Pre-sales enquiry about features

Hello,

vBSEO sounds very interesting, but I'm still rather confused. I've just started a new website based on vBulletin 4.0.8, but I would like to use a mod called 'Downloads II' to distribute files from the site.

Having installed this mod and found it to be exactly what I need, I now have no idea whether vBulletin will actually make the pages visible to search engines (I only see CMS/Blog/Forum listed in the Sitemap area of admincp). Does vBSEO help here? Or am I missing the point, perhaps?

Thanks for your help,
Craig.

Hello Craig ,

Both vBSEO and vBSEO Sitemap Generator are 100% compatible with Downloads II modification. You can take advantage of vBSEO built in Custom Rewrite Rules module to get static urls for Downloads II addon and use Sitemap Generator to include Downloads II urls inside your sitemap files.

Welcome to vBSEO community, Craig! .

Hello.

Thanks for your replies :-)

From what you say, vBSEO might be exactly what I’m looking for. However, despite being on the verge of placing an order, I still find myself having doubts. I’ll try to explain…

Although I’m not a computer novice and I had no problems installing vBulletin following the instructions - I have no web design knowledge beyond basic MS Frontpage (years ago) and my understanding of SEO and web servers etc is virtually non existent. For this reason I worry that vBSEO could be a great tool, but one that needs knowledge in areas that I don’t have. For example:

1) People talk about having .htaccess files for SEO and protecting important directories. At the moment I don’t have a .htaccess file and I don’t have a clue how to create one, how to use one, or what any of the code inside the various examples I’ve seen means. Do I need to have a grasp of this to make use of vBSEO?

2) vBulletin’s admincp has settings for Friendly URL’s. However, the vBulletin documentation doesn’t seem to go any further than to show examples of what the different URL’s look like and mention that mod_rewrite requires a possible setting change on my web server. The vBulletin forum is an additional help, but just like with .htaccess files, the discussions are too technical and discuss code and configurations that I just don’t understand. Do I need to understand what mod_rewrite is in order to use vBSEO properly?

Finally, I also have a question about purchasing:

3) On the Purchase Page is says “Buy it Now - $149” and says that there are “yearly updates offering powerful new features”. The bit that worries me though, is that I also see a ‘renew’ button for registered users only. Can you please tell me a bit more about what this is for? Does this renew button suggest that the software actually expires? Or is it just that you only offer new updates for a set period of time or within a specific versions (eg. v3.x)? What would happen if you released vBSEO 4.x - would that be a renewal or a new purchase? )

Thanks again for your help,
Craig.

Hi Craig,

Let me try and cover some of these worries and questions for you...

1. vBSEO actually comes with a .htaccess file that will get everything working IE redirections ETC, though you can edit this if you want and I am sure you can get help here on the forums for such help there is no requirement to. The actual installation of vBSEO is as simple as 1) Upload files, 2) Create Password, 3) Save your licence key, 4) Import the product XML into your vBulletin Admin CP. vBSEO works out of the box and most of the time there is no need to change anything. In the event that you do need to change anything we are always here to help.
   
2. You don't need to understand mod_rewrite at all to use vBSEO. The .htaccess file that comes with vBSEO basically passes all requests to the vbseo script and then the URL rewriting is done by vBSEO. We make is really simple to change your URL types, you can select one of 6 presets with two clicks or you can go in and edit individual URL formats manually which is straight forward and easy to understand.
   
3. The licence itself is for life, so you can use the current version of vBSEO for life. The licence also comes with access to support and upgrades for a year. After this year you would need to renew to get further upgrades. renewing your licence is only $35 and you get a further years access again. Again there is no requirement to renew if you don't wish to upgrade you can carry on running the current version for life.

Ceri

Originally Posted by Ceri May

Hi Craig,

Let me try and cover some of these worries and questions for you...

1. vBSEO actually comes with a .htaccess file that will get everything working IE redirections ETC, though you can edit this if you want and I am sure you can get help here on the forums for such help there is no requirement to. The actual installation of vBSEO is as simple as 1) Upload files, 2) Create Password, 3) Save your licence key, 4) Import the product XML into your vBulletin Admin CP. vBSEO works out of the box and most of the time there is no need to change anything. In the event that you do need to change anything we are always here to help.
2. You don't need to understand mod_rewrite at all to use vBSEO. The .htaccess file that comes with vBSEO basically passes all requests to the vbseo script and then the URL rewriting is done by vBSEO. We make is really simple to change your URL types, you can select one of 6 presets with two clicks or you can go in and edit individual URL formats manually which is straight forward and easy to understand.
3. The licence itself is for life, so you can use the current version of vBSEO for life. The licence also comes with access to support and upgrades for a year. After this year you would need to renew to get further upgrades. renewing your licence is only $35 and you get a further years access again. Again there is no requirement to renew if you don't wish to upgrade you can carry on running the current version for life.

Ceri

That sounds perfect, thanks. I'f you can just clarify these last two questions for me, I'll go ahead and place an order.

a) If someone had created a forum post today with a hyperlink to a page or file on my site (using the current URL naming structure), what would happen to that link if I use vBSEO to change the type of friendly URL's used? Would it break the links to my pages?

b) Do you have any plans to release vBSEO 4.x in the near future? Or, more specifically - would a new version (v4.x for example) require a new full-price purchase, or would it be included in updates?

Thanks again. I genuinely appreciate the replies that you have all provided.

Regards,
Craig.

Originally Posted by craigspc

a) If someone had created a forum post today with a hyperlink to a page or file on my site (using the current URL naming structure), what would happen to that link if I use vBSEO to change the type of friendly URL's used? Would it break the links to my pages?

Most links will be rewriten in post during vBSEO processing, those that don't will still 301 redirect to the new URL structure automatically so there is nothing to worry about.

Originally Posted by craigspc

b) Do you have any plans to release vBSEO 4.x in the near future? Or, more specifically - would a new version (v4.x for example) require a new full-price purchase, or would it be included in updates?

I don't believe that we will progress to v4 in the near future however if we do it is unlikely we will change our licensing like vBulletin did so your Owned licence will still be perfectly valid as long as it is active/you renew it.

Thank you very much. I have now placed an order :-)

Welcome to vBSEO Craig

That is great news Craig, if you have any questions or issues remember we are always here in both the forums and ticket system.

Ceri