Administrative and Maintenance Tools - vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator

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.

[Ogmuk]

Originally Posted by TosaInu

Hello,

the .htacces goes to the forumroot (/forum) not the web accessible root of the site (/), right?

Correct.

[TosaInu]

Thank you Ogmuk.

My data folder contains some 87 sitemap-x-.xml.gz now and googlebot just started downloading them. It has downloaded over 260 files though (duplicates). Is that normal?

[TosaInu]

Hello,

Our forum is stored on a subdomain: http://forum.mysite.com The forum is located inside its own directory: http://forum.mysite.com/vb

I installed this version like instructed by the manual. So, the .htacces goes to http://forum.mysite.com/vb and the whole vbseo_sitemap directory and contents to http://forum.mysite.com/vb. Folders are CHMOD 777. In the ACP VBSEO settings search engines are notified automatically.

I ran the sitemap script and sitemaps are generated and stored inside http://forum.mysite.com//vb/vbseo_sitemap/data/

According to the report list in the ACP, the search engines are notified (confusing again, because Yahoo has to be notified manually?). According to the sitemap download log, the files are downloaded by googlebot. They were downloaded more than once yesterday after having installed the hack (shouldn't that be just once?).

Today there still is not a single sitemap file in google webmasters tool.

I guess something is still wrong?

This also confuses me. In the ACP/VBSEO settings it reads:

By default the vBSEO Sitemap files will be located in your forum root. Use this field to specify a different location, for example, your site root: http://www.yourdomain.com

NOTE: You must edit the .htaccess file of the folder in which you want to locate your sitemap files. More information here. Leave this setting empty to use default vB url.

I thought the files are stored in http://forum.mysite.com//vb/vbseo_sitemap/data/ by default?

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by TosaInu

My data folder contains some 87 sitemap-x-.xml.gz now and googlebot just started downloading them. It has downloaded over 260 files though (duplicates). Is that normal?

No. Why do you have all those duplicates? Updates to the sitemap should overwrite the old files, not create brand new ones.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

Our forum is stored on a subdomain: http://forum.mysite.com The forum is located inside its own directory: http://forum.mysite.com/vb

I installed this version like instructed by the manual. So, the .htacces goes to http://forum.mysite.com/vb and the whole vbseo_sitemap directory and contents to http://forum.mysite.com/vb. Folders are CHMOD 777. In the ACP VBSEO settings search engines are notified automatically.

I ran the sitemap script and sitemaps are generated and stored inside http://forum.mysite.com//vb/vbseo_sitemap/data/

If you created a subdomain for your forum, why would you then create a subfilder in that subdomain to install it? It would seem far more logical to install the forum in the root. You're making things unnecessarily complicated.

Second, the instructions as to where to find the sitemap need to be in the root directory unless you otherwise specifiy where to find them using the sitemap declaration in a robot.txt file in the root directory. In your case, the root directory is forum.mysite.com/ not forum.mysite.com/vb/.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

According to the report list in the ACP, the search engines are notified (confusing again, because Yahoo has to be notified manually?).

I believe that was only when Yahoo was using the text format. Now that they're using the XML format like everyone else, it's all automatic. I've never done a manual notification.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

According to the sitemap download log, the files are downloaded by googlebot. They were downloaded more than once yesterday after having installed the hack (shouldn't that be just once?).

It depends on how often you run the sitemap generator. Check your cron files.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

Today there still is not a single sitemap file in google webmasters tool. I guess something is still wrong?

Any errors will be noted in your Webmaster Central account - check there to find out what's wrong.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

This also confuses me. In the ACP/VBSEO settings it reads:

By default the vBSEO Sitemap files will be located in your forum root. Use this field to specify a different location, for example, your site root: http://www.yourdomain.com

NOTE: You must edit the .htaccess file of the folder in which you want to locate your sitemap files. More information here. Leave this setting empty to use default vB url.

I thought the files are stored in http://forum.mysite.com//vb/vbseo_sitemap/data/ by default?

They are. Ignore this part for now. You have enough to figure out already and you certainly don't want to complicate it any further by messing with that setting.

[TosaInu]

Hello djbaxter,

Thank you for replying.

Originally Posted by djbaxter

No. Why do you have all those duplicates? Updates to the sitemap should overwrite the old files, not create brand new ones.

It doesn't make duplicate files in the directory. The googlebot seems to download them several times (within an hour, so they are not updated ones).

If you created a subdomain for your forum, why would you then create a subfilder in that subdomain to install it? It would seem far more logical to install the forum in the root. You're making things unnecessarily complicated.

Because I can't create subdomains myself. The host is doing that and I have only a few. So, I have to put several things on one subdomain to prevent a cluttering and clash of names.

Second, the instructions as to where to find the sitemap need to be in the root directory unless you otherwise specifiy where to find them using the sitemap declaration in a robot.txt file in the root directory. In your case, the root directory is forum.mysite.com/ not forum.mysite.com/vb/.

Hmm, thus the .htaccess supplied with this hack needs to be in forum.mysite.com and not forum.mysite.com/vb? But how comes google seems to be downloading the sitemap?
And that means I have to change the .htaccess a bit from

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

to:

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

Right?

I believe that was only when Yahoo was using the text format. Now that they're using the XML format like everyone else, it's all automatic. I've never done a manual notification.

Ok.

It depends on how often you run the sitemap generator. Check your cron files.

The default one, I recall it's once a day.

Any errors will be noted in your Webmaster Central account - check there to find out what's wrong.

No errors are reported.

They are. Ignore this part for now. You have enough to figure out already and you certainly don't want to complicate it any further by messing with that setting.

Ok, the problem is just with the location of the .htaccess I guess?

[djbaxter]

1. I don't understand how it's possible that Google is trying to download the sitemap, not shoiwing it as successful, and yet not reporting any errors... unless you already have a sitemap in the root for forum.mysite.com? Try deleting ALL existing sitemaps and the manually running the cron job again from your vBulletin Admin CP (after relocating the .htaccess file).

2. No, you don't change the rewrite rules/instructions. That is already set up in the vB ACP. Leave it as it is.

[TosaInu]

Hello djbaxter,

No, I don't have a sitemap in the root.

I recall having experimented with vbseo a year ago or so and I did edit the .htaccess in the root then (http://forums.mysite.com). That info is still there in the rewrite rules:

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

{{Aik, I'm starting to understand what went wrong this year: nothing was there.}}

So, I only have the default htaccess supplied by this hack in forums.mydomain.com/vb and I remove the line from the root .htaccess? But how does google then know it should look into forums.mydomain.com/vb? Through the robot.txt like you mentioned? What do I put there?

Nothing at all? Is the right url submitted to the searchengines when completing the creation through CRON or run?

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by TosaInu

No, I don't have a sitemap in the root.

I recall having experimented with vbseo a year ago or so and I did edit the .htaccess in the root then (http://forums.mysite.com). That info is still there in the rewrite rules:

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

Is this the edited version? or the version created when you installed vbseo_sitemap? Don't use the edited one.

Originally Posted by TosaInu

So, I only have the default htaccess supplied by this hack in forums.mydomain.com/vb and I remove the line from the root .htaccess? But how does google then know it should look into forums.mydomain.com/vb? Through the robot.txt like you mentioned? What do I put there?

No. I didn't say remove the lines from .htaccess in the root. I said remove any sitemap files currently in the root. You need the redirect lines in the root directory version of .htaccess because it will redirect Google spiders when they go there to access them. Leave the lines in an .htaccess file in the /vb/ folder as well (I don't know how you have things set up in Webmaster Central - having it in both places shouldn't hurt and it may help).

Originally Posted by TosaInu

Is the right url submitted to the searchengines when completing the creation through CRON or run?

It should be unless you've messed up any of the settings. If worst comes to worst, uninstall and then reinstall vbseo_sitemap to get back to the proper settings and then follow the directions given to you during the installation or in the instructions for installation.

[TosaInu]

Originally Posted by djbaxter

Is this the edited version? or the version created when you installed vbseo_sitemap? Don't use the edited one.

It's an edited line I appended to an existing .ht in http://forums.mydomain.com
I'm pretty sure vb/ needs to be added to the path, otherwise it points to the non-existing folder http://forums.mydomain.com/vbseo_sitemap It is http://forums.mydomain.com/vb/vbseo_sitemap ?

You need the redirect lines in the root directory version of .htaccess because it will redirect Google spiders when they go there to access them. Leave the lines in an .htaccess file in the /vb/ folder as well (I don't know how you have things set up in Webmaster Central - having it in both places shouldn't hurt and it may help).

You mean in vb's ACP regarding VBSEO? The default values.

[djbaxter]

Originally Posted by TosaInu

It's an edited line I appended to an existing .ht in http://forums.mydomain.com
I'm pretty sure vb/ needs to be added to the path, otherwise it points to the non-existing folder http://forums.mydomain.com/vbseo_sitemap It is http://forums.mydomain.com/vb/vbseo_sitemap ?


You mean in vb's ACP regarding VBSEO? The default values.

How can it be both the "default values" and an "edited line"?

In any case, try what I've suggested so far. I don't understand a lot of what you're posting here, not the least of which is the statement that Webmaster Central is trying to download the sitemap, apparently not finding it, and yet not showing any errors. Either I'm missing something or you are - I don't see how that's possible.

If my suggestions don't work, you may need to wait for one of the vBSEO people to log in.