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.

[Yellow Slider]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Admin CP | *[vbseo]* | vbseo sitemap settings

Check the following settings:

Max URLs in Sitemap Files 50000
Specify the maximum number of URLs to be included in each sitemap file.
NOTE: Google allows no more than 50,000 URLs per file.

Include Show Post Pages Yes
Select "Yes" to include your show post pages in your sitemaps (showpost.php).

Include Member Profile Pages No
Select "Yes" to include your member profile pages in your sitemaps (member.php).

Include Archive Pages No
Select "Yes" to include your show archive pages in your sitemaps (archive/index.php).

Include Show Thread Pages Yes
Select "Yes" to include your show thread pages in your sitemaps (showthread.php).

Include Forum Display Pages Yes
Select "Yes" to include your forum display pages in your sitemaps (forumdisplay.php).

Include Poll Results Pages No
Select "Yes" to include your poll results pages in your sitemaps (poll.php).

Excluded Forums List ??????
Specify the forum ID for all forums that you do NOT wish to be included in your sitemaps.
NOTE: Separate multiple forum IDs with spaces.

Auto-Notify Google
Select "Yes" to automatically notify Google of your updated sitemap each time it is generated.
NOTE: Notification is sent via a HTTP request to the Google servers.

i have it "Max URLs in Sitemap Files 50000" with 5000 links per sitemap, i had no on Include Show Post Pages and yes on archive, changed all except the number of links per sitemap, thanks for trien to help.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by Yellow Slider

i have it "Max URLs in Sitemap Files 50000" with 5000 links per sitemap, i had no on Include Show Post Pages and yes on archive, changed all except the number of links per sitemap, thanks for trien to help.

You want "Yes" to "Show Post Pages", and "Yes" to "Show thread pages" and "No" to show archive.

[Philipaclayton]

everyone really seems to love this hack/mod,

but what is it? care to explain thanks

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by Philipaclayton

everyone really seems to love this hack/mod,

but what is it? care to explain thanks

It should be evident from the title.

If it isn't evident for you, read the thread.

if you still don't understand, see this: http://www.google.com/search?sourcei...oogle+sitemaps

If you still don't understand what it does, don't install it.

[Ohiosweetheart]

This add-on has really improved the traffic on my sites.
I'm now recommending it to all of my clients.

[fly2hi]

its realy good one i can see changes
thanks for this amazing addon

[HawKe]

On my system the "sitemap_index.xml.gz" file never gets written. Neither where it is supposed to be or anywhere else.

I have gotten the Sitemap Generator to run, meaning that it shows the output on the screen as having been run. The scheduled task is also correctly running and has been for several days.

Has anyone run it with the "vBSEO Installed?" option set to 'NO'? This is how I am running it for now since I have not installed vBSEO. My sitemap file is not in any of the locations it might be in:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...p_index.xml.gz
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...p_index.xml.gz
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...p_index.xml.gz

Any ideas? It seems to be running and I can access my vBSEO Google / Yahoo Sitemap for vBulletin page, but no sitemap is ever generated.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by HawKe

On my system the "sitemap_index.xml.gz" file never gets written. Neither where it is supposed to be or anywhere else.

I have gotten the Sitemap Generator to run, meaning that it shows the output on the screen as having been run. The scheduled task is also correctly running and has been for several days.

Has anyone run it with the "vBSEO Installed?" option set to 'NO'? This is how I am running it for now since I have not installed vBSEO. My sitemap file is not in any of the locations it might be in:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...p_index.xml.gz
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...p_index.xml.gz
http://forums.audioholics.com/forums...p_index.xml.gz

Any ideas? It seems to be running and I can access my vBSEO Google / Yahoo Sitemap for vBulletin page, but no sitemap is ever generated.

Yep. I'm running it without vBSEO installed. There's no chance I will ever have vBSEO installed.

Some things to check:

1. Have you checked the write permissions on those directories? Is your server running in safe mode?

2. Do you have anything in the box next to Sitemap Files URL?

3. Does your host support gzip?

4. Have you added the lines to the .htaccess file in your forum root (it should be at http://forums.audioholics.com/ - why do you have both a subdomain and a subdirectory for your forum, by the way?).

[HawKe]

Thanks for your help and feedback. It's appreciated.

1. Yes, permissions are correct and I am not getting any (visible) errors. Server is not running in safe mode.

2. Nothing at all.

3. Yes it does.

4. I uploaded the .htaccess file that came with the mod:

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

The subdirectory shouldn't (specifically) be causing any problems and is there due to the fact that the forums once existed on the same server as the main site and was later split off.

I'm honestly at a loss...

[djbaxter]

If you check those locations via FTP, do you see anything at all?