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

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.

[iojam]

jupiter5,

looks like you have a redirect from your archive pages, you might want to disable "Include Archive Pages" option.


VBUsers,

make sure that your server allows external http connection so that vBSEO Sitemap Generator can do a ping. I'd also suggest to manually submit your sitemap to Google:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/dashboard

[spipo]

thanks for the update .
i was waiting for it

[VBUsers]

Originally Posted by iojam

jupiter5,

make sure that your server allows external http connection so that vBSEO Sitemap Generator can do a ping. I'd also suggest to manually submit your sitemap to Google:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/dashboard

ill test that as well and ill do em manually

[SAT2M]

Hello
When I want run sitemap generator shown this database error after a seconds

<!--
Database error in vBulletin 3.7.2:

Invalid SQL:

SELECT t_threadid,count(*) as cnt
FROM vbseo_linkback
GROUP BY t_threadid;

MySQL Error : Unknown column 't_threadid' in 'field list'
Error Number : 1054
Request Date : Tuesday, August 19th 2008 @ 03:03:27 AM
Error Date : Tuesday, August 19th 2008 @ 03:03:29 AM
Script : http://www.******.org/vbseo_sitemap/vbseo_sitemap.php
Referrer : http://www.******.org/vbseo_sitemap/...php?rlist=true
IP Address : 206.165.23.00
Username : ثبت نام نشده
Classname : vB_Database
MySQL Version :

[iojam]

Hello,

if you don't have vBSEO installed, make sure that you have "Include vBSEOed URLs" option disabled. If you do have it, make sure that you are running the latest version - vBSEO3.2.0.

[spipo]

Hello
Since I upgraded to the Latest version of VBseo 3.2 , My Reports List in (vBSEO Sitemap Reports) have been stopped in 10-08-2008 .
+ I dont recieve Notifications email about Sitemap update .
I have upgrade my VBseo sitemap to 2.2 . but it still dont update.

Can I know what is the problem . and how to resolve it ?

Thank you

[ArnyVee]

Installed yesterday, first run last night and received my initial e-mail this morning

Looks great so far!

[Networknutz]

ok,

having an issue that need help. Below is the error I am getting.

Internal Server Error
The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request.
Please contact the server administrator, webmaster@ANYSITE.com and inform them of the time the error occurred, and anything you might have done that may have caused the error.

More information about this error may be available in the server error log.


Additionally, a 404 Not Found error was encountered while trying to use an ErrorDocument to handle the request. 

i replaced the email addy so please don't think its "anysite.com"

I read several posts on here as well as vbseo site and tried some of the fixes suggested to no avail. The scripts works fine other then allowing be able to view this file. It produces the map, sends me an email. however everytime I try to view the file from my browser I end up with that error.

This was a clean install on a new website with the only other major mod being CMPS. I've used both in past and have never run into this issue. The hosting company is same company I use for a personal owned vbulletin site that is running both these scripts and many more. No issues then either.

Can someone please help?

Thanks
Will

[Mickie D]

Need a Little help with this please ?

Its working fantastic but the problem is that nginx does not parse the url for the archive correctly

IE

index.php/f-123123.html (this is normal apache behaviour)

but

index.php?f123123.html (is the way nginx is showing it)

the ? should be a /

and this is causing all the urls made by the sitemap generator to be wrong and giving me warnings in the google sitemap site.

Is there a rewrite clause that could help
i asked in the nginx thread on vbulletin but its not being answered.

Thanks in advance
Mick

[SAT2M]

Originally Posted by iojam

Hello,

if you don't have vBSEO installed, make sure that you have "Include vBSEOed URLs" option disabled. If you do have it, make sure that you are running the latest version - vBSEO3.2.0.

I can't find Include vBSEOed URLs

Where is it?