[RC4] GYM Sitemaps & RSS (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

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achievehigh.org
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Re: [RC2] mx Google Sitemaps

Post by achievehigh.org »

I've been searching for hours since last night until almost noon and finally found this thread.
I want Google and other popular search engines to find the pages of my forum http://treatwidevision.us/forums more easily.

I tried to download the files at [DEV] mx SiteMaps V 0.0.1
http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=387963
and
[RC2] mx Google Sitemaps
http://www.phpbb.com/community/viewtopic.php?t=371752
but none of the links worked. I already tried both links in the signature of dcz. Please advise.

Question 2:
Should I install both of your Mods [DEV] mx SiteMaps V 0.0.1 and [RC2] mx Google Sitemaps? I've quickly read replies in your threads and I am still confused. I am new to this.

Question 3:
Do I install CyberAlien's code or mod relating to the sessions IDs first before installing [DEV] mx SiteMaps V 0.0.1 and [RC2] mx Google Sitemaps? I could not find CyberAlien's code regarding the sessions IDs. Please provide it. After the forum changed things, I found broken links in many places.

Thanks.
Last edited by achievehigh.org on Sun May 06, 2007 7:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: [RC2] mx Google Sitemaps

Post by dcz »

Sorry for delay, I've been very busy lately.

So the deal is, I need to update this thread, mx sitemaps now turned GYM sitemaps RC4, and outputs nicely SEOed RSS feeds, with xsl styling for both sitemaps and rss feeds ;)

http://www.phpbb-seo.com/boards/rss.xml
http://www.phpbb-seo.com/boards/rss-l-m.xml
And quite efficient, once cached it's only 3 thousands of a sec to output 202 RSS items with advanced text filtering and summarizing :D

Code: Select all

<!-- URL list generated in  0.28348 s  - 21 sql - 202 URLs listed -->
<!--  Output started from cache after 0.00208 s -  sql -->
<!--  Output from cache ended up after 0.00378 s -  sql -->
and of course the Google sitemapindex with sitemaps, now tested up to 18 000 links per sitemap :lol:
http://www.phpbb-seo.com/boards/sitemaps.xml

and less important but still : http://www.phpbb-seo.com/boards/urllist.txt a yahoo urllist.txt

In few words, the mod as become a lot more than before, we are pretty close to stable and will update the thread here.

The other one two was updated, mx sitemaps, and is now bug free.

And many other thing to SEO phpBB, such as url rewriting and dynamic redirection, example : http://www.phpbb-seo.com/boards/kill-the-dupes-vc4.html

;)

phpBB SEO || phpBB3 SEO Premod || SEO phpBB3
GYM Sitemaps & RSS for phpBB3: GYM Sitemaps & RSS
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Re: [RC2] mx Google Sitemaps

Post by achievehigh.org »

Thanks for answering my first question and introducing me to those links. I am still new to all these so the information was overwhelming; the same mod but two different threads on the other seo php forum.

Important to address: I am still waiting for answers from you to my other two questions #2 and #3 in my previous post yesterday Friday May 4.
Question #4:
The instructions of the search engine friendly mods keep mentioning mx but I don't have it. What does "mx" stand for? I already quickly looked at mx portal but was not interested to install one. So, I want to know which [DEV] mx SiteMaps V 0.0.1, or [RC2] mx Google Sitemaps, or CyberAlien's mod relating to session IDs that you mentioned in the earlier post in your thread I need to install first, second, and third, etc. I am really confused about all this Google search friendly coding/moding. Perhaps you used some other terms and I did not recognize that they meant the same thing that I asked about.

Please take me through more clearly by addressing all of my questions to help me understand better. Thanks. How much I wish to know how to do all of these things to make my forums easier for Google to index or search my individual pages.
Last edited by achievehigh.org on Sun May 06, 2007 7:54 am, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: [RC2] mx Google Sitemaps

Post by dcz »

The order does not really matters for the three mods you mention, for sure its better to first install the cyber alien guest sessions mod, but as long as you install it, there is no order.
About mxBB, the same, the mx sitemaps (building html sitemaps) and GYM sitemap (building xml sitemaps and rss feeds) are bi-compatible, you can use them both with phpBB standalone and mxBB 2.7x and 2.8x.

What is more important is if you wish as well to go for url rewriting (really efficient SEO wise), which should be done first, to make sure you start working on the proper urls directly.
Both mx sitemaps and GYm sitemaps (if you install the latest versions) will auto detect the phpBB SEO mod rewrites, whatever the one you'd go for, so it won't require any more work for these if you go for url rewriting.

++

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Re: [RC4] GYM Sitemaps (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

Post by dcz »

In the end, I updated this thread :D

So to update, it's quite simple, you just need to delete all files from mx sitemaps, and do as for a new install with GYM sitemaps, it's a module, uploading file is all it takes.

This update is really a huge step, the module does now a lot more things, you should be surprised if you take a look at the acp :lol:

++

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GYM Sitemaps & RSS for phpBB3: GYM Sitemaps & RSS
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Re: [RC4] GYM Sitemaps (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

Post by achievehigh.org »

Question 4b:
From your reply, this is what I understand. So, I have to install the Guest Session IDs Mod written by CyberAlien first then the URL rewrite from php to html or htm (correct function/purpose?) then the Google Yahoo MSN (GYM) Sitemaps. Is that right?

Question 4c:
Which one do I need to install? The the Google Yahoo MSN (GYM) Sitemaps or the [DEV] mx SiteMaps V 0.0.1, and the [RC2] mx Google Sitemaps? Or, do I just choose either the Google Yahoo MSN (GYM) Sitemaps or the latter two?

Question 5:
The mx sitemaps builds html sitemaps and GYM sitemap builds xml sitemaps and rss feeds. Why xml sitemaps are still needed to be installed when mx sitemaps already built html sitemaps? I am confused as I am not familiar with the full function of each mod.

Please address my questions in that order so I understand which is which. I am still overwhelmed with so much information at phpbb.com and these Google search friendly mods.
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Re: [RC4] GYM Sitemaps (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

Post by dcz »

4b :
Well, defining you url standard, either rewritten, better seo wise, or natural is the first thing to do since you're going to have them indexed a lot better with this mod.

4c : GYM sitemaps was previously known as mx Google sitemaps, it was renamed since it's doing a lot more things now, and the Google sitemap standard is now supported by MSN and Yahoo. So it's just the latest version of the same mod.

5:
Well, html sitemap will help out building PageRank, check http://www.phpbb-seo.com/sitemaps.html PR5
http://www.phpbb-seo.com/board-map.html PR 5 ...

Don't you like to have high Pr pages in your website ?

Then, the Google sitemap standard and the RSS feeds build by GYM sitemaps is another thing. Google sitemaps is to be registered at the search engines, and will help out a lot for indexing. RSS feeds can as well be submitted to yahoo, and can be useful to your community.

++

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GYM Sitemaps & RSS for phpBB3: GYM Sitemaps & RSS
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Re: [RC4] GYM Sitemaps (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

Post by achievehigh.org »

Thanks for replying. I had to re-read all of your answers many times in order to understand them a little more. For example, this part,
dcz wrote: 4b :
Well, defining you url standard, either rewritten, better seo wise, or natural is the first thing to do since you're going to have them indexed a lot better with this mod.


Were you saying I should install the URL mod rewrite "The phpBB SEO Mod Rewrites" first even before CyberAlien's guest sesions ID mod then CyberAlien's Guest Session IDs Mod then the RC4 GYM Sitemaps in your first post of this thread?
Can you please help address my question as closely to my question as possible? All of these phpbb things are like a forest to me where I can get lost any time. It's my first time trying these mods so it's not easy to understand and follow.

Question 6:
Is this exactly the same as the "RC4 GYM Sitemaps" mod in your first post in this thread? In addition this part "RSS" in the title "Google Yahoo MSN Sitemaps and RSS ," I also saw "Google Yahoo MSN Sitemaps" so I was wondering about whether that mod and the mod in the first post of this thread are the same. The two URLs phpbb.com and phpbb-seo.com make me wonder if the two mods are the same. Is it like you developed a mod then you posted at your forum phpbb-seo.com and then also posted the same mod at the phpbb.com forum?

Question 7:
but then why do I still need to install the URL rewrite mod "The phpBB SEO Mod Rewrites" because your mod in the first post of this thread says, "This mod will help indexing, even without mod rewrite, if you took care of sids."

Question 8:
Is CyberAlien's guest session ID mod you suggested me to install this one?

Reading the above more recent replies from you and others, I really wanted to get started with this search engine optimization techniques. Can you please help me? Thanks. You may want to review my posts earlier above on this page 21.
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Re: [RC4] GYM Sitemaps (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

Post by dcz »

It a bit less complicated than that.

Yes both gym sitemaps 1.2.0RC4 here and at www.phpbb-seo.com are the same.
The cyber alien guest sessions mod is the one you pointed, but the download link seems broken on phpBB.com, so you can grab it from the source : http://www.phpbbstyles.com/viewtopic.php?t=357

You can install it before or after the mod rewrite, it does not matter code wise, what matters is you put them online at the same time.

Url rewritting and mod rewrite is another matter, that would be better supported over at www.phpbb-seo.com since it's where they are released.
All I wanted to tell you is mod rewrite does help seo wise, and since Search engine do spider urls, you may want to take a look at these as a first SEO step, to make things a bit more straight forward for SEs. Registering a Google sitemaps at Google with original phpBB URL could make you loose some time in indexing if for example you decide the week after to change all your forum's url by installing one of the phpBB SEO mod rewrites. Something similar to telling everyone about your phone number, and then change it the week after. Still you on the phone, but a bit less straight forward for who ever calls you.

Now the good thing about he phpBB SEO mod rewrite is that they come with the Zero duplicate mod, able to HTTP 301 redirect all phpBB duplicates, including vanilla url.

Thing like http://www.phpbb-seo.com/boards/where-is-the duplicate-vf45/
http://www.phpbb-seo.com/boards/viewforum.php?f=45

In our phone number example, the zero duplicate would redirect people using your old phone number to the new one, without closing the connexion. Very handy.
So it only make a bit more sens to still communicate about your new phone number directly if you're willing to change it, even if you have a device capable of redirecting all these phone calls.

Gym sitemaps is the mod that will make your forum urls massively discovered by Google, the yellow pages ;)

Makes more sens like this ?

++

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GYM Sitemaps & RSS for phpBB3: GYM Sitemaps & RSS
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Re: Guest Sessions mod Dcz suggested

Post by achievehigh.org »

CyberAlien's guest sessions mod applies to phpbb version 2.0.18 but I upgraded my forum to version 2.0.22. Does it mean I can still use his mod at the link you provided? It does not say whether the mod can be installed by EasyMod. I have EasyMod installed so can I use EasyMod to install CyberAlien's guest sessions mod? Please inform me. Thanks.

I tried to reply to that topic by CyberAlien, but it said only moderators could reply. I was not sure what to do so I ask you instead because my question also relates to the next steps where I will use your mod.
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Re: [RC4] GYM Sitemaps (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

Post by dcz »

Yes cyber alien's guest sessions mod still work with phpBB 2.0.22.

I don't know about the EZMod compliance of the mod, I do not use it, but, since there is just one file to edit, I guess you can proceed manually.

++

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GYM Sitemaps & RSS for phpBB3: GYM Sitemaps & RSS
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Re: [RC4] GYM Sitemaps & RSS (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

Post by achievehigh.org »

I already downloaded the compressed file at the URL you provided and extracted it to "gym_sitemapsV1-2-0RC4" folder on my computer.

Question 1:
In your "gym_sitemapsV1-2-0RC4.txt" the instructions say,
Two different type of install :
_______________________________
You can move sitemap.php, rss.php and urllist.php out of you phpBB (or mxBB) folder when installed in a sub-folder.
To do this, you'd only need to open the file you want to move up, and look for :

$phpbb_root_path = './';

and change it to :

$phpbb_root_path = './phpbb/';

Obviously replacing phpbb/ with the real folder name where phpBB would be installed.
I find this part unclear. Can you please explain what you mean by "move sitemap.php, rss.php and urllist.php out of you phpBB (or mxBB) folder when installed in a sub-folder?" Aren't the 3 files sitemap.php, rss.php and urllist.php already in a sub-folder called phpbb? I am unsure whether I need to change
$phpbb_root_path = './'; to
$phpbb_root_path = './phpbb/';
because I don't understand what you mean by "move sitemap.php, rss.php and urllist.php out of you phpBB (or mxBB) folder when installed in a sub-folder."


Question 2:
These 3 lines confuse me a lot!
Your instructions say:
If phpbb is installed in a sub folder and you run other pages at the root level,
You can take advantage of this system's modularity to include all of your site's sitemaps in this same index.

You'll have to put the sitemap.php file at the domain's root level, since no link from above
the sitemap files folder are taken into consideration by Google.

1) Upload root/ggs_style/*.* where rss.php and sitemap.php are installed.

#
#-----[ COPY ]------------------------------------------
# Meaning copy root/*.* to *.*


copy root/sitemap.php to sitemap.php ---->This sounds like copy sitemap.php to treatwidevision.us/forums and not treatwidevision.us (my domain's root) which is different from what you said above, "put the sitemap.php file at the domain's root level."
copy root/rss.php to rss.php
copy root/urllist.php to urllist.php


So, where exactly do I upload those 3 files sitemap.php, rss.php, and urllist.php if my forum is located at http://www.treatwidevision.us/forums ? Please be as clear as possible. Thanks.
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Re: [RC4] GYM Sitemaps & RSS (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

Post by Peter77sx »

For your first question, it is explaining what to do incase you want your sitemap outside of phpbb directory.
http://www.treatwidevision.us/sitemaps.php for example.

But I would recommend installing it just normally.
Upload everything in your forum direcotry to make this easier.

sitemaps.php, rss.php urllist.php and of course the ggs_style and mx_ggsitemaps go into your forum root folder.

And you will want to choose the "YOUR GYM FILES ARE INSTALLED IN A FOLDER" for your .htcaccess. Remember to change phpbb with the your actual forum name for the rewrite rules.

I hope that helps. :)
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Re: [RC4] GYM Sitemaps & RSS (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

Post by achievehigh.org »

Thanks, Peter77sx. So, I put all of these 3 files sitemap.php, rss.php and urllist.php and the files (not the folder "ggs_style" itself) from the folder "ggs_style" (path on my computer: gym_sitemapsV1-2-0RC4/root/ggs_style) inside treatwidevision.us/forums . Then do I change this part like this:
$phpbb_root_path = './'; to
$phpbb_root_path = './forums/';
in each of these 3 files sitemap.php, rss.php and urllist.php? Please confirm if I do them correctly. Or, I don't have to change $phpbb_root_path = './'; to
$phpbb_root_path = './forums/'; in all 3 files sitemap.php, rss.php and urllist.php because the 3 files sitemap.php, rss.php and urllist.php are inside my forum folder treatwidevision.us/forums? I am still confused here.

Question 3:
Peter77sx wrote:you will want to choose the "YOUR GYM FILES ARE INSTALLED IN A FOLDER" for your .htcaccess.
Which .htacess file do I insert the RewriteRule into? What is path of that .htaccess file? Is that .htaccess located inside my domain's root treatwidevision.us/ in my case?

Question 4:
The instruction says:
copy root/language/lang_french/lang_ggs_main.php
to language/lang_english/lang_ggs_main.php

Why does the first part "copy root/language/lang_french/lang_ggs_main.php" say lang_french and the second part "to language/lang_english/lang_ggs_main.php" say lang_english? Is this a mistake in typing?
Does the instruction mean to say "copy root/language/lang_english/lang_ggs_main.php to language/lang_english/lang_ggs_main.php" but the instructions might have made a mistake by saying "lang_french" instead of "lang_english" in the "copy root/language/lang_french/lang_ggs_main.php" part of the instruction? What is the correct instruction? Please paste the exact correct instructions to help me know what to do.

Question 5A:
The instruction says:
copy root/templates/subSilver/admin_mx_ggsitemap.tpl
to templates/subSilver/admin/admin_mx_ggsitemap.tpl
Is the first part copy root/templates/subSilver/admin_mx_ggsitemap.tpl missing the folder "admin"? Shouldn't it be copy root/templates/subSilver/admin/admin_mx_ggsitemap.tpl ? Please inform me the correct path for the first part.

Question 5B:
The current skin of the forum is flower power and the folder name is "flower1." Is the correct path in question 4A above treatwidevision.us/forums/templates/flower1/admin/admin_mx_ggsitemap.tpl?

Please address all parts of my questions in the same order to help me understand what is going on.

Two web host technicians and I have been trying to understand this mod since 5PM and it' 11PM but we still do not understand all the instructions in the mod. We all find the mod instructions confusing. In addition, I already read the instructions in the file "gym_sitemapsV1-2-0RC4.txt" way before 5PM today. I sincerely suggest that the mod author consider clarifying the mod instructions inside "gym_sitemapsV1-2-0RC4.txt" to avoid confusion for other mod users.
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Re: [RC4] GYM Sitemaps & RSS (aka mx Google Sitemaps)

Post by Peter77sx »

No... The two folders mx_ggsitemaps and ggstyles have to be in your phpbb root directory. The content in those folders remain in there. Do not take them out. :)

Yoursite/phpbb/mx_ggsitemaps
Yoursite/phpbb/ggstyles
Yoursite/phpbb/rss.php
Yoursite/phpbb/sitemaps.php
Yoursite/phpbb/urllist.php

The only file in your phpbb you have to edit is language_admin.php where you insert;

Code: Select all

#-----[ FIND ]------------------------------------------ 
# 

?>

# 
#-----[ BEFORE, ADD ]------------------------------------------ 
# 
// BEGIN mx Google Sitemaps www.phpBB.SEO.com
$lang['Google_SiteMaps'] = "GYM Sitemaps & RSS";
// END mx Google Sitemaps www.phpBB.SEO.com
That is all! :)


You should really only have one .htacess on your site. And it should be in your site's root direcotry, yes. not your phpbb directory. I can see that you are running Advanced mod rewrite. So yes, in your case, yoursite.us/.htacess

phpbb-seo's site is in English and French. I am sure you are aware of this. So you will, at times, find instructions French. So just upload what is needed to be uploaded in your english folder nothing more.

The admin folder deal. the admin/admin_mx_ggsitemap.tpl should go into your flower theme admin

yoursite/phpbb/flower/admin/admin_mx_ggsitemap.tpl - just like that. :)

For the configuration options, you may want to ask at the support site if you have further questions. ;)
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