Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a notification system used to alert subscribers to changes or updates made to their favorite web sites, blogs, music sites, etc. It is easy to recognize that the site is RSS-enabled by the orange rectangular button that allows visitors to subscribe.
Some people tend to ignore the RSS button because they don't know how to use it. However, there are those Internet-savvy people who know how helpful it is in simplifying their searches. The feeds are similar to newsletters and may contain teasers or summaries of the content pages, so subscribers can easily pick out the articles they are interested in. To get the most out of newsfeeds, you need a powerful aggregator, though, that lets you organize, search, categorize and use news items just like emails.
RSS automatically sends the updates, and some subscribers will even display the feeds on their web pages as well, so your updates are visible to the visitors of their websites. Therefore, your website is bound to generate more traffic, making RSS feeds an essential tool in web marketing. It is also an efficient way of retaining clients by reminding them of your website's existence and encouraging them to visit it regularly.
How do I make it work for me?
1. Create your RSS feed. The title and description should be written to describe the content and the link should reference the webpage that contains that actual content.
2. Validate your RSS feed. Once you've made your RSS feed, you need to validate it. Validation consists of checking whether your RSS feeds conform to the RSS format standard. This is important because RSS is XML based, which is very strict in its coding.
3. Create a web page for displaying your RSS feeds. After your RSS feed is validated, add it to your web site. Creating a separate web page for displaying RSS feeds is a common web practice.
4. List your RSS feeds in directories. Now that you have your RSS feed, you need to make your potential viewers aware of it. This can be done by submitting the RSS web page to various RSS directories, such as the one below:
http://rss-feeds-directory.com/
5. Distribute your special RSS Reader. Now you have valid RSS feeds, and users know you have them, but you still need to convince them to add your feeds to their RSS reader. You also need to convince existing viewers to retain your feeds in their readers. To do this, most web sites add a link to download an RSS reader on the page where they have listed their RSS feeds. (http://email.about.com/od/rssreaderswin/tp/top_rss_windows.htm)
6. Update content regularly. Keeping RSS feeds updated is as important as keeping your web site updated. This is because RSS is meant to deliver content quickly and directly to the on-line reader. If you don't update your feeds regularly, then your viewers have no reason to keep your feeds in their readers. Just like your web site, if you want to keep people coming back, you have to keep it fresh with new information.
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