Administrative and Maintenance Tools - vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator

vBulletin Google Sitemaps by vBSEO v.2.5 - vBulletin 3.7.x
Download vB 3.8.x Compatible Version Here
Download vB 3.6.x Compatible Version Here
Download vB 3.5.x Compatible Version Here
Download vB 3.0.x Compatible Version Here

Note: Version 2.5 replaces all previous versions of the vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator, and now includes support for all the new URL types in vBulletin 3.8.x.

Overview
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Providing Google, Yahoo, Ask sitemaps is an essential step towards improving your forums.

The "vBSEO Google Sitemaps" plugin provides a solution that allows your forum to be indexed by the Google (and also Yahoo and Ask) search engines faster, more completely, more effectively, and with less bandwidth consumption.

The ultimate goal is to help you achieve more web traffic for your forum.

Originally Posted by Google's Description of GSM

https://services.google.com/inquiry/publishertools?hl=en_US
Google Sitemaps is an easy way for you to help improve your site?s representation in the Google index. It's a collaborative crawling system that enables you to communicate directly with Google. You get a smarter crawl because you can provide Google with specific information about all your web pages, such as when a page was last modified or how frequently it changes.

Note: This plugin is fully compliant with vBSEO 3.x version. The current version is vBSEO 3.2. However, if you are running vBSEO, please upgrade to vBSEO 3.2 or greater before installing.

Compatibility
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Fully compatible with:

• vBulletin 3.0.x, 3.5.x, 3.6.x, 3.7.x and 3.8.x
• vBulletin Blogs 1.0.x and 2.0.x *Optional
• vBSEO 2.x, 3.x *Optional

What does it do?
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• Auto-generates a Google XML sitemap for all of your specified forum URL types (including vBulletin Blog URLs).
• Auto-generates a Yahoo text sitemap for all of your specified forum URL types.
• Auto-notifies Google when a new sitemap is generated.
• Automatically sends you a summary of the sitemap generation via email each time it is created.
• Includes only publicly accessible forums and threads.
• Allows Google/Yahoo to find all of your forum URLs without having to spider the forum to find the links.
• Allows Google/Yahoo to find your forum URLs without having to account for query string and/or session ID information.
• Allows Google to give precedence to crawling your higher priority forum pages.
• Allows Google to give precedence to crawling your forum pages that change more frequently.
• Allows you to conserve bandwidth by more efficiently facilitating the crawling processes for GoogleBot and Yahoo Slurp.
• Is 100% compatible with the static CRUs (Content Relevant URLs) used by vBSEO-enabled forums.

How does it work?
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Whenever it is scheduled or invoked via the URL, this plugin will generate both the Google XML formatted and the Yahoo text formatted sitemaps. If you selected "Yes" to the Google auto-notification setting, Google will be notified each time the sitemap is generated. The Yahoo sitemap must be manually submitted to http://submit.search.yahoo.com/free/request/.

• Google Sitemap files are gzipped
• Forum and thread pages are listed with pagination (i.e. all pages for each forums/thread are included in the sitemap)
• Maximum Priority is set for Sticky threads.
• Optimization for sitemap generation on large forums.

Automated Reporting Tool
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The vBSEO Sitemap includes a report tool, allowing you to track your progress. To access your reports enter the following URL:

http://www.example.com/forums/vbseo_sitemap/

NOTE: Replace "http://www.example.com/forums/" with the full URL to your vB forum root.


You will be required to login by providing your "Sitemap Interface Access Password" from your vBSEO Sitemap settings in:

• vBulletin Admin CP (for 3.5.x/3.6.x/3.7.x/3.8.x users) OR
• vbseo_sitemap.php configuration file (for 3.0.x users) located in the vbseo_sitemap directory in your forum root.

Once you successfully login, you will be provided with a list of 'Useful Links'. Here are the 4 main links:

Show Reports List
The 'Show Reports List' link will display a report of each time your vBSEO Sitemap generator executed, including the (1) date, (2) run time, (3) total URLs included, and (4) and change in # of URLs included from the last generation.

Each vBSEO Sitemap generation record will include a (1) "View details" and (2) "Remove record" link. The "View Details" link shows more detailed information about the sitemap generated. The "Remove record" will permanently delete the record from your reports.

Show Sitemap Downloads Log
The 'Show Sitemap Downloads Log' link will display a report of each time your vBSEO Sitemap was downloaded by either a search engine (GoogleBot or Yahoo) or by another user agent (i.e. Web browser, etc.).

The report includes the (1) date, (2) name of sitemap file downloaded, (3) Bot, (4) IP address of the downloader, and the (5) User-agent.

Each vBSEO Sitemap download record will include a "Remove record" link which will permanently delete the record from your reports.

Run Sitemap Generator
The 'Run Sitemap Generator' link will automatically regenerate your Google and Yahoo sitemaps.

Your Forums Homepage
The 'Your Forums Homepage' link is a quick link back to your forum homepage.

Additional Links
Additional links to various other related SEO resources are also included.


Click "Install"
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Please click "Install" to show your support for this script.


Installation & Configuration for vB 3.5.x, 3.6.x, 3.7.x and 3.8.x as a Plugin
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Follow the installation/upgrade instructions provided in the docs/readme.html file.


Google Webmaster Accounts
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It is NOT required for you to have a Google Webmaster account to run the vBulletin Google Sitemaps plugin. If you decide to setup an account for testing purposes you can do so here:
http://www.google.com/webmasters/sitemaps/login?sourceid=gsm&subid=us-et-about2


Copyright & Licensing

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• vBSEO Google Sitemaps plugin is copyright protected by Crawlability Inc.
• You are free to download and install this plugin on any vBulletin forum for which you hold a valid vB license.
• Unauthorized distribution of any code and/or documentation, whole or in part, included here is strictly prohibited.
• In addition, the following copyright notice must be maintained.

vBSEO(TM) ? 2005-2009 Crawlability, Inc.


Revision History
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02/22/2009 - Version 2.5 Released

NEW FEATURE: Blog tags URLs are included.
NEW FEATURE: Social Group Discussion URLs are included.
NEW FEATURE: Smart Priority applied for the following URL types

1. Show Post
2. Member Profiles
3. Forum Display
4. Poll Results
5. Blog Entries
6. Member Profile Albums
7. Social Groups
8. Social Groups Discussions
9. Social Group Pictures
10. Tags
11. Blog Tags

UPDATE: Compatible with vBulletin 3.8.x. Includes the following updated settings:

1. Priority Range - Show Post
2. Priority Range - Member Profiles
3. Priority Range - Forum Display
4. Priority Range - Poll Results
5. Priority Range - Show Thread
6. Priority Range - Blog Entries
7. Priority Range - Member Profile Albums
8. Priority Range - Social Groups
9. Priority Range - Social Group Pictures
10. Priority Range - Tags

Fix: Social Group Discussion database error is fixed.

Upgrade Instructions
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(1) Follow the installation/upgrade instructions provided in the docs/readme.html file.

(2) For versions of vBulletin 3.6.x only: Open "Schedule Manager" in the vBulletin Admin Control Panel (admincp); Remove existing scheduled task for Sitemap Generator if you have one.
Note: The new task will be automatically setup when you import the XML product file.

Other vBSEO Plugins

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• vBSEO - vBulletin Search Engine Optimization
  
• vBSEO Conditional Signatures for vBulletin

vBSEO Affiliate Program
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We welcome you to join the vBSEO Affiliate Program.

[chevy01xtreme]

Originally Posted by iojam

Have you done this:
http://www.vbseo.com/wiki/Sitemap:FA...To_Domain_Root

what are the benifits of doing this? i was thinking of it also.

[alessai]

yes i did

[alessai]

Originally Posted by chevy01xtreme

what are the benifits of doing this? i was thinking of it also.

I believe that live.com currently doesnt read a line from the sitemaps because there are not in the website root

[msu2k]

I never had any problems with version 2.1 but am having issues with 2.2. I've tried reinstalling several times. If I run the sitemap generator it will sometimes run fine once. After that though, most times when I start it will run for 1-2 seconds and output just this and stop:

[SECTION START] tags [5,595.8Kb mem used] [3,081s (+213s)]
[create sitemap file] filename: sitemap_107.xml.gz, number of urls: 36 [5,611.6Kb mem used] [3,081s (+0s)]
[create sitemap in text format] part #108 [5,611.6Kb mem used] [3,081s (+0s)]
[create sitemap index] filename: sitemap_index.xml.gz, number of sitemaps: 107 [5,659.4Kb mem used] [3,081s (+0s)]

There are no reports generated after this and no submissions to search engines that I can tell. So what is happening here? Is it just generating the .gz's that had changes in the since the last time it was run? Shouldn't that at least show up in the reports?

[mertada]

Thanks.

[iojam]

msu2k,

try to remove all files from data/ folder and regenerate sitemap.

[bryanb]

Originally Posted by iojam

imported_silkroad,

you have "Default View Age" option set to "Last month", so older threads are cut out: http://www.unix.com/unix-dummies-que...rs/index9.html I'd recommend to disable this option to show ALL thread for better exposure to search engines.

I noticed the same thing - I had a number of forums set at "show threads from last month". Does this mean that Google hasn't been crawling through some of the more ancient threads I have at my site? I've changed all forums to "show all threads" btw.

Another question - more important: I don't have a site map for the root domain that my forum is located - which includes a few thousand pages. Could this plugin work for those as well, or does it only work with vBulletin/vBseo? If so, what would I need to do to include the static pages on the root URL? Would I simply change the "Sitemap Files URL" to the root domain in the admin section? Or do I need to generate a separate sitemap using other software for that?

Last question - pretty lame question but one nonetheless. What URL do I submit to yahoo? Would it be the forum's root url, or the URL that includes the gz file that is reported to Google?
http://www.mydomain.com/myforum/sitemap_index.xml.gz

Thanks!

[Pf?hler]

Originally Posted by iojam

msu2k,

try to remove all files from data/ folder and regenerate sitemap.

Hello,
it doesn?t work. I get a Database error without discribtion after generating 2nd sitemap.

[iojam]

Does this mean that Google hasn't been crawling through some of the more ancient threads I have at my site?

Yes, exactly.

Could this plugin work for those as well, or does it only work with vBulletin/vBseo?

This mod creates sitemap for vBulletin URLs only. You will have to create a separate sitemap for other pages on your site.

Would it be the forum's root url, or the URL that includes the gz file that is reported to Google?
http://www.mydomain.com/myforum/sitemap_index.xml.gz

Correct.

Pf?hler,

check exact db error message in your email notification.

[Ohiosweetheart]

For some reason, I'm no longer receiving email notifications, even tho the sitemap is being generated according to the report and the ping is successful. I'm having this problem with both of my sites.

Any idea?