RSS Tools & RSS Converters
Archive for August, 2010
What Are RSS Feeds and How Can Feeds Help You?
Aug 31st
RSS feeds are used by many internet users on a day to day basis, and yet most of us don’t know what they are. RSS (Really Simple Syndication/ Rich Site Summary) feeds are web feeds written in a portable markup language call XML used to publish frequently updated works, such as blog entries and news feeds. A standardized XML file format allows the information to be published online and viewed by various different programs, and this language is a generic specification for the creation of data formats. RSS formats are used by many website content management systems so a webmaster does not have to carryout any coding or manual work. A perfect example of this is the use of Wordpress.
An RSS document, commonly referred to as a feed, webfeed or channel, includes full or summarized text, along with metadata such as publishing dates and authorships. These feeds are read through the use of an RSS reader, feed reader or aggregator, which are specifically developed to read RSS feeds. The RSS readers can be web based, desktop based or mobile device based. To use these feeds, a person must subscribe by entering the feeds URI/URL into the reader or by clicking on the RSS icon. The reader will then check for any updates of the users subscribed feeds regularly and provides a user interface to monitor and read the feeds.
There are several different versions of RSS, but these fall into the two main categories of RDF (or RSS1) or RSS2.*. Extension mechanisms allow each branch to track innovations in the other. For example, RSS2.* was the first to support enclosures, used in podcast technology. However, an enclosure extension means that the RDF can also provide this feature to users.
RSS feeds are good for a variety of different reasons. The main advantage is that other websites can display content that will be automatically updated. The advantage for the website that produces the feed is that they get free back links from other websites or web directories. The main benefit for readers is that they are provided with constant updates from there chosen sites, all in the one location. Several bit-torrent based peer-to-peer file sharing websites also use RSS feeders. These feeds allow users to download files automatically from the moment the feeder detects them. This process is often referred to as broadcasting.
RSS feeds are a great example of how far internet technology has come today. By enabling people to receive updates at a fast rate and in one location, these feeds are not only saving user’s time, but enabling a wealth of information to spread throughout the internet like never experienced before. Although the technological information behind RSS feeds may be hard to understand, they are both easy to use and increasingly useful. RSS feeds are good for both their users and the sites that provide the content, and are a sign of how the internet has developed and where it might go in the future.
I urge you to use these great tools to enhance your own experience as a surfer or a webmaster.
We want to help you find RSS feeds for your own websites, or even for adding to your feed readers to stay updated on interesting topics.
We can help you subscribe to feeds, find them for your website, or even help your own content and websites get found!
Put Your RSS Feed on Steroids
Aug 31st
RSS and blogs- what’s the difference?
Blogs are frequently updated web pages that a person must visit in order to read the updated information. Blogs are articles published by a person in an attempt to communicate opinion, give guidance, or promote products and services. RSS is a delivery channel that actually sends either a portion of the blog or the entire post to the subscribers, giving them instant insight, as well as giving them a reason to revisit your site.
You can’t expect miracles to happen just by creating and publishing an RSS feed. In order to get traffic rolling in and those most sought after subscribers, RSS feeds need to be promoted and marketed in the right way! Here are some tips.
Add all your RSS feed to a Squidoo lens. Not only is it super easy, it’s an excellent way to increase traffic to your site. The more Squidoo pages you have, the more recurring traffic every day!
Submit your RSS to Multiple Feed Directories for added traffic. Some popular directories are:
* RSS Network * Syndic8 * Feed Beagle
Add the Auto-Discover code to your RSS feed web page. The very popular browser, Firefox automatically detects RSS feeds on the site; it acts as an aggregator and lets readers add feeds directly into their browser. This helps users centralize information of their choice.
In order for Firefox to detect your feed on the web page, you need to have the “Auto – Discover” code on it. So that the browser can automatically detect the feed, alerting the user.
Spread the word. To make your blog accessible via RSS feeds, make sure you mention your blog in every email sent out to subscribers, future clients and present customers. Since, RSS is growing fairly fast; you can expect a large number of your email subscribers turning to your RSS feed. Email promotion for your RSS feed most often yields a high subscription rate.
Update content regularly. Keeping your RSS feeds fresh and regularly updated content is very important to get repeat visitors and new subscribers. Just like content oriented websites are updated regularly, content-wise, RSS feeds work just the same. RSS is meant to deliver updated information, as it directly goes to the aggregators.
Bottom Line: You can really turn your RSS feed into a traffic goldmine if you use the methods above.
If you have another method to get added publicity with RSS, post your idea or link below and we’ll include you in the next update! If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed! Try Creative Services at Studio 1C.
