Administrative and Maintenance Tools - vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator

vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator - vBulletin 3.6.x
Download vB 3.8.x Compatible Version Here
Download vB 3.7.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
============================

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
============================


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?

============================

• 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?
============================

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
============================

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"
============================

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
============================

Follow the installation/upgrade instructions provided in the docs/readme.html file.


Google Webmaster Accounts
============================

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

============================

• 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
============================

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
============================

(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

============================

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

vBSEO Affiliate Program
============================

We welcome you to join the vBSEO Affiliate Program.

[glennybee]

Originally Posted by iojam

glennybee,

did you create .htaccess file in forums folder?

I had added the .htaccess lines to the file, yes, but it only resided in the root. I've copied it to the /forums folder and all working now. Thanks for your help.

[binkuang]

i install the Sitemap Generator. why my vbseo SE Bots Activity Log show nothing activity?

[Black Tiger]

@Glennybee:

I couldn't be bothered to read 43 pages

You said you are new to this. I give you a tip. Try the "search this mod" funktion, you do a search only in this mod that way, no need to read all pages.
Glad to see you have it working now!

@Iojam: I use the only code which was mentioned here as working, posted by Winstone in post #432 (page 29 in my browser). The one included in the mod did not work.
This is the full code:

<?php

 /******************************************************************************************
 * vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator for vBulletin v3.x.x by Crawlability, Inc.         *
 *-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*
 *                                                                                         *
 * Copyright ? 2005-2007, Crawlability, Inc. All rights reserved.                          *
 * You may not redistribute this file or its derivatives without written permission.       *
 *                                                                                         *
 * Sales Email: sales@crawlability.com                                                     *
 *                                                                                         *
 *-------------------------------------LICENSE AGREEMENT-----------------------------------*
 * 1. You are free to download and install this plugin on any vBulletin forum for which    *
 *    you hold a valid vB license.                                                         *
 * 2. You ARE NOT allowed to REMOVE or MODIFY the copyright text within the .php files     *
 *    themselves.                                                                          *
 * 3. You ARE NOT allowed to DISTRIBUTE the contents of any of the included files.         *
 * 4. You ARE NOT allowed to COPY ANY PARTS of the code and/or use it for distribution.    *
 ******************************************************************************************/

	$mods = $db->query("SELECT id,name FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "dl_cats ORDER BY `id`");
	while ($mod = $db->fetch_array($mods))
	{	
		$url = $vbseo_vars['bburl'].'/downloads.php?do=cat&id='.$mod['id'];

		if(VBSEO_ON)
			$url = vbseo_any_url($url);

  		vbseo_add_url($url, 1.0, '', 'daily');
	}

	$mods = $db->query("SELECT id as fid FROM " . TABLE_PREFIX . "dl_files");
	while ($mod = $db->fetch_array($mods))
	{	
		$url = $vbseo_vars['bburl'].'/downloads.php?do=file&id='.$mod['fid'];

		if(VBSEO_ON)
			$url = vbseo_any_url($url);
  		vbseo_add_url($url, 1.0, '', 'daily');
	}
?>

In fact I'm wondering if this mod should not be kicked to the graveyard. I'm already happy some members are helping each other with this.

[Black Tiger]

And I'm just reading this in the vbseo_sitemap.php

$addons = preg_split('#[\r\n]+#', $vboptions['vbseo_sm_addons']);

foreach($addons as $addon)
if($addon && file_exists(VBSEO_DAT_FOLDER_ADDON . $addon))
{

Shouldn't there be a ";" (semicolumn or how do you call that in English) behind one of the last two lines?
Because the parse error said "expecting ;".

[Black Tiger]

Fixed, code over here was wrong, problem: missing html entry's in the downloads addon.

Now we are lucky to have such good coder as RSJelle who DOES know what the word "support" means and even fixes code-error for a mod which is not his.

Anyone else having problems with the downloads addon (for Downloads II by RSJelle), check this mod:
https://vborg.vbsupport.ru/showthrea...14#post1446414
Threadnumber #2355
There's the solution to the downloads addon problem. Working like a charm now.

I'm going to click uninstall now, not because I uninstalled but because of the missing correct files in the download zipfile, the bad coded files (not linux but with windows editor) and the lack of support by the coder (last post by him 13th april 2007 almost a year ago?)
He at least lost 1 future customer for the commercial product.

Any other member here, thanks for trying to give me support with my problem.

[iojam]

binkuang,

that feature is only working if you have vBSEO product installed additionally to vBSEO Sitemap Generator.


Black Tiger,

I'm glad you got it resolved! Btw, I'm providing "official" support for vBSEO Sitemap Generator mod here, so it's not left unsupported
The downloads mod add-on code included in the package was prepared for an older version (the one that was available at that moment) and new downloads mod release has db table names changed.

[Black Tiger]

IoJam:
I'm sorry, I did not know you were providing official support over here, I thought only the coder was doing that, I already complained about it, cause I was going mad and did not know you took over, sorry.

It's great to here it's not left unsupported so I will click install again.
And I did not resolve the problem, RSJelle did.

The new mod indeed had db table names changed, but somewhere in this thread (I pointed to it in an earlier reply) somebody updated it but it still not worked with that now code (dl_cats and dl_files).

It would be a good idea to integrate the new addon in the release zipfile.
Also it would be a good idea to check the release php files with an editor like Editpad Lite because with almost every file you can use the "convert to linux" option, which means they are edited with something like Wordpad, which can cause strange things on some linux distro's due to the hidden layout signs wordpad generates.

Suggestion: If the release zip could be updated with these things, it would be fully up to date again and used without problems.

[iojam]

That will be certainly included in the next update for vBSEO Sitemap Generator (possibly with other generator add-ons updated/added), thank you.

[glennybee]

Hi folks, thanks for this mod.

I had been looking into sitemaps before finding this mod.

I've created a google webmaster account, found a website that creates a sitemap.xml for you and uploaded the sitemap.xml to http://www.domain.co.uk/sitemap.xml.

Then I found this mod, installed and it seems to be working ok. I get a ping ok message for all search engines and I get an email saying it's been done.

I've added a .htaccess file to my http://www.domain.co.uk/forums folder.

I've read pretty much this whole thread and it's only confused me more lol.

Should I remove the sitemap.xml that I uploaded to google the first time? Is this mod uploading a sitemap as well as the one I currently have?

How does google access the file uploaded by this mod if the map is at /vbseo_sitmap/data/sitemap_1.xml.gz? Does it not need to be at /sitemap.xml? Does the .htaccess file allow a 'virtual link' from /forums to the actual sitemap??

So confused!

Any clarification would be much appreciated!

Thanks
Glen

EDIT:

I've not added a url of http://www.domain.co.uk/forums to my webmaster tools in google and added the sitemap http://www.domain.co.uk/forums/sitemap_1.xml.gz and it's accepted it ok. So I assume that everytime this mod updates the sitemap, google will be able to extract it from that location.

Think I'm understanding it now. lol

[iojam]

You should not remove your older sitemap, you can submit both to Google. Although files are stored in data/ folder, you can still access them via forums folder using rewrite rule in .htaccess file.