Backup ONLY your 'URL Rewrite Settings'
Share your 'URL Rewrite Settings' with other users.
Upload a Settings (.xml) File
Note:
Uploading a 'URL Rewrite Settings' XML file (vbseo_urls.xml) WILL NOT
override other settings like your 'General Settings' or 'SEO Functions'.
Upload:
General Settings
vBSEO Options
Activate Plugin?
Select 'Yes' to activate vBSEO static URLs (CRUs) and other SEO features.
Yes
No
vBSEO CP Interface Language Select
a language for the vBSEO Control Panel. Your language pack must be
previously uploaded to the 'forums/includes/xml/' folder.
301 Redirect Original Content
'301 redirects' are "Google's Safe" way of moving content. Enable this
option to redirect all previously dynamic generated pages to the new,
static content. This option saves 'Page Ranking' gained from old
incoming links.
Note: It is recommended to leave this setting always ON.
Yes
No
Include Domain Name in URLs?
Search engines are thought to be more likely to follow links with
absolute URLs (www.yourdomain.com/this_page.html). Enable this option
to include your domain name in your forum links, thus, making your URLs
look absolute (vs. relative).
Yes
No
Replace Non-English Characters in URLs?
Select 'Yes' to replace non-English characters with their English
equivalent. Enable this option if your forums are not in English or if
any non-English characters occur in your forums (E.g. Café)
Redirect ALL External URLs Posted in Private Forums
Enable this option to redirect all external links posted in private
forums through an internal script. This will hide URLs from your
private forums in server logs on external sites, thus protecting your
privacy.
Note: The URLs will look like 'http://www.yourdormain.com/forums/redirect-to/?redirect=http://www.externaldomain.com'
Yes
No
Rewrite System Email URLs?
Set this option to 'Yes' to have vBSEO rewrite automatic notification emails.
Note: This option works ONLY with vB 3.5.x or higher
Yes
No
Link Back to the vBSEO Admin Control Panel?
This feature will set a temporary link to this control panel at the top
of your vBulletin forum pages, and works as a great time-saver while
setting up your static URLs. NOTE: This link is only viewable by
vBulletin forum admins (Usergroup 6).
Yes
No
"File Not Found" requests handling?
Select how 'File Not found' requests will be handled:
- Redirect to homepage
- Send 404 HTTP code and show a 'Page not found' message
- Include custom error page. NOTE: The filename should include the absolute path. (example: /home/user/public_html/error.php)
Redirect to homepage
Send 404 HTTP code
Include custom script:
Exclude Pages?
Use regular expressions here to exclude scripts and/or pages from being
affected by vBSEO. This prevents rewriting as well as copyright
insertion.
Examples:(separate multiple expressions with returns)
^index\.php\?do=feature
VBGooglemap.php
geek-gallery-popup.php
Your vBSEO Affiliate IDHOT!
Earn Back 'Your vBSEO' Product Fees and More! Enter your vBSEO
affiliate ID here to have the copyright footer link to your affiliate
landing page.
Log Spider Activity in your Forums?
Set this option to 'Yes' to log Search Engine Spider activity on your Forums. This option requires the vBSEO Google / Yahoo Sitemap Generator installed.
Note: Access your spider activity logs via your sitemap reports interface
(vbseo_sitemap/)
Yes
No
Add Google Analytics Code to your Forum Pages?
Select "Yes" to add the Google Analytics code to all your forum pages. Google Analytics provides an easy way to monitor your traffic performance for both, organic and paid search engine results.
Yes
No
Enter your Google Analytics Code
Enter your Google Analytics Code in the following format: UA-9999-1
Add Google Analytics "Tracking External Link Clicks" Code?
Select "Yes" to add the Google Analytics External Link Tracking code to all your external links.
This feature enables you to track clicks on outbound links via your Google Analytics account.
Yes
No
Enter format for Google Analytics External Links Tracking
Enter your Google Analytics External Links Tracking format.
Example: /outgoing/
Enable Google Analytics Funnel for Member Registrations?
Select "Yes" to add the Google Analytics code to all pages within your forum member registration process.
NOTE: You should create a new "Goal" in your Analytics account for your forums site and add the following steps for it
(number of steps depends on whether you have enabled "Use COPPA Registration System" in vB admincp or not):
/google-funnel/coppaform.html (if applicable)
/google-funnel/enter-birthday.html (if applicable)
/google-funnel/agreement.html
/google-funnel/regform-show.html
/google-funnel/regform-submit.html
/google-funnel/registration-complete.html
Enable Adsense Section Targeting?BETA Select
"Yes" to add Google AdSense section tags to relevant parts of your
forum pages within forumhome, forumdisplay and showthread.
Yes
No
vB's Archive Options
Archive Options:
301 Redirect vB's Archive Thread Pages
'301 redirects' are "Google's Safe" way of moving content. Select this
option to save your 'Page Ranking' while redirecting spiders (and
users) to the new, static pages.
Rewrite vB's Archive Thread Pages
This option rewrites URLs so that original content is linked from within the archives, providing an excellent vBulletin sitemap.
Rewrite + 301 Redirect Archive Pages
This is a combination of options 1 and 2 (above). This option rewrites
URLs so that original content is linked from within the archives AND
also adds 301 redirects to the archive thread pages. Therefore, (a) it
works as a sitemap for the static site and (b) it ensures that incoming
links pointing to the old archive thread pages are redirected to the
new, static pages also.
Rewrite Archive Root: Use this feature to replace the default '/archive/index.php/' part
of the archive pages to a more search engine friendly version.
NOTE: Old archive root URLs will be 301 redirected to the new custom
formats. Therefore, previously indexed archive pages will still be
found by both users and spiders.
Sample Custom Strings:
/hello/google/ or /sitemap/ or /archive/ etc.
/archive/index.php/
/archive/
/sitemap/
Custom:
Invert archive thread display order:NEW!
By default, the archive (or sitemap) thread links are displayed from
oldest to newest. Enable this option to invert your sitemap thread
display order (display newest theads first), creating a hierarchical
structure that links to the most recent content which naturally is the
most important content in your forums.
Yes
No
Caching Options
Cache TypeBETA
Select the caching system to use from the list below. Make sure that your server supports the selected cache type.
About URL Rewriting
URL rewriting not only adds relevant keywords to your forum URLs but
also consolidates multiple (different) URLs into ONE URL for EACH
unique resource. This second benefit enhances your site's internal
linking structure by creating a network of consistent links that allow
search engines to properly find and index your site's unique content. A
consistent link structure also ensures incoming links ALWAYS "create
value" by pointing to main content pages and never to secondary or
duplicate entries, thus increasing relevancy for your core content with
each back-link.
IMPORTANT: This is a SET-IT AND FORGET-IT!
feature. Once you select your URL structure here, it is STRONGLY
recommended NOT changing these settings again. Doing so will directly
impact URL integrity, losing valuable incoming links and search engine
positioning.
General Options
Define Separator for URL Parts
This character will separate individual words in rewritten URLs. Using [ - ] is recommended.
Limit URL Length Some users prefer to limit the length of their URLs. This setting
"crops" URL parts, i.e. [forum_title] and [thread_title] to a maximum
number of keywords.
NOTE: Set this parameter to zero (0) for unlimited length.
Forum URLs
Select Your Forum URLs Global FormatUPDATED!
Select a URL format preset from the dropdown list below and click the
"Load Preset" button. You may also set a customized URL structure by
expanding the Advanced Settings (click the '+' link).
Current Preset: 001 - Hierarchic .html type URLs with content relevant forums and threads (Default Settings)
Define Forum Path Title Bits
Define how forum parts (within URLs) are going to appear when using [forum_path] in the URL formats below.
NOTE: Use [forum_id] or [forum_title] or both - In the rare instance
that you have two forums with the same name, you will need to include
the [forum_id] to prevent conflicts.
Sample Custom String:
f[forum_id]
Custom:
Forum URLs
Rewrite Forum URLs?
Set this option to "Yes" to have forum URLs rewritten.
Forum
Create a virtual multi-level forum path using [forum_path] or show only
the forum name (or id) using the variables [forum_title] or [forum_id]
NOTE: In the rare instance you have two forums with the same name,
you will need to include the variable [forum_id] to prevent conflicts.
Sample Custom String:
f[forum_id].html
Custom:
Forum Pagination
Define how the index URLs for each forum with multiple pages will appear.
NOTE: In the rare instance you have two forums with the same name,
you will need to include the variable [forum_id] to prevent conflicts.
Rewrite Announcement URLs?
Set this option to "Yes" to have announcement URLs rewritten.
Yes
No
Announcement
Select an announcement URL format or create a custom layout using the field provided.
NOTE: Since announcements are posted by admins or moderators, there
is little risk of having two announcements with the same title.
Therefore, it is often safe not to use [announcement_id] in this
setting.
NOTE: Since announcements are associated with forums, you MUST
include a forum identifier such as [forum_id] or [forum_title]. You
MUST also include either the [announcement_id] or [announcement_title]
variable.
Multiple Announcements
Select the 'View All Announcements' page URL format or create a custom layout using the field provided.
NOTE: Since announcements are associated with forums, you MUST
include a forum identifier such as [forum_id] or [forum_title]. Do NOT
include the variables [announcement_id] or [announcement_title].
'Last Post in Thread' Redirect Define how links to 'last posts in threads' will appear.
NOTE: The native redirection functionality is used to redirect the
user to the appropriate anchored post within the thread (i.e.
thead_title.html#post-xxxx)
'Newest Post in Thread' Redirect Define how links to 'newest posts in threads' will appear.
NOTE: The native redirection functionality is used to redirect the
user to the appropriate anchored post within the thread (i.e.
thead_title.html#post-xxxx)
'Go To Post in Thread' Redirect Define how links to 'go to posts in threads' will appear.
NOTE: The native redirection functionality is used to redirect the
user to the appropriate anchored post within the thread (i.e.
thead_title.html#post-xxxx)
'Go To Post in Thread' Pagination Redirect Define how links to multi pages 'go to posts in threads' will appear.
NOTE: The native redirection functionality is used to redirect the
user to the appropriate anchored post within the thread (i.e.
thead_title.html#post-xxxx)
Rewrite Printthread URLs?
Set this option to "Yes" to have print version (printthread.php) of URLs rewritten.
Yes
No
Add rel="nofollow" to the Printthread links?
Enable this option to prevent search engines from following links to
Printthread. It is thought that printable versions of threads
(printthread.php) may be considered "duplicate content" by search
engines and possibly penalized or excluded.
Yes
No
'Printthread' Define how links to the 'printable version of threads' will appear.
Rewrite Showpost URLs?
Set this option to "Yes" to have single versions of posts (showpost.php) URLs rewritten.
Yes
No
Add rel="nofollow" to the Showpost links?
Enable this option to prevent search engines from following links to
single versions of posts (showpost.php). Individual post pages might be
considered "duplicate content" by search engines.
Smart rel="nofollow" for Showpost links?
This option prevents search engines from following showpost links
conditional to the amount of postings in a thread. If there is only one
(1) post in a page, rel="nofollow" will be applied to showpost (as both
showpost & showthread are virtually the same). If there are two (2)
or more postings in a page, rel="nofollow" will NOT be added, thus
allowing search engines to follow all showpost links.
Yes
No
Smart
'Showpost' Define how links to 'single versions of threads' will appear.
Rewrite Attachment URLs?
Set this option to "Yes" to have attachment URLs rewritten.
Yes
No
Attachment
Google and other search engines index image (.gif, .jpg, .png, etc.)
and other file types such as Word documents (.doc) and Adobe PDF
documents (.pdf). A special variable [original_filename] has been
created so that attachments keep their original filename AND extension
in the URL.
NOTE: 'attachments/' will be added automatically to the url to prevent conflicting image URLs.
NOTE: We recommend using [attachment_id] within your URL format
since there is a chance that users will post attachments with the same
'original filename'.
Rewrite Tags URLs?
Set this option to "Yes" to have tags URLs rewritten.
Tags HomeNEW!
Select a tags home URL format or create a custom layout using the field provided.
Note: This option works ONLY with vB 3.7.x or higher
Sample custom string:
tags.html
Custom:
TagsNEW!
Select a tags URL format or create a custom layout using the field provided.
Note: This option works ONLY with vB 3.7.x or higher
Sample custom string:
tags-[tag].html
Custom:
Tags PaginationNEW!
Select a tags pagination URL format or create a custom layout using the field provided.
Note: This option works ONLY with vB 3.7.x or higher
Sample custom string:
tags-[tag]-page[page].html
Custom:
Blog URLs
Select Your Blog URLs Global FormatUPDATED!
Select a URL format preset from the dropdown list below and click the
"Load Preset" button. You may also set a customized URL structure by
expanding the Advanced Settings (click the '+' link).
Current Preset: 001 - Hierarchic .html type URLs with content relevant forums and threads (Default Settings)
"Next Blog Entry" Redirect
Define how links to 'Next' Blog entry links will appear. These are the links at the top of blog entry pages.
NOTE: You should always include [blog_id] within your URL format since blog entries can often have the same titles.
Sample Custom String:
blogs/b[blog_id]-next.html
Custom:
"Previous Blog Entry" Redirect
Define how links to 'Previous' Blog entry links will appear. These are the links at the top of blog entry pages.
NOTE: You should always include [blog_id] within your URL format since blog entries can often have the same titles.
Sample Custom String:
blogs/b[blog_id]-prev.htm
Custom:
Blog Category URLs
Rewrite Blog Category URLs?
Set this option to "Yes" to have Blog Category URLs rewritten.
Blog Category
Select the blog category URL format for users or create a custom layout using the field provided.
NOTE: Duplicate categories for a single user is an unlikely
scenario, so you may skip the [category_id] variable for this setting
to have a "cleaner URL".
NOTE: Since categories are associated to users, you MUST include a
user identifier such as [user_id] or [user_name]. You MUST also include
either the [category_id] or [category_title] variable in the URL
format.
Blog Category Pagination
Select the blog category URL format for users or create a custom layout using the field provided.
NOTE: Duplicate categories for a single user is an unlikely
scenario, so you may skip the [category_id] variable for this setting
to have a "cleaner URL".
NOTE: Since categories are associated to users, you MUST include a
user identifier such as [user_id] or [user_name]. You MUST also include
either the [category_id] or [category_title] variable in the URL
format.
Rewrite Blog Attachment URLs?
Set this option to "Yes" to have Blog Attachment URLs rewritten.
Blog Attachments Google and other search engines
index image (.gif, .jpg, .png, etc.) and other file types such as Word
documents (.doc) and Adobe PDF documents (.pdf). A special variable
[original_filename] has been created so that attachments keep their
original filename AND extension in the URL.
NOTE: We recommend using [attachment_id] within your URL format
since there is a chance that users will post attachments with the same
'original filename'.
"Blog Comments" List
Define how the "Blog Comments" list index URL will appear.
Sample Custom String:
blogs/comments.html
Custom:
"Blog Comments" List Pagination
Define how the "Blog Comments" multiple page list URLs will appear.
Sample Custom String:
blogs/comments-[page].html
Custom:
LinkBacks (Ping/Track/Refbacks)
Incoming LinkBacks
Enable Incoming Pingbacks
Select "Yes" to enable incoming pingbacks for discussions.
Note: Incoming pingback moderation for individual forums is set via your vBulletin Admin CP in: Forums and Moderators > Forum Manager > Edit Forum
Yes
No
Enable Incoming Trackbacks
Select "Yes" to enable incoming trackbacks for discussions.
Note: Incoming trackback moderation for individual forums is set via your vBulletin Admin CP in: Forums and Moderators > Forum Manager > Edit Forum
Yes
No
Enable Incoming Refbacks
Select "Yes" to enable automatic backlinks to referring URLs.
Note: Incoming Refback moderation for individual forums is set via your vBulletin Admin CP in: Forums and Moderators > Forum Manager > Edit Forum
Yes
No
Ignore Linkbacks from Duplicate URLs?NEW!
Select "Yes" to have vBSEO ignore Linkbacks coming from duplicate URLs.
Using a special algorithm, vBSEO will attempt to identify when a new
Linkback is a duplicate of a previously registered Linkback, but comes
from a different URL. The source of these duplicate Linkbacks are often
forums or publishing platforms with flawed navigational architecture,
that display the same content under multiple URLs.
Yes
No
Email Notifications on Incoming LinkBacks
Select "Yes" to notify post owners of incoming LinkBacks (Ping/Track/Refbacks) when these occur.
Yes
No
Email copy of LinkBack notifications:
(Separate multiple emails with spaces)
Incoming LinkBack Keyword Ignore List
LinkBacks that include any of the words from this list will be filtered (NOT accepted) to minimize SPAM.
LinkBack "Blacklist"
LinkBacks from these domains will ALWAYS be excluded.
Examples: spamsite.com (no 'http://www' required)
subdomain.spamsite.com
Outgoing LinkBacks
Enable Outgoing Pingbacks
Select "Yes" to send outgoing pingbacks when external links are included in posts.
Yes
No
Enable Outgoing Trackbacks
Select "Yes" to enable outgoing trackbacks for new threads.
Note: The trackback field is displayed when creating a new thread or when replying to a thread in advanced view.
Yes
No
Update Services
vBSEO can notify external services when your community publishes new
threads and posts. These services work as Search Engines for the
blogosphere and converging forumsphere.
Permalinks
Forum Permalinks
Enable "Permalink" indicators in Postbits Permalinks
are basically links that point to posts as anchors in threads, allowing
users to reference specific posts for incoming LinkBacks.
Permalink options:
Display Permalink in Postbit content
Will add the "Permalink" link above your post content, within the title area.
Display Permalink beside Showpost Link
Will add the "Permalink" link to the right of your showpost links.
Replace post number link with Permalink
Will replace individual showpost links with the "Permalink" link. Note: Posts will no longer be accessible individually.
Do not add Permalink indicator in Postbit
Not recommended if LinkBacks are enabled on your forums.
* You can add <!--PERMALINK_INFO--> to your postbit (or posbit_legacy) template to define a custom location for your "Permalink" link.
User Profile Permalinks
Enable "Permalink" indicators for Profile Visitor MessagesNEW!
Permalinks for Profile Visitor Messages are links that point to
individual Visitor Messages as anchors in the Profile Page, allowing
users to reference specific comments elswhere.
Note: This option works ONLY with vB 3.7.x or higher
Permalink options:
Display Permalink beside message date/time
Will add the "Permalink" link to the right of each message's date & time indicator.
Link message date as Permalink
Will replace individual message's date with the "Permalink" link.
Do not add Permalink indicator in Visitor Messages
Do not enable "Permalink" links for visitor messages.
* You can add <!--PERMALINK_INFO--> to your memberinfo_visitormessage template to define a custom location for your "Permalink" link.
User Album Permalinks
Enable "Permalink" indicators for for User AlbumsNEW!
Permalinks for User Albums are links that point to individual Picture
Comments as anchors in each album page, allowing users to reference
specific picture comments elsewhere.
Note: This option works ONLY with vB 3.7.x or higher
Permalink options:
Display Permalink beside message date/time
Will add the "Permalink" link to the right of each message's date & time indicator.
Link message date as Permalink
Will replace individual message's date with the "Permalink" link.
Do not add Permalink indicator in User Albums
Do not enable "Permalink" links for user albums.
* You can add <!--PERMALINK_INFO--> to your picturecomment_message template to define a custom location for your "Permalink" link.
Blog Permalinks
Enable "Permalink" indicators for Blog CommentsNEW!
Permalinks for Blog Comments are links that point to individual Blog
Comments as anchors, allowing users to reference specific comments
elsewhere.
Note: This option works ONLY with vB 3.7.x or higher
Permalink options:
Display Permalink (Anchor Image) at the bottom-right of each Blog Comment
Will add the "Permalink" link image at the bottom-right of each comment.
Do not add Permalink indicator in Blog Comments
Do not enable "Permalink" links for blog comments.
* You can add <!--PERMALINK_INFO--> to your blog_comment template to define a custom location for your "Permalink" link.
Social Group Permalinks
Enable "Permalink" indicators for Social Group MessagesNEW!
Permalinks for Social Group Messages are links that point to individual
Member Message as anchors in the Social Group Page, allowing users to
reference specific comments elsewhere.
Note: This option works ONLY with vB 3.7.x or higher
Permalink options:
Display Permalink beside message date/time
Will add the "Permalink" link to the right of each message's date & time indicator.
Link message date as Permalink
Will replace individual message's date with the "Permalink" link.
Do not add Permalink indicator in Social Group Messages
Do not enable "Permalink" links for social group messages.
* You can add <!--PERMALINK_INFO--> to your socialgroups_message template to define a custom location for your "Permalink" link.
Define Custom Rewrite Rules BETA You
can apply vBSEO's Rewrite Engine to URLs not modified by the default
feature set. Define your own rules using a regular expression format:
Both parts (left & right) are regular expressions: the first part is the original URL, while the second one is the rewritten URL using the matched pattern of the first part.
NOTE: The vBSEO Team will NOT provide "official" support for the
regular expressions you enter when using this feature. Please use this
feature ONLY if you know what you are doing. For further help, please
visit the vBSEO forums at http://www.vbseo.com.
NOTE: Lines can be commented out by preceding them with two forward
slashes (//). If any of your rewrite rules contain errors they will be
automatically commented out when you click 'Save Settings'.
Define Custom 301 Redirects BETA
You can setup the 301 redirection rules here. This can be used if you
moved the location of certain document at your server.
Both parts (left & right) are regular expressions: the first part is the original URL, while the second one is the redirected URL using the matched pattern of the first part.
NOTE: The vBSEO Team will NOT provide "official" support for the
regular expressions you enter when using this feature. Please use this
feature ONLY if you know what you are doing.
NOTE: Lines can be
commented out by preceding them with two forward slashes (//). If any
of your rewrite rules contain errors they will be automatically
commented out when you click 'Save Settings'.
Define Relevant Replacements
Build dynamic phrases that get replaced by entering simple comments (up to three) in your forum templates.
<!--VBSEO_RR_1--> will be replaced by:
on forumdisplay pages (and)
on showthread pages.
<!--VBSEO_RR_2--> will be replaced by:
on forumdisplay pages (and)
on showthread pages.
<!--VBSEO_RR_3--> will be replaced by:
on forumdisplay pages (and)
on showthread pages.
For each set, the first phrase will be displayed ONLY in forumdisplay
pages and the second phrase will be displayed ONLY in showthread pages.
You may use any of the patterns defined below to build your phrases: [bb_title] - Your forum's main title [default_keywords] - Your keywords as defined in vB's admincp
[forum_title] - The current forum's title [forum_description] - The current forum's description
[parent_forum_title] - The parent forum's title [parent_forum_description] - The parent forum's description
[thread_title] - The current thread's title (Use ONLY on showthread pages) [first_post_X_words] - First X number of words from the page's first posting (Use ONLY on showthread pages)
[thread_page] - The thread's page number
Sample Relevant Phrases:
[Forum_title] discussions within the [parent_forum_title] at the [bb_title] (on forumdisplay pages) Discuss
[thread_title] at the [forum_title] within the [bb_title];
<em>[first_post_15_words]...</em> (on showthread pages)
SEO Functions
Dynamic META TAGS
Replace the 'META KEYWORDS' Content?
Replaces the 'META KEYWORDS' dynamically with content relevant to the
page being displayed. Affects forums, threads, posts & member
profiles.
Yes
No
Replace the 'META DESCRIPTION' Content?
This option replaces the 'META DESCRIPTION' content with the first
words of the first posting in the page to a limit defined in the option
below.
Yes
No
Define the 'META DESCRIPTION' Length?
The meta description tag usually consists of 150 to 200 characters or less.
(150 to 200 characters max. recommended)
Meta Description for Member Profiles
Define a custom format for the meta description tag of member profile
pages. You may use the following patterns for automatic replacements:
[username] - Member username [usertitle] - Member user title ("Moderator", "Registered Member", etc.) [bb_title] - Your forum's main title [user_field_1], [user_field_2], etc. - Custom user fields as defined in the vB Admin CP
Sample Meta Description Phrase:
[username] is a [usertitle] in the [bb_title]. View [username]'s profile.
Direct Links
Replace 'Previous/Next Thread' redirect links?
Enable this option to replace the 'Next Thread' & 'Previous Thread' links with direct, Content Relevant links. Note: This option adds two queries.
Yes
No
Replace 'Forum Links' with direct links to target URLs?
Enable this option to replace your 'Forum Links' with the direct target URLs.
NOTE: These Forum Links are the ones that would commonly be redirected when entering URLs via the Forum Manager in the admincp.
Yes
No
Add Thread Titles
Add Thread Titles to Showthread Links Anchor Text?
Enable this option to create keyword-rich links by adding thread titles to URLs that point to showthread pages.
NOTE: This option works ONLY with vB 3.5.x or higher
Add Thread Title Options:
Do NOT add thread titles
Keep vB's original functionality. Links posted in threads/posts are not modified.
ADD thread titles as "popup text"
This option adds the target thread title to the 'title' (popup) tag of every link that points to a showthread page.
ADD thread titles as "original-text (thread title)"
This is a combination of options 1 and 2 (above). The original link
(text) is left untouched while the 'thread title' is added (within
parenthesis) right after it.
REPLACE original anchor text
This option replaces any link pointing to a showthread page with the corresponding thread title.
*Links pointing to private forums are NOT replaced
to prevent privacy issues (i.e. people determining titles of private
forum threads by writing random 'showthread.php?t=xxxx' in postings)
Add Thread Titles to Showpost Links Anchor Text? Same link replacements as above but for showpost URLs.
Yes
No
Add Titles to External Links
Add Page Titles to External Links Anchor Text? Enable
this option to create keyword-rich links by adding page titles to URLs
that point to external domains. vBSEO will connect to external sites
when new links are posted and extract the page title from them.
NOTE: This option works ONLY with vB 3.5.x or higher
Yes
No
Add Page Title to External domains "Blacklist" Enter domains list that will NOT have titles retrieved and added as anchor text.
Examples:
example.com
site.com
abc.com
Stopword Filtering
Remove Stopwords from URLs?
Removing "stopwords" from URLs may increase relevancy for specific
searches as some search engines filter these common words when people
use them in their search queries.
Smart Stopword Removal from URLs?
Enabling this option filters "stopwords" from URLs ONLY when titles are longer than the specified number within the 'Limit URL Length' setting.
Yes
No
Smart
Define Stopwords
When the above feature is enabled, the following words will be ommitted in the URLs.
Acronym ExpansionUPDATED!
This feature is great for increasing SE relevancy. It allows you to
replace common acronyms for real phrases in your thread content and
titles.
Properly defining acronyms also improves accessibility and aids in
establishing relevancy for terms often omitted due to acronym usage. It
also increases the semantic value of your user generated content while
improving usability (i.e. - making your site easier to use), all these
benefits go hand-on-hand with improved SEO.
Acronym Expansion Options:
Do NOT add expand acronyms
Acronyms are not modified.
REPLACE acronyms as expanded text
This option converts matching acronyms to the corresponding text as defined in the field below.
ADD 'acronym' html tag to acronyms
This option wraps each acronym around an 'acronym' html tag with the corresponding text as a name attribute.
ADD 'abbr' html tag to acronyms
Same as above but using the 'abbr' html tag, as opposed to the 'acronym' html tag.
Define AcronymsUPDATED!
Enter acronym replacements (1 per line). Acronym expansion will be applied to these keywords as defined in the option above.
Apply Acronym Expansion to "Content Areas" only?NEW! Select
"Yes" to replace keywords in thread replies, blog entries and comments
ONLY. Otherwise keywords will be replaced anywhere they occur: thread
titles, navigation links, thread lists, etc.
Yes
No
Apply Acronym Expansion to URLs?UPDATED!
Select "Yes" if you want to replace keywords in the URLs.
Yes
No
Homepage Settings
Force Forum Root as Homepage?
When enabled, all links to your forum homepage will be directed to
'vbroot/'. If disabled, your forum homepage links will point to the
'script name' (E.g. forum.php) as defined in your vBulletin
configuration settings. This allows users with high PageRank in
'index.php' to use it as their default homepage.
Yes
No
Define Homepage Aliases
This feature will help consolidate PR (Google PageRank) in your forum
homepage. Many established forums will have different PRs in forum home
(usually up to three), as an example:
www.yoursite.com/forums/ (PR = A)
www.yoursite.com/forums/index.php (PR = B)
www.yoursite.com/forums/index.php? (PR = C)
This is a typical "PageRank Leakage" issue and might also lead search engines to tag these pages as duplicate content.
Filenames
entered here will be 301 redirected to your forum's homepage as defined
through your vBulletin's Admin CP. Enter one (1) filename per line.
Examples:
index.php
index.php?
Internal rel="nofollow"s
Add rel="nofollow" to ALL Sorting Links
Enable this option to prevent search engines from following links to
pages with the same content, but sorted differently. These pages might
be tagged as "duplicate content". Therefore, we recommend enabling this
feature.
Yes
No
Add rel="nofollow" to ALL Dynamic Pages
Enable this option to prevent search engines from following ALL dynamic
links. Some examples are: 'Post Reply' links, 'Quote' links and 'Quick
Reply' or 'Search' links. These pages have non-relevant (or "noise")
content which should not be indexed by search engines , resulting in
better SEO.
Yes
No
Add rel="nofollow" to Links pointing TO Member Profiles FROM Postbit
Enable this option to prevent search engines from following links to member profiles found in posts.
Yes
No
Add rel="nofollow" to Links pointing TO Member Profiles FROM Forumhome
Enable this option to prevent search engines from following links to member profiles found in your Forum Homepage.
Yes
No
External rel="nofollow"s
Add rel="nofollow" to ALL External URLs
Enable this option to prevent search engines from following links to external pages (URLs that point to other domains).
Yes
No
External domains "Whitelist"
Enter domains to be excluded from the above rule. Rel='nofollow' WILL
NOT be added to links pointing to domains in this list. Note: This can
be used to give the benefit of NON rel='nofollowed' signatures to a
group of friends.
Examples:
google.com (no 'http://www' required)
groups.google.com
External domains "Blacklist"
The following domains will ALWAYS have rel='nofollow' added to the links regardless of other configuration settings.
Examples: google.com (no 'http://www' required)
groups.google.com
Other Enhancements
Cleanup HTML Code
Cleanup HTML code?
Select 'Yes' to remove unnecessary whitespace characters and HTML
comments from the source code of your forum pages. This increases the
C2C (Content to Code) ratio and reduces page sizes, resulting in a net
performance increase and reduction in bandwidth required.
NOTE: If comments (or HTML tags) within your pages are not closed
correctly with their corresponding end tags, then this option could
cause your pages to display incorrectly. Be sure that your templates
contain error free HTML tags and code.
Yes
No
Footer Archive Links
Footer Archive Links Options:
Add Links to the Archive Main Pages
Select this option to add links to the main archive sitemap pages at
the footer of your forum pages.
Add Links to ALL Archive Pages
Select this option to add links to the main archive sitemap pages AND
multiple (deep) archive pages at the footer of your forum pages.
Do not add Links to Archive Pages
Select this option to keep the default settings.
NOTE:
Enter <!--VBSEO_ARCHIVE_LINKS--> in your footer template to
specify a location for the archive links, otherwise, these will be
added at the very bottom of the output.
Direct Category Links
Direct Category Links?
Set this option to "Yes" to enable anchor type links for forum categories.
NOTE: Link to categories will look like "http://yourforumsroot/#category_title"
Yes
No
Guest Only Enhancements
Remove Forumjump Dropdown For Guest Visitors
The forumjump dropdown generates extra non-relevant HTML code,
especially on larger, multiple-forum sites. Disable it for guests (and
spiders) to lighten the content Search Engines will index. This will
increase the content to code ratio which is desirable for SEO purposes.
NOTE: The Forumjump Dropdown appears at the bottom of your thread
and forum pages. There's also an option via the vBulletin admincp to
disable it completely.
Yes
No
Remove Thread Preview Text For Guest Visitors? Thread titles in forumdisplay
links often contain "contributory" keywords related to the parent
forum. Removing the thread preview text for unregistered visitors may
help increase the relevant keyword ratio for these pages.
NOTE: Thread Preview Text is the text that appears when hovering thread links within the forumdisplay links.
Yes
No
Direct Links to Threads For Guest Visitors?
This option replaces links to "First Unread Post in Thread" with direct
links to Threads. Giving direct (not redirected) access for guests and
spiders to your thread content.
It also strips the "New-Post" functionality from RSS feeds, enabling
the same effect for guests and spiders reaching your board via RSS and
RSS2 feeds.
NOTE: This option would reduce functionality for non-members, but could be considered an acceptable tradeoff for SEO.
Yes
No
Remove Member DHTML Popup Dropdowns in Postbit For Guest Visitors?
Select this option to remove the DHTML Popup Window displayed for
member usernames in posts for guest visitors. This option will remove
non-relevant content from your thread output for guests (and spiders),
increasing your content to code ratio while reducing bandwidth used in
your thread pages.
NOTE: This option would reduce functionality for non-members, but could be considered an acceptable tradeoff for SEO.
Yes
No
Remove Last Post Links Options:UPDATED!
Remove Last Post Links For Guest Visitors
This option will remove last post links on forumhome for guest visitors. These links contain redirects that some SEO's might prefer to keep to a minimum.
Remove Last Post Column For Guest Visitors
Select this option to completely remove the last post column on forumhome
for guest visitors. In addition to removing the last post links (option
above), this option will increase your content to code ratio while
reducing bandwidth consumed by your forum homepage.
Keep Default Last Post Settings
Select this option to keep the default last post links settings.
NOTE: This option would reduce functionality for non-members, but could be considered an acceptable tradeoff for SEO.
Social Bookmarking
Display Social Bookmarking Icons
Social Bookmarking has evolved as a very effective way of sharing
content with others and consequently bringing more traffic to your
website. Check the Social Bookmarking Icons to be displayed in your
forum pages.
Social Bookmarking Icons Display Options:
Display Icons in Both, Threads and Posts Select this
option to display social bookmarking icons for both, threads and posts
within threads. Note that thread bookmarking icons appear within the
'LinkBack' drop-down menu, while post bookmarking icons appear at the
bottom-left corner of each post.
Display Icons For Threads Only Select this option to
display social bookmark icons for threads and not for posts
individually. Thread bookmarking icons will appear only within the
'LinkBack' drop-down menu.
* Enter <!--VBSEO_BOOKMARKS--> in your "postbit" (or
"postbit_legacy") template if you want to specify a different location
for the social bookmarking icons. By default, post bookmarking icons
will appear at the bottom-left corner of each post.
Enter additional Bookmarking Services below in the format: Bookmark URL,Icon URL,"Bookmark Thread" Text,"Bookmark Post" Text
Display Social Bookmarking Icons for Blog Entries?
Same bookmarking icons as above but for vBulletin Blog entries.
Blog Social Bookmarking Icons Display Options:
Display Icons WITHIN Blog Entry Posts
Select this option to display social bookmarking icons at the top-right of the blog entry post.
Display Icons BELOW Blog Entry Posts
Select this option to display social bookmark icons right below each blog entry post.
* Enter <!--VBSEO_BOOKMARKS--> in your "blog_show_entry"
template if you want to specify a different location for the social
bookmarking icons. By default, bookmarking icons will appear at the
bottom-left corner of each blog entrypost.
Image Size Attributes
Enable Dimension Attributes for IMG tags?
Select "Yes" to enable the Image Size Attributes feature.
Yes
No
Define Dimension Attributes vB
default templates do not include "width" and "height" attributes for
images. Providing image dimensions for all images within your forum
will speed-up page rendering in most Web browsers. Forcing image
dimensions also ensures that search engines can better determine the
relationship of images to surrounding text when calculating the keyword
relevancy of your forum pages.
Examples (including folders to distinguish images with the same name):
'buttons/quote.gif' => '70x22'
'editor/quote.gif' => '21x20'
NOTE: If you have changed your forum's default image sizes, you MUST
update the dimensions above before enabling this feature. Otherwise,
all non-conforming images will be distorted.