Administrative and Maintenance Tools - vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator

vBSEO Search Engine XML Sitemap 3.0
We are extremely pleased to inform the vBulletin.org community that a fully revamped version of the vBSEO Search Engine XML Sitemap (previously "vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator") v.3.0, is being released to all licensed vBulletin users effective immediately!

Note: The NEW vBSEO Search Engine XML Sitemap 3.0 replaces all previous versions of the "vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator", and includes support for all the new URL types in vBulletin 4.x.

New in the vBSEO Search Engine XML Sitemap v.3.0
The new sitemap alters the way data is structured in fundamental ways. Sitemap 3.0 segments different content areas into separate files, so you end up with a unique set of files per content type: forums, blogs, cms, groups, albums, members, tags, etc. In addition, the new sitemap has an extended priority feature that utilizes the built in 'weight' tool of the vBulletin XML sitemap generator for individual forums, CMS sections and articles to act as a multiplier.

We believe these changes are responsible for delivering increased returns for a number of forums from customers and testers we've been tracking. Please track your own progress via your Google Webmaster tools account, Google Analytics or Gravity Insights.

A Clean and Beautiful Interface
The new sitemap also features a clean and beautiful interface, built from the ground up. We believe it reflects the quality, precision and attention to detail placed into each aspect of this release. We are passionate about building software, and great software is beautiful inside, and out.

Overview
============================

The "vBSEO Search Engine XML Sitemap" plugin provides an easy to use solution that allows your forum to be indexed by all major search engines, including Google, Yahoo, Bing, and Ask, 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 3.5.x versions. The current version is vBSEO 3.5.2. If you are running vBSEO, please upgrade to vBSEO 3.5.2 (or greater) before installing for optimal results.

Compatibility
============================

Fully compatible with:

• vBulletin 3.8.x, 4.0.x, 4.1.x
• vBulletin Blogs *Optional
• vBulletin CMS *Optional
• vBSEO 3.5.2 + higher *Optional

What does it do?
============================

• Auto-generates an XML sitemap for all of your specified forum URL types (including vBulletin Blog & CMS URLs).
• NEW! Groups forum areas into individual sitemaps grouped by section type for greater flexibility, for example:
  • sitemap_forum_X.xml.gz
  • sitemap_tags_X.xml.gz
  • sitemap_cms_X.xml.gz
• Auto-notifies Search Engines when a new sitemap is generated (optional)
• Automatically sends you a summary of the sitemap generation via email each time it is created (optional)
• Includes only publicly accessible forums and threads and includes the option of not including any specific public forums
• Allows Search Engines to find all of your forum URLs without having to spider the forum to find the links. Great for Deep Page linking!
• Allows Search Engines to find your forum URLs without having to account for query string and/or session ID information.
• Allows Search Engines to give precedence to crawling your higher priority forum pages.
• Allows Search Engines 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, Yahoo Slurp, Ask's Teoma, Bing's msnbot, and other search engine bots.
• Is 100% compatible with the static CRUs (Content Relevant URLs) used by vBSEO-enabled forums.
• Is 100% compatible with the 'Friendly URLs' offered default with vb4.x.

How does it work?
============================

Whenever it is scheduled or invoked via the URL, this plugin will generate an XML formatted that search engines are able to read and parse. If you selected "Yes" to the Auto-notification setting, The 4 major search engines will be notified each time the sitemap is generated.

• Google Sitemap files are gzipped for space savings
• 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
============================

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 -> vBSEO -> vBSEO Sitemap Settings
  

Once you successfully login, you will see a number of tabs. Here are the 4 main links:

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.

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 (Identified by the Bot's name) 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.

Search Engine Bots Activity Log
Use it to track Search engine activity on your sitemaps. This area displays how often, and what volume of pages search engines visit your site on a daily basis.

Run Generator
The 'Run Sitemap Generator' link will automatically regenerate your vBSEO Search Engine XML Site sitemaps.

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

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

Installation, Upgrade, & Configuration
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Follow the installation/upgrade instructions provided in the docs/readme.html file.

Webmaster Accounts
============================
It is NOT required for you to have a Webmaster account on the search engines' websites to run the plugin, however, we recommend everyone set one up for tracking purposes.

• Google Webmaster Central. Get data about crawling, indexing and search traffic. Increase traffic to your site.
• Bing Toolbox
• https://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/

Copyright & Licensing
============================

• vBSEO Search Engine XML Sitemap 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) ? 2010 Crawlability, Inc.

Revision History
============================

11/11/2010 - Version 3.0 Released
Compatible with vB3.7.x+ and vB4.x+
NEW FEATURE: All CMS URLs are supported
NEW FEATURE: Sitemap Groups by content type
NEW FEATURE: Enhanced layout and design of the Sitemap Generator Control Panel
NEW FEATURE: XSL Style sheet of the xml files for easier human reading
NEW FEATURE: Extended Priority. Utilizes the built in 'weight' tool of the vBulletin XML generator for all content areas (Forums, Blogs, CMS, Albums, etc.) to act as a multiplier. (vb4 Suite only)

Other vBSEO Plugins
============================

• vBSEO - vBulletin Search Engine Optimization

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

[kall]

Originally Posted by kall

Are you certain your host allows mod_rewrite?

And, did you upload the htaccess (or add its rules to your existing htaccess)?

[naz7]

yes, i upload the .htaccess to the forum root.

think the sitemap is generated correctly. Thanks!

Hope this will increase my site's rank.

Installed!

[hassshasss]

This hacks is excellent, would be great an update for VB4

[carolc]

Originally Posted by dgparent

Dang can't figure this out I did not change ANYTHING in the settings - the sitemaps get created OK they all go to /forum/vbseo_sitemap/data/ but in the sitemap_index.xml.gz all the URL's for the 150 sitemap files show the URL as forum/sitemap_148.xml.gz ???
Show Google says "it appears your sitemap is a HTML page..''
Any idea's ??

Originally Posted by Skydiver10

Did you put the .htaccess file in your forum root? This will redirect Google to these URL's!

After uploading the attached file to your forum directory, rename file (delete the ".txt") so that it can be read as a .htaccess file. After that the file should be ".htaccess" in your forum root. Try that and let me know.....

Originally Posted by dgparent

Thanks I figured it out I had to modify the vbseo_sitemap_config.php file to use forum root all is ok now

I am having the same trouble as dgparent, I think. I get no errors when I run. The only gz file I see (sitemap_1.xml.gz) is in the /forums/vbseo_sitemap/data directory. Yet the "Your Google Sitemap Index URL" link leads to "/forums/sitemap_index.xml.gz"

What do I need to do to fix? I do have the .htaccess file in my "forums" directory. I did not previously have one before I downloaded this mod, so I just uploaded the one provided (didn't need to modify an existing one). I don't understand what would need to be changed in vbseo_sitemap_config.php (if that is applicable to me).

On a side note, should I be able to see a legible sitemap (in xml) somewhere? If I try to view any of the gz files, they are all 'garbage'. Should there be a sitemap.xml file somewhere?

Thanks

[kall]

Originally Posted by carolc

I am having the same trouble as dgparent, I think. I get no errors when I run. The only gz file I see (sitemap_1.xml.gz) is in the /forums/vbseo_sitemap/data directory. Yet the "Your Google Sitemap Index URL" link leads to "/forums/sitemap_index.xml.gz"

What do I need to do to fix? I do have the .htaccess file in my "forums" directory. I did not previously have one before I downloaded this mod, so I just uploaded the one provided (didn't need to modify an existing one). I don't understand what would need to be changed in vbseo_sitemap_config.php (if that is applicable to me).

On a side note, should I be able to see a legible sitemap (in xml) somewhere? If I try to view any of the gz files, they are all 'garbage'. Should there be a sitemap.xml file somewhere?

Thanks

What happens if you call yourforums.com/forums/sitemap_1.xml.gz in a browser?

That is the sitemap file. When someone calls it in a browser or visits it as the Search Engines do, the .htaccess redirects the call to the vbseo_sitemap location, and changes it to the .xml version, all on the fly, so the Engine indexes your /forum/ information, not your /vbseo_sitemap/ location (as all Google sitemaps have to be in the folder they are indexing).

[carolc]

Originally Posted by kall

What happens if you call yourforums.com/forums/sitemap_1.xml.gz in a browser?

Thanks for the quick reply. I get "The page cannot be found"

[kall]

You are substituting yourforums.com for your actual domain information?

You uploaded .htaccess , and not htaccess.txt?

Are you certain your host supports mod_rewrite? http://www.vbseo.com/f77/how-check-i...my-site-21502/ has an easy test.

[carolc]

Originally Posted by kall

You are substituting yourforums.com for your actual domain information?

You uploaded .htaccess , and not htaccess.txt?

Are you certain your host supports mod_rewrite? http://www.vbseo.com/f77/how-check-i...my-site-21502/ has an easy test.

Yes, here is a link to that path on my site

Yes, I uploaded .htaccess and not htaccess.txt

Per the site you referred to, I added

RewriteEngine on
RewriteRule testpage\.html http://www.google.com [R]

to the top of the .htaccess file and re-uploaded to my /forums directory. I tried testing it here... did I do that right? Still page not found.

Thanks

[kall]

Hmm.

That would suggest that mod_rewrite isn't working/enabled for your site.

See if your host can offer assistance enabling it, then re-try.

[carolc]

Thanks kall. I sent my host a ticket. I'll see what they say.