XenSeo/vBSEO

[Bram]

The only thing that is keeping my back from purchasing xenforo is that we no longer can use our beloved vbseo.

It really added so much to our site that i am scared to give it up as migrating will most likely kill our backlinks we've build in the last years.

Will xenforo have a url system that equals vbseo?

 

[Markos]

Ok, Xenforo don't need a equal of vbseo, but i don't like this url system. I prefer the url system like xenforo.com/community/forum-name/topic-title-id

Please add this url system to XF.

 

[Shamil]

Ok, Xenforo don't need a equal of vbseo, but i don't like this url system. I prefer the url system like xenforo.com/community/forum/topic-title

Please add this url system to XF.

I too prefer this to the current, however, I wonder what the added benefit is?

 

[Chromaniac]

more relevant keywords in the URL. one of the beliefs is that having keywords in the URL helps in better ranking.

google allows you to search for keywords that exist in the URL.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=inurl:xenforo&qscrl=1

 

[Markos]

I request to have the name of the forum in the url because i have multiple little communities in my forum, and for "branding" reasons everyone want to have the name of it's forum in the url.

 

[Shamil]

more relevant keywords in the URL. one of the beliefs is that having keywords in the URL helps in better ranking.

google allows you to search for keywords that exist in the URL.

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=inurl:xenforo&qscrl=1

I was thinking that, but I really haven't seen any website benefit greatly from it. Then again, having a parallel comparison is near impossible.

 

[Chromaniac]

of course.

but there are some things you like to have just because you are too used to that.

essentially, it should not matter what kind of links XF generates as long as the content is good and accessible to spiders. it should get the same treatment by google in search engine rankings.

but you cannot ignore that having keyword rich URLs might give you some added benefit.

in the end, you just try and hope for the best.

vbseo did something magical to my own forum. i can attest to that fact. switching to XF is a major risk for anyone who is using the combination.

but sometimes you just have to take chances in life!

 

[RickM]

I was thinking that, but I really haven't seen any website benefit greatly from it. Then again, having a parallel comparison is near impossible.

I do have an example of it working so to speak. Its completely non forum-software related, but should provide a good comparison. vpsspeed.com is a VPS hosting provider which I ran for a year (since sold off). When we first launched, the growth appeared to be slow and most people came from adverts being posted in the webhostingtalk.com forums.

About 3 months after launching, I redeveloped the website, and renamed our pages. We had a page to cover each opperating system, for example "CentOS VPS Hosting" was the title one one of the pages. The URL structure was index.php?page=centos-vps-hosting. After the relaunch, we moved the content to be rewritten to /centos-vps-hosting.html This was done for each of the OS specific pages.

I should not we did NO additional advertising at all.

Even to this day, if you type in to google something like "Debian VPS Hosting" you will see it is on the first page - we used to be on page 20 something. Try "Gentoo VPS Hosting" or "OpenSuse VPS Hosting".

Now obviously this is a slightly different method, but the fact is after just changing the URL structure - we hit the top of google!

 

[Shamil]

I do have an example of it working so to speak. Its completely non forum-software related, but should provide a good comparison. vpsspeed.com is a VPS hosting provider which I ran for a year (since sold off). When we first launched, the growth appeared to be slow and most people came from adverts being posted in the webhostingtalk.com forums.

About 3 months after launching, I redeveloped the website, and renamed our pages. We had a page to cover each opperating system, for example "CentOS VPS Hosting" was the title one one of the pages. The URL structure was index.php?page=centos-vps-hosting. After the relaunch, we moved the content to be rewritten to /centos-vps-hosting.html This was done for each of the OS specific pages.

I should not we did NO additional advertising at all.

Even to this day, if you type in to google something like "Debian VPS Hosting" you will see it is on the first page - we used to be on page 20 something. Try "Gentoo VPS Hosting" or "OpenSuse VPS Hosting".

Now obviously this is a slightly different method, but the fact is after just changing the URL structure - we hit the top of google!

For a website I own, I'm currently using this:
http://www.radonsystems.net/services.5
http://www.radonsystems.net/business/profile.2
I haven't seen the direct impact, but Google seems to like it. I never used index.php?id=5 or whatever. I however, need to cannonicalise the URLs.

 

[Mikey]

http://www.radonsystems.net/business/profile.2

You need to add a http:// to your "hostcule" link. Right now it's showing "radiatorsystems.net/www.hostcule.com"

 

[Shamil]

You need to add a http:// to your "hostcule" link. Right now it's showing "radiatorsystems.net/www.hostcule.com"

ooh - thanks

 

[Blackbeard]

What about a google sitemap generator

 

[Paul B]

What about a google sitemap generator

Already suggested here

http://xenforo.com/community/threads/suggestion-what-im-looking-for-sitemap-generator.3125/

 

[Bram]

I've said it before and I'll say it again - without the ability to change the XF URL's to match our existing vBSEO URL's, there's no way we're going to convert our 500,000+ post forum, sadly The SERPS hit would be just too huge.

Exactly my concerns. We need the exact same URL's otherwise everything we build up in google for the last few years will be screwed for the coming months. Not to mention thousands and thousands of linkbacks.

Can't be that hard to implement that feature imo. All the other vbseo enhancements i can live without for now, but the URL's are essential

 

[Forsaken]

Exactly my concerns. We need the exact same URL's otherwise everything we build up in google for the last few years will be screwed for the coming months. Not to mention thousands and thousands of linkbacks.

Can't be that hard to implement that feature imo. All the other vbseo enhancements i can live without for now, but the URL's are essential

301 redirects -> makes Google switch to the new URL format.

 

[projectego]

I think vBSEO is a superb SEO solution for vBulletin boards, I have one vBSEO license myself and I'm very pleased with the exceptional results I've received as as result of installing the product.

However, and this is just my opinion, I really do not believe any third party SEO product could better XenForo is such a substantial way as to warrant an investment. I'll be purchasing XenForo licenses and using it as my bulletin board as choice because I believe that not only is it a very promising product, but also because the attention to detail when it comes to certain SEO aspects is absolutely superb.

Just my opinion, obviously.

 

[HydraulicJack]

Exactly my concerns. We need the exact same URL's otherwise everything we build up in google for the last few years will be screwed for the coming months. Not to mention thousands and thousands of linkbacks.

Can't be that hard to implement that feature imo. All the other vbseo enhancements i can live without for now, but the URL's are essential

+100, verbatim
So... yes please. XF or 3rd party Wizard, please make it so, soon, so we can move!
Thanks in advance to whomever has the skill and the will to step up and provide this.

 

[Forsaken]

+100, verbatim
So... yes please. XF or 3rd party Wizard, please make it so, soon, so we can move!
Thanks in advance to whomever has the skill and the will to step up and provide this.

Mike has stated he'll help or create a tool for 301 redirects if possible (don't hold him to it, it'll be lots of work).

If you converted to IPB or any other solution, you would not retain your URL structure, and expecting a BETA software to do so is rather ridiculous.

 

[Chromaniac]

I guess people who are good at rewrite rules can start a new thread with codes for different schemes. I bet there would be a few here. I do not think we are going to have an infinite number of URL structures.

And I also assume that most people would be happy with rewrite rules for just the threads and posts and forums. Rest of the links are not that crucial.

 

[HydraulicJack]

Mike has stated he'll help or create a tool for 301 redirects if possible (don't hold him to it, it'll be lots of work).

If you converted to IPB or any other solution, you would not retain your URL structure, and expecting a BETA software to do so is rather ridiculous.

Yes it would be ridiculous in beta. I think vBSEO are the ones who should provide a migration utility from vBSEO installations to xfSEO-equipped XF.
If they're not willing then maybe someone else might be willing to take it on, but vbSEO are the logical choice, based on my limited knowledge.

 

[Chromaniac]

vbseo guys actually do provide codes on request to convert the links from vbseo to vb. there was a thread on their site where they had given rules for some popular schemes.

they have no reasons to provide direct migration codes to XF. but if you can get the codes from vbseo > vb, XF would carry on from there. so there are no major issues.

i plan to contact them and see if they can provide some codes for my own installation.