vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator for vBulletin 3.6.x, 3.5.x & 3.0.x

vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator - vBulletin 3.5.x
Download vB 3.8.x Compatible Version Here
Download vB 3.7.x Compatible Version Here
Download vB 3.6.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.

[b00k]

Originally Posted by iojam

TSR

have you tried to setup a cron job for Sitemap Generator and check if it works correctly?

Just through the task manager in admincp.
but still, no output after two hours... :ermm:

* 2 * * * vBSEO - Create Google/Yahoo Sitemap 02-16-2006 08:00 AM

i'll report back in the a.m. i did try running it from there via RUN NOW function but get

vBSEO - Create Google/Yahoo Sitemap
Cannot run sitemap generator directly: you should set "Run from vB Scheduled Tasks Manager ONLY" to "No" in admincp to allow this.

Ive modified the file, and if i direct access it the output is blank. Anyways, ill report back in the am of my findings.

TSR

[b00k]

As of this morning, still no site maps were generated. So it appears when it ran the Sched. Task it didnt work as well.

[iojam]

TSR,

PM sent

[AWS]

Scheduled task via vbulletin or via task scheduler in Windows doesn't work. I have to manually run the tasks for it to generate the maps.

[T3MEDIA]

This is just not working I still get a white screen.

my htaccess

Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^(sitemap.*\.(xml\.gz|txt))$ vbseo_sitemap/vbseo_getsitemap.php?sitemap=$1 [L]
RewriteBase /
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -f [OR]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} -d
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^members.mysite.com$
RewriteRule ^$ http://www.mysite.com/forums/index.php
RewriteRule (^[-_A-Za-z0-9\ ]*$) http://www.mysite.com/forums/member.php?&username=$1 [nc]
RewriteRule (^[-_0-9\ ]*$) http://www.mysite.com/forums/member.php?userid=$1 [nc]

[iojam]

AWS,

have you tried to enable Log in vB Scheduler and see what it has logged?


T3MEDIA

This is just not working I still get a white screen.

when do you get a white screen - when trying to open your sitemap file?

[AWS]

Originally Posted by iojam

AWS,

have you tried to enable Log in vB Scheduler and see what it has logged?


T3MEDIA


when do you get a white screen - when trying to open your sitemap file?

Yes. I get Started repeated many times. Alsmost as if the script starts and stops until it finally dies. I run it manually I have no problem andin task log after run is has the completed message. Here is an excert from the log:

2147  	SiteMap  	06:01, 17th Feb 2006  	Google Sitemap [Started]
2146 	SiteMap 	05:54, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2145 	SiteMap 	05:49, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2144 	SiteMap 	05:48, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2143 	SiteMap 	05:47, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2142 	SiteMap 	05:44, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2141 	SiteMap 	05:42, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2140 	SiteMap 	05:41, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2139 	SiteMap 	05:40, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2138 	SiteMap 	05:39, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2137 	SiteMap 	05:38, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2136 	SiteMap 	05:33, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]
2135 	SiteMap 	05:29, 17th Feb 2006 	Google Sitemap [Started]

This repeats itself at the time it is set to start every morning and sitemap is never generated.

[ConqSoft]

It looks like you have the job set to run every minute. Do you have a * for the minute?

[AWS]

Originally Posted by ConqSoft

It looks like you have the job set to run every minute. Do you have a * for the minute?

Day of the Week *
Day of the Month *
Hour 5
Minute *

It looks like it starts, stops and then starts again multiple times. When I run via Windows task Manager it never completes and I have no way of knowing what is happening when it runs. It will run if I start the task manually.

[cellarius]

Hi,

I don't succeed in downloading my sitemaps (if I click the links to the files at Sitemap Reports -> 404) and neither Google Sitemaps nor Yahoo are able to find them. I double- and tripkechecked the following

- dir "data" chmod 777 (definitely)
- .htaccess at http://www.mydomain.de/forum/, at the moment containing only the 2 lines provided for this:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteRule ^(sitemap.*\.(xml|txt)(\.gz)?)$ vbseo_sitemap/vbseo_getsitemap.php?sitemap=$1 [L]

- yes, mod_rewrite does work on my server, and there are no conflicts with .htaccess at root level (only permanent redirs of obsolete pages there)
- sitemaps are generated and right there to see and download via ftp, and if I point Google Sitemaps to the full path -> Success.
- anyway: http://www.mydomain.de/forum/vbsesitemap.txt.gz (or sitemap_index.xml.gz) returns a 404

What might be the issue? Don't know where to look anymore.

Thanks for your help
Sven