello

Seem to have it working now.... However it is taking away my images directory... and buttons and such.... hmm?

Like my forum isn't displaying showthread button etc...

the main page is fine just the forums.... they are losing all of their images.

edit: blah I cannot figure out what is causing this... Didn't see any other people with this issue...hmm

Hopefully ou have this resolved. Please holla if you don't.

[Bhuwan]

Originally Posted by saidev

I got that too, when a user click on "New Post" after they logged in, they get that error message, I found that if you remove the "/" at the end, it will work, but I don't expect my user to know how to to that. I've checked the .htaccess file, notice that rule does not have "/" when the string terminate. I guess is in the interal works of the plugin which I am not sure where to look....anyone?

I made a big BOO BOO when i uploaded the htaccess file
Everyone should edit their htaccess file and remove the existing search rewrite and replae it with

RewriteRule ^search-(.*).html$ search.php?do=$1 [L]

That's assuming that the URL is /search-getnew.html

if you use:/search-getnew.html/
then your htaccess should be this:

RewriteRule ^search-(.*).html/$ search.php?do=$1 [L]

[Bhuwan]

Originally Posted by Gastongr

Hi this is a great hack!
i instaled and it's running well.

Just a frew problems (i don't know if they have been posted before, i have searched and haven't found an answer):

1)

In members pages, for example http://www.webmastershelp.com/u-coolguy-244.html

The link to the last post the user has done doesn't work, vbulletin returns the following error

Sounds like an htaccess problem; please pm me your htaccess file.

Originally Posted by Gastongr

2
When viewing a forum, under the thread titles there is a link to the thread author profile which opens in a new window. that link is like
/u-username-214.html/
instead of
/u-username-214.html
i don't know why but it still loads the page, but with path errors for images and styles.

I am not sure exacrtly what location your speaking of; can you take a screen shot?

Originally Posted by Gastongr

3

in the /online.php page, when someone is viewing a forum or thread the link to that forum or thread is incorrect, the forum or thread name are missed.
for example
t--334.html

This damn problem has become a nightmare for me LOL -- still can't get the online.php correct :-(.
I will try again.

[Bhuwan]

Originally Posted by morrow

Uninstalling again... Cannot change display modes (Hybrid / Linear...etc...). If someone is using Hybrid mode, clicking on 'show more posts below this thread' doesn't work.

Nice hack, just a bit too buggy at this time.

A wihle back I asked if someone needed support for this; I got no response and thus never added this feature
Where were you man :-(

Maybe in the future, but for now these modes are not supported
Sorry

[Bhuwan]

Originally Posted by Gastongr

Hi bhuwan, nice to hear that
could you please check my previous post?, it's the last one of the previous page.
Thanks in advance
Gaston

I think I replied to it... let me know

[Bhuwan]

Originally Posted by yayvb

I'll give it a try perhaps. I definitely want to be using the product, but since both of my sites use the comment system and the comment system doesn't work I can't really use this until that issue is fixed, or another comment system is introduced.

Also I was previously having issues with the links on the xstats not working either in some cases. I disabled for both of my sites but would love to try again in the future.

ADding support for member that hack is on the way, but if you really want to use this product, why not disable member.php rewriting?
PM me a liost of other hacks you use, I am going to start adding support for them now...

[Bhuwan]

Originally Posted by Frapegliko

Works great

edited :

If i Click on New Posts then i will stay on Home :tired:

Seems akward,PM me a link to your site.

[Bhuwan]

If I missed replying to someones problems, sorry! Please post it again!

[Gastongr]

I think I replied to it... let me know

Yup you did, pm sent