What is an RSS Feed?

I had never heard of RSS until owning my own blog, this became a term bandied about and still I was unsure of how and what to do with it..

A little research on Google, (who would’ve guessed ) and I was on my way to becoming an RSS’er – a blog with an RSS feed is like an ice cream without the chocolate sauce, without the sprinkles, still good but not enticing..

If you are serious about getting your blog or website exposed the having an RSS is a must – It simply is an automated way in which to market you website or blog. Adding a RSS feed will send content automatically to any subscriber you may have and will most definitely increase the professional image as well as number of visitors to your blog

So what does RSS feeds do exactly?

RSS feeds “syndicate” your content (that is, it publishes content  simultaneously to many places automatically)

Trust me when I say that RSS is simple to use and is certainly not as complicated as it sounds; please don’t worry that it is a new thing to you – Try it out and practice!

What does RSS stand for?

RSS = Really Simple Syndication, and what it does is publish small bites size readable chunks of information through a web feed that you have just added, updated and posted to your blog or website, directly to your readers, ensuring that they are aware that you have recently done something new on your blog.

A RSS Feed can be subscribed to where ever you see the Feed logo, normally orange although other colours can be used, most RSS feeds are shown somewhere at the top of the page or article.

How does a RSS feed work?

When a website visitor subscribes to your RSS feed, they will automatically receive a link to whatever new content that you have published and that information will go straight to the “Inbox” of your subscribers’ feed readers. It will be a short description telling them of the new content, this notification will contain a link to that content that they can click on to gain access to the content if they so wish.

What are the benefits of RSS Feeds ;

Website Owners:

1. A huge new audience can be reached through syndication
2. Your Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.) will improve.
3. RSS is an easier and less expensive method of communication to use than email.
4. RSS can be used as an alternative way in which to communicate with existing customers or potential customers.

Website visitors:

1. No personal information is required by the Website visitors in order to subscribe to an RSS feed, so many are happy to subscribe.
2. 100% opt-in, users absolutely control the content they wish to receive.
3. RSS can be great for time management as it allows your visitor to scan content quickly to determine whether it is something important, than requires further reading now or later.

Paul Scrivens, Founder of Forever Geek says this; “Whether or not to use RSS on your site should no longer be an option. I believe it has become a necessity if you wish to compete with others in your industry.”

If you have found this information or any other on my blog valuable, please subscribe to my blog now, You will find the RSS feed button in the right hand corner on top of the page. Please also click the “like” button and Google +1 and share this with family and friends.

Your support is always appreciated. 😀