|
Blogging, RSS & Feeds |
Just Tag It!Tags - Revolutionary or Just Folly? Just another trend or something else? Tren... read more Update Your Websites Content Automatically 24/7 Using RSS(Real Simple Syndication) and RSS FeedsRSS(Real Simple Syndication) is the newest form of content syndication to hit the Internet... read more Use These 7 Ideas and You Will Never Suffer From Blog Block Again Guaranteed!Is this you? It has been 3 or 4 days since you updated Your Blog. You know you need to mak... read more Internet News Services Explode OnlineIt seems no matter how much information comes available online, people thirst for more.read more Im a Failed Blogger!I've never been popular in my whole life. I think there must be something inside me that d... read more Why It Took Me So Long To BlogWhen I saw my first blog, I wasn't impressed. The first blogs I ever read were embar... read more RSS - The Intelligent Marketing MediumAre you new to RSS? If so here is a introduction to what RSS (Really Simple Syndication) i... read more Business Blogging - 5 Tips to Help You Smashl Through Writers BlockIt's inevitable. Everyone hits the wall. Whether you've been blogging ten weeks, ten minut... read more If an RSS feed is the Yahoo Backdoor, is a Blog Googles?Though the answer is in a book I wrote this July, the question is still asked of me repeat... read more Blogs: Why, Where and HowSo you have heard about the blogs or you are sure you are now going through one of the blo... read more Content Syndication Through RSS FeedsDelivering regularly updated content to website visitors is easier through RSS resources.<... read more The Holy Grail that Online Advertisers, Merchants, Publishers, and Shoppers have been Looking for!For Online Publishers/RSS Feeds users - RSS (Real Simple Syndication) is a popular way for... read more Cash In Your Blog - 4 Ways to Profit From The Hidden Revenue In Your BlogMost webmasters and online business owners know that a blog can bring you additional reven... read more Marketing with Blogs and RSS FeedsPerhaps you still don't realize or fully understand the power of RSS Feeds as a marketing ... read more Blogs and JournalismThe world has seen the emergence of a new style of journalism, based on a 'raw feed' direc... read more |
Tips for a Better RSS FeedLike anything else, a little work can pay dividends. Well-written RSS feeds are more useful to readers and result in more website traffic for the publisher. Below are several tips for making your RSS feed more effective. 1. Use interesting titles Like a book is often judged by its cover, an RSS feed item is judged by its title. Make sure your title is interesting, and try to put the most important information early in the title, since some newsreaders truncate title beyond a certian length. Also, keep in mind that some newsreaders are set to only show feed item titles. Don't assume that any feed item descriptions will be shown. 2. Include keywords Sin ce some readers will discover your feed through the many RSS search engines on the internet, you will want to include as many descriptive keywords in your feed item titles and descriptions. That does NOT mean you should just add a string of keywords. Rather, incorporate keywords naturally into your titles and descriptions. 3. Don't include all your content Some publishers put full content text directly in the feed item. The problem with including full text in a feed is that a reader has no incentive to click through to the publisher's website. Instead, write your feed item descriptions as 'teasers' that make a reader want to click over to the website to read more. Make your feed item descriptions brief, and include descriptive keywords. Remember some newsreaders are set to truncate long descriptions, and some newsreaders won't show descriptions at all. Keep your most important information at the start of your description. 4. Keep your content fresh Updati ng your feed regularly is a good way to keep reader interest. Feeds (like websites) that are not updated for months on end tend to lose repeat visitors. How often you refresh your content is up to the publisher. Keep in mind, however, that readers can set their reader to show as few as three feed headlines at a time. While it's not likely a problem, updating too often could mean that some items may get overlooked. 5 . Make sure your RSS feed is compliant! F inally, make sure your feed is readable. The best-written feed in the world won't be read if the feed code is bad. If you are hand-coding your RSS feed files, you can use a website like http://feed validator.org can determine if your feed is valid and suggest reasons why it isn't. Content is king. Use these tips to keep your RSS feeds well-read and your website well-trafficed! S.R. Daley is the web developer for http://ww w.myrealtyfeed.com , a service that allows real estate professionals to create, maintain and promote multiple RSS feeds with a simple web interface. This article may be republished without changing the content and the bio box. |
| FeedBomb - RSS and Atom Feeds |