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
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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
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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?

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


Google Webmaster Accounts
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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

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• 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
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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
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(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

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

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

[zand]

I just upgraded from version 1.7 to this and when I access the sitemap URL and tries to access the forums there, it just keeps showing the forumlist. Can someone help me figure out whats wrong? It was like this with version 1.7, but I never had time to figure it out. The sitemap can be seen here. Thanks!

[GrendelKhan{TSU]

indispensable. thanks!!

<< clicks install.

[Yellow Slider]

INstalled.

Dear Coder, I need to ask for a modification in the Generator, what do i need to do , in order to exclude old theards from being added to the site maps, lets say that i want threads that their id is bigger then X to appear in the sitemaps, what do i need to do? (i have alot of content from 2005\2006 that I really don't want to be indexed in google..

Thanks alot, it's very important to me

[Yellow Slider]

OK i have a MAJOR problem!
last week i have added to the Excluded Forums List , alot of trash forums that exits on my board, we have there somthing like 300,000 posts.

the forum total statics -
posts : 1,800,800~
theards : 180,000~
members :36,000~

this is my Report list
11 2007-04-04 05:00 909.23 s 1,573,346 +2,120 Yes No View details | Remove record
12 2007-04-05 05:00 554.56 s 1,568,376 -4,970 Yes No View details | Remove record
13 2007-04-06 05:00 606.44 s 1,571,920 +3,544 Yes No View details | Remove record
14 2007-04-07 05:00 891.27 s 1,574,456 +2,536 Yes No View details | Remove record
15 2007-04-08 01:22 505.14 s 1,541,179 -33,277 Yes No View details | Remove record
16 2007-04-08 05:00 539.48 s 1,540,127 -1,052 Yes No View details | Remove record
17 2007-04-09 05:02 57.11 s 296,293 -1,243,834 Yes No View details | Remove record
18 2007-04-10 05:00 61.85 s 296,783 +490 Yes No View details | Remove record
19 2007-04-11 05:00 72.39 s 297,324 +541 Yes No View details | Remove record
20 2007-04-12 05:00 68.71 s 297,842 - Yes No View details | Remove record
21 2007-04-13 05:00 53.63 s 298,400 +558 Yes No View details | Remove record
22 2007-04-14 05:00 59.94 s 298,818 +418 Yes No View details | Remove record
23 2007-04-15 05:00 61.75 s 299,273 +455 Yes No View details | Remove record
24 2007-04-16 05:00 81.00 s 298,307 -966 Yes No View details | Remove record

you can see that the total url has dropped down alot, more then it shuold had been..
also the new change had droped down too much, and we still have somthing like 2000-3000 posts a day, so i can see why wh have this huge decrease in the Reports List
ohh, i have also chose not to include Member Profile Pages and Show Post Pages .
but still -1,200,000~ urls are alot.. and i really think that its too much.
maybe i'm wrong correct me if i am, thanks.

[Sean James]

Nice works VBSEO

[brvheart]

gladly installed, worked perfect thank you for this update


How can I exclude certain forum ID's like those private for staff etc?

[iojam]

Yellow Slider, brvheart,

only the posts from subforums visible to guests are included in the sitemap.

[Calibre_k]

Do i have to have vbseo installed to have this feature or will this work on its own?

[rayw]

Installed and working very nicely. Thanks a lot

In google's webmaster tools, do you need to submit the sitemap manually, or is this what the mod is doing for you automatically? I can see the option in the AdminCP but I'm not 100% sure whether this is the same thing or not.

Cheers!

[brvheart]

Originally Posted by iojam

Yellow Slider, brvheart,

only the posts from subforums visible to guests are included in the sitemap.

thank you