Administrative and Maintenance Tools - vBSEO Google/Yahoo Sitemap Generator

vBulletin Google Sitemaps by vBSEO v.2.5 - vBulletin 3.7.x
Download vB 3.8.x Compatible Version Here
Download vB 3.6.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
============================

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"
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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
============================

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

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

• 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

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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.

[iojam]

You should set 0777 permissions for vbseo_sitemap/data/ folder.

[therogueforums]

Okay, now I'm in. Followed directions to the letter. I can access it, etc. Can't actually run the generator, memory always gets exhausted. No access to the .ini file.

At any rate, the cron made a few sitemaps for me. However, when I submit to Google, it says file not found. Ok, so I'm thinking it has something to do with the .htaccess. No probs. i'll just move the bad boy to the root.

NOPE.

Still, file not found. bullspit, it's right there! heh. So, please, tell me, what am I doing wrong?

[AtomicFPS]

Originally Posted by iojam

You should set 0777 permissions for vbseo_sitemap/data/ folder.

I've done that and I still get the error.

[Sym0n]

Hiya,
I've been using this mod for ages now but last week my host decided to transfer my account to another server and since then I've had issues.

I have .htaccess in my domain root with the following because the domain, and the parked .net domain, is set to not use the 'www.' sub

Options +FollowSymLinks
RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.domain\.com
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://domain.com/$1 [R=permanent,L]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^www\.domain\.net
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://domain.net/$1 [R=permanent,L]

and as per the vBSEO instructions for this mod the following .htaccess file in my forums root

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

All was working well before the transfer, or at least if it wasn't no one was complaining lol, but now when anyone tries to go directly to www.domain.com/forum/ the www. sub isn't being removed. Yet any other area of the site it is.

I've tried everything I can think of and all I have discovered is that if I delete the vBSEO .htaccess from the forum root the RewriteRule for removing the www. sub works perfectly.

Can anyone help as this is starting to drive me insane.

Thanks

Sy

[iojam]

therogueforums,

make sure that mod_rewrite is supported: http://www.vbseo.com/f77/how-check-i...my-site-21502/


AtomicFPS,

if you have any files inside data/ folder, try to set 0666 permissions for them.


Sym0n,

put this to the top of forums/.htaccess:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^domain\.net
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://domain.net/forums/$1 [R=permanent,L]

[rbecking]

Does this work in 3.8?

[aciurczak]

Having similar issue as Sym0n (though I am forcing a www, and he's suppressing it), and the suggested fix didn't appear to work. I have a large number of domains pointing to same site, so my forced www code in my main htaccess file (root directory, not forums root) is this:

Options +FollowSymLinks 
Options -MultiViews

RewriteEngine On 

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.
RewriteRule (.*) http://www.%{HTTP_HOST}/$1 [R=301,L]

With the stock recommended vbseo htaccess config in the /forums directory, the www. forcing does not work, and URL's remain at domain.com/forums instead of www.domain.com/forums.

I tried adding this to the top of the htaccess in the forums directory:

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^www\.
RewriteRule (.*) http://www.%{HTTP_HOST}/forums/$1 [R=301,L]

but that didn't work and caused a server error. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[aciurczak]

I tried a more simple pairing of www. forcing to see if that would work, but I couldn't get it to work either:

in main htaccess file:

RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^domain.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.domain.com/$1 [L,R=301]

and in /forums htaccess file:

RewriteEngine On
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^domain.com [NC]
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://www.domain.com/forums/$1 [L,R=301] 

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

What happens in that case is quite weird, it rewrites it to:

http://www.domain.com/forums//var/chroot/home/content/x/x/x/username/html/forums

(some of that has been masked slightly, but the format is exactly that)

I'd love to get this to work, so any suggestions would be appreciated. If I can't get it to work, I was thinking about deep-sixing all of the htaccess masking for the sitemap data files, can I use a cron job to just move them after they are created into the root directory? If so, which files do i need to move?

[elmark]

Thanks its work.

Marek

[Sym0n]

Originally Posted by iojam

Sym0n,

put this to the top of forums/.htaccess:

RewriteEngine on
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} !^domain\.net
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ http://domain.net/forums/$1 [R=permanent,L]

Thanks for the reply. Unfortunately adding that is causing a Redirect Loop error to occur and making the site unusable.

Is there anything I can try?