Board Optimization - vBSEO Search Engine XML Sitemap

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

Installation, Upgrade, & Configuration
============================
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.

[briansol]

If you have any other rules in there, make sure the sitemap rule comes FIRST, directly after rewrite engine on.

[★Slap]

Originally Posted by briansol

If you have any other rules in there, make sure the sitemap rule comes FIRST, directly after rewrite engine on.

I think its because their a conflict with the vBulletin XML sitemap, do you know how to switch it off.

[cdoyle]

Originally Posted by briansol

this table does not exist in vb4. Please make sure you've imported the product file with overwrite.

If that does not work, you can disable user albums from running in your task.

I had to disable the albums, is this a bug with the plugin? Why is it looking for a table that doesn't exist?

[briansol]

Originally Posted by Jigsaw!

I think its because their a conflict with the vBulletin XML sitemap, do you know how to switch it off.

you can do this in vboptions. but it's the htaccess ruleset that will matter, not if its on or off.

Originally Posted by cdoyle

I had to disable the albums, is this a bug with the plugin? Why is it looking for a table that doesn't exist?

did you re-import the product with over-write?

[cdoyle]

Yes, I also tried uninstalling and then reinstalling. Didn't make a difference.

[★Slap]

Originally Posted by briansol

you can do this in vboptions. but it's the htaccess ruleset that will matter, not if its on or off.



did you re-import the product with over-write?

Ok so i typed up my vBSEO Sitemap settings to notepad to here, it took very long but i just want a working sitemap for my other forum the default vBulletin sitemap did not work so I'm hoping this works, please note my forum was backed up from a different account with a different domain, but still on the same servers. Also i have another forum,

www.solohost.org/forum

and that vBulletin default sitemap worked on Google. So I'm assuming its something to do with the forum both forums are running on the same server. I told the vBulletin community forums but they can't help at all, and I heard they fixed it with the release of vBulletin 4.0.8 but no Jasper from vBulletin also admitted there is a bug there. If does not work I will have to go tell vBulletin on how to fix the vBulletin sitemap issue.

Here's my vBSEO settings

vBSEO Installed? 
Yes

Max URLs In Sitemap Files
50000

Include Show Post Pages
Yes

Include Member Profile Pages
Yes

Include Archive Pages
Yes

Include Show Thread Pages
Yes

Include Forum Display Pages
Yes

Include Poll Results Pages
Yes

Include Blog Pages
Yes

Include Blog Tag Pages
Yes

Include Member Profile Album Pages
Yes

Include Social Pages
Yes

Include Social Groups Discussion Pages
Yes

Include Social Groups Picture Pages
Yes

Include Tag Pages
No

Include CMS Pages
Yes

Excluded Forums List
http://www.hidden.com/forumdisplay.php?50-Staff-Section http://www.hidden.com/forumdisplay.php?51-Staff-News-amp-Announcements http://www.hidden.com/forumdisplay.php?52-Staff-Discussions

Page Update Frequency - Show Post
Always

Page Update Frequency - Member Profile
Weekly

Page Update Frequency - Forum Display
Always

Page Update Frequency - Poll Results
Always

Page Update Frequency (Default) - Show Thread
Always

Page Update Frequency - Blog Entries
Always

Page Update Frequency - Blog Tags
Always

Page Update Frequency - Album
Always

Page Update Frequency - Social Groups
Always

Page Update Frequency - Group Discussions
Always

Page Update Frequency - Group Picture
Always

Page Update Frequency - Tags
Always

Page Update Frequency - CMS Articles
Monthly

Smart Frequency for Show Thread Pages
Yes

Use Custom Priority
No

Priority Range - Show Post
0.2-0.4

Priority Range - Member Profiles
0.1-0.3

Priority Range - Forum Display
0.7-0.9

Priority Range - Poll Results
0.5-0.6

Priority Range - Show Thread
0.4-1.0

Priority Range - Blog Entries
0.4-0.6

Priority Range - Blog Tags
0.2-0.5

Priority Range - Member Profile Albums
0.1-0.3

Priority Range - Social Groups
0.2-0.4

Priority Range - Social Group Pictures
0.1-0.2

Priority Range - Tags
0.5-0.9

Priority Range - CMS Sections
0.5-0.9

Priority Range - CMS Articles
0.4-0.7

Smart Priority
Yes

Auto-Notify Search Engines
Yes

vBSEO Sitemap Interface Access Password
Hidden

Delay Execution After Each Sitemap File
0

Sitemap Files URL
Nothing Entered, Blank

Receive Email Notifications
Myemail@hidden.com

Addon Generator Modules
Nothing Entered, Blank

[briansol]

your very first setting is wrong. you do NOT have vbseo installed.

your excluded list should be the ID only, so change

http://www.hidden.com/forumdisplay.php?50-Staff-Section http://www.hidden.com/forumdisplay.p...-Announcements http://www.hidden.com/forumdisplay.p...ff-Discussions

to

50,51,52

[chuckhodson]

When using this do you have to submit a sitemap to google ? or is it automatic

[MARCO1]

Originally Posted by chuckhodson

When using this do you have to submit a sitemap to google ? or is it automatic

Hello,

You should submit your sitemap only in the first time, Then vBSEO sitemap will notify search engines automatically after finishing the daily sitemap generating

[jscieza]

Something is wrong:





Running vBulletin 3.8.5