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

We welcome you to join the vBSEO Affiliate Program.

[dragoncub]

Installed, thanks!

[kingMOB]

Hi, recently we had to reinstall our vBulletin due to a server crash, since then the sitemap generator is weird. It generates the sitemap files, but not the log entries, so there's nothing in the reports list. I tried to uninstall it, delete all files, reinstall it but the problem persists.

The data folder is filled with the sitemap_*.xml.gz but there's no log files, which I think are the files that the Reports List gets. Any ideas?

Thanks.

[iojam]

Does It working with vBulletin 3.8.x?

Yes, it's compatible.

kingMOB,

try to remove all files from data/ folder, disable Text sitemap option and regenerate sitemap.

[iardon]

Hi,

My webhost has just disabled the following php functions citing them as insecure...

exec,system,shell_exec,passthru,dl,escapeshellarg, escapeshellcmd,popen,pcntl_exe c,symlink,proc_close,proc_open

Now my VBSEO sitemap generator can't ping the search engines. Which function does the script use to ping?

EDIT: nevermind, updated to newer version, now it's fine.

[slednutz.com]

For no reason whatsoever, on December 18, this stopped working. Google says 404 not found, look up in FTP, and sure enough there is no sitemap in the folder Google is looking for it in.
It generates the sitemap, but then it just "poof" dissapears. When i generate it manually, and immediately look in the folder via FTP program, the file is not there.
I'm completely lost.

[bchertov]

Hi,

I just installed this and it seems to work except that the report says that the Yahoo upload failed.

I've visited the page that you provide for uploading a text file but I don't see where I can submit it.

What's up with the Yahoo upload?

Report Details
Generated Sitemap Details
Date 	2008-12-28 17:20
Processing time 	69.00 s
Total URLs 	62,318 (-)
Forumdisplay URLs 	309 (-)
Showthread URLs 	13,925 (-)
ShowPost URLs 	39,520 (-)
Archive URLs 	0 (-)
Member Profile URLs 	8,521 (-)
Poll Results URLs 	82 (-)
Blog Entries URLs 	0 (-)
Album URLs 	0 (-)
Social Group URLs 	0 (-)
Tag URLs 	0 (-)
Sitemap Files
Index File 	sitemap_index.xml.gz
Sitemap File #1 	sitemap_1.xml.gz (20,000 URLs, 3,849.50Kb) 3,849.18Kb uncompressed
Sitemap File #2 	sitemap_2.xml.gz (20,000 URLs, 3,705.88Kb) 3,705.57Kb uncompressed
Sitemap File #3 	sitemap_3.xml.gz (20,000 URLs, 3,732.64Kb) 3,732.32Kb uncompressed
Sitemap File #4 	sitemap_4.xml.gz (2,318 URLs, 427.91Kb) 427.59Kb uncompressed
Text Format File 	urllist.txt.gz (3,534.70Kb)
Search Engines Pings
Google 	Successful
Yahoo 	FAILED
Ask 	Successful
Moreover 	Successful
vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator v2.2 is ? 200

[john h]

How can pages created in Logician's Webtemplates be included in the sitemap?

[john h]

When the sitemap is generated by the task manager the urls in the extra-urls.txt are not included in the sitemap.

If I manually create the sitemap by clicking on the link in the ACP the extra-urls.txt file is included.

Why is this so?

[SoftDux]

Hi,

I've just installed this mod, but can't see which URL I should be submitting to google webmaster tools. Can someone please tell me how / where to obtain the correct .xml URL?

[SoftDux]

Hi,

Which URL do I use to submit to google developer tools?