What are RSS Feeds Anyway?
First thing, RSS usually stands for really simple syndication. I have actually seen other definitions like rich site summary too. Either one is really corrrect. These files contain some of a website's content with links back to that content. They also contain the website's title and a general description. Most of the time, they are automatically updated when a website gets a new post or article, so in general, an RSS feed may contain the most recent articles that a website or blog has been updated with.
The feed is not pretty, but is a plain file written in a format called XML. Most webmasters or internet visitors do not really need to know much about this. Basically, the feed has a portion of recent content with the visual distractions, like the website theme, stripped off.
What are Website Feeds Good For?
Most people think of these files as a way to syndicate content.
They provide some big advantages for the content producer and the other sites who might use them.- One site may use these feed to provide periodically updated content from another internet source. This benefits them because they have a constant source of articles. Think about the way a news source syndicates its articles.
- The producing site may benefit in lots of ways. Even if they provide a free feed, they will get free backlinks to the articles on their main website. Most webmasters understand that good backlinks will help with search engine popularity. Of course, internet visitors may come from clicking on the links too.
- Visitors to the producing site may also choose to subscribe to the content in a variety of ways. They may have a feed reader in their browser. Some services also allow the visitor to subscribe with email. The visitor gets to stay updated, and of course, the website gets to build a subscriber list!
How to Distribute Website Feeds?
A canny site owner may find many ways to distribute their feeds, but of course, I have some suggestions. Feed directories, also called aggregators, collect these files as a central source. You can submit to these. You can do it manually or find automated software to help you. This gains the content producer many free backlinks through their feeds, and it also gives them a chance to promote their content in multiple places!
How to Make These RSS Feeds?
Many popular content management systems will automatically generate them. Wordpress is a very popular example, but not the only example. For a static html website, not produced by a content management system, you may find a script online that will automate the process for you. It should be simple enough to find more information with a search engine.
Are you ready to start syndicating now?
Hopefully you undersand more about these powerful tools, and how they can help you. They can help provide updated content, grow qualify links back to your site, and keep visitors through subscriptions! For all that they do, they are rather simple to produce and use.
What Are RSS Feeds and What Are Feeds Good For?