Simple RSS Tricks

Simple RSS Tricks shows you how to take advantage of RSS feeds for your clients. It’s easy to do.

Simple RSS Tricks by John Jantsch

By now you’ve heard of the whole RSS thing and maybe you’ve even started using it in various ways to subscribe to blogs or offer your blog’s content to others. Today I would like to take you on a little ride to show you how, without really knowing much of anything about RSS and how it works, you can do some very powerful and useful things to add, filter and republish content.

Tracking mentions of a certain product

Search technorati.com and other blog search engines for mentions

Tag each mention with del.icio.us book mark using a tag like DTMbook

Grab the feed that del.icio.us automatically produces.

Just for fun, take feed to Feedburner and burn the feed

Set-up and republish the feed using Feedburner’s Buzz Boost Option

Take code to any web and display dynamic real-time update (some CSS styling can help here)

Sit back and look cool – see the feed displayed in the right sidebar here

You can also do this via email alerts by setting Google or Yahoo News alerts for specific search terms.

If you’ve ever wanted to easily publish a schedule of upcoming event, deadlines or even birthdays as a dynamic list rather than a calendar style page here’s an RSS trick for you to use. (This can be done on a public or private page)

Create a free Google Calendar account and slug in all the dates on the calendar (Any shareable calendar will do)

Google automatically creates an RSS feed for your calendar – take this URL and create free Feedburner account

Optimize the feed using the Event Feed option from Feedburner

Publish the feed using Feedburner’s BuzzBoost option – lots of options for display

Paste the code Feedburner produces for you on the page you would like your list to show

Using this formula produces a dynamically changing list of events that will run from first up to last, automatically drop events that have passed, and automatically bring in future events per your settings. Now, anyone with access to a web browser and your Google Calendar account can update and edit your events list.

I use this for my upcoming speaking events. Bonus – you can easily set this up so others can subscribe to this events list too.

Delivering Personalized Information via RSS

Just when you thought you were getting the hang of using RSS as a research tool, someone comes along and tells you that it’s not enough.

Now it’s become ultra easy to use RSS technology to create individual feeds of information and supply them to your best clients. You know they want to figure this RSS thing out but just can’t seem to get around to it. So, do it for them.

Here’s what I would suggest. Go to www.mysyndicaat.com and create personalized, search specific, RSS feeds, mash them together and deliver customized information to your clients on a daily basis. The current trendy name for this is a newsradar

Syndicaat allows you to easily mash multiple feeds together creating one very focused and personalized feed. (Yahoo Pipes does this as well, but my results with it have been spotty)

So, let’s say you have a client that produces tents for active outdoor types. You can search very specific terms and phrases in Google News, Yahoo News, Bloglines, Technorati, Google Blogs, Outdoor Forums, and anything else that produces an RSS feed and mash all the content about your client, their competitors, the industry, specific keywords and phrases, you name in, into one digestible, personalized newsfeed that changes daily. (Don’t tell your client how easy this is, just do it and bill them for it – they’ll thank you.)

Talk about a great way to get a competitive edge. It’s like creating personalized publications for each client or each marketing segment you serve. What if you did this for your prospects as a way to show them what you could do? You can make all this content public or create private password protected feeds. You can also republish the RSS feed and data on any web page on your site using simple javascript or even Feedburner’s Buzz Boost and then put it in your client’s private page on your website. So now they come to your website for their industry news everyday – you got to like the sound of that.

John Jantsch is a veteran marketing coach, award winning blogger and author of Duct Tape Marketing: The World’s Most Practical Small Business Marketing Guide. You can find more information by visiting http://www.ducttapemarketing.com .

Article Source: ABC Article Directory | Submit Articles | Article Search Engine | Article Directory

For software that will submit RSS feeds automatically go to http://www.generateawesometraffic.com

Allow The Aggregator To Website Promote For You

Allow The Aggregator To Website Promote For You describes the different desktop and online aggregators. The advantages and disadvantages are conveniently listed in this article for you. After reading this article, choosing an aggregator will be much easier.

Allow The Aggregator To WebSite Promote For You by T. Detty

RSS or Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary is the latest information management tool that is gradually earning popularity among web users and website owners. With RSS technology, it is possible to get the latest postings from your favorite websites. But clicking on the RSS or XML button in a homepage is not enough to give you the service you need. An RSS feed or code displayed in the pop-up screen if not on the main page is composed of symbols and words that would only make sense to advanced RSS users and computer programmers and software enthusiasts. Another software tool called an RSS aggregator or reader is needed.

An aggregator works by scanning the worldwide web with latest postings based on the RSS code (containing the website’s URL) provided or added by the user. When it finds a new posting, news, or update, it will publish the RSS feed on your home page containing the title of the posting, which also serves as a clickable link to the website source. This RSS feed may or may not contain the whole article, a summary, and photos, depending on what RSS aggregator you are using.

Aggregators come in two types: the downloadable program or desktop-type and the online or web-based type. The desktop aggregator usually charges a certain amount for its services; this would include regular updating in the form of upgrades or patches to the original version. This type of RSS reader allows more customization of RSS feeds as well as page format or design over its on-line counterparts. But of course, price can be a drawback.

On-line or web-based aggregators are free of charge. All you need to do is register an account with them then you can start enjoying their services. Depending on the “brand” of the aggregator, customization is more limited. Some even do not allow you to customize at all.

Product and service advertisers are realizing the potential of RSS aggregators in internet marketing. In fact, several submit RSS codes to several popular web-based aggregators to reach the growing technophile and internet-based market. My Yahoo has been instrumental in popularizing RSS technology to both users and website owners and advertisers.

At present, there are many aggregators to choose from and newer versions of the same aggregator are constantly developed by its programmers.

Below are some of these desktop and online aggregators:
Desktop Aggregators
1. AmphetaDesk
Advantages:
- free
- supports Linux, Mac, and Windows
- easy addition of RSS feeds

Disadvantages:
- not maximized use of screen display
- few options for customizing

2. FeedDemon
Advantages:
- user friendly
- free trial version
- contains prepared popular feeds
- allows filtering of RSS feeds
- configurable “watch list” to manage junk RSS feeds
- search channel feature that incorporates other RSS services e.g. Feedster
- allows feed storage for future use
- tabbed browsers for channel navigation
- built-in podcast receiver

Disadvantages:
- supports only Internet Explorer (embedded)
- paid software (`$29.95)

Online Aggregators
1. Bloglines
Advantages:
- all major browsers supported (e.g. Netscape Navigator, Internet Explorer, Firefox)
- user-friendly especially for beginners
- free, web-based aggregator
- easy registration
- no advertisements
- contains its own directory of RSS feeds of thousands of websites
- personal email account for subscribing to newsletter emails (optional)
- allows privacy adjustments for personal blogs
- allows saved searches
- mobile version available
- 10 languages supported
- Additional add-on tools for automated blogrolls and subscription buttons

2. NewsGator
Advantages:
- free (consumer-standard version)
- provides personalized news channel
- allows translation of RSS articles into email format
- synchronization of feeds in several devices possible
- browse and search feed capabilities save time on surfing
- allows keyword filtering
- blog headlines
- button-click automatic subscription to news feeds

Disadvantage:
- Outlook-based thus limited to Windows

3. My Yahoo
Advantages:
- Free web-based aggregator
- user-friendly
- customizable home page design
- button-click subscription to RSS feeds
- built-in directory and search tool for feeds
- wide variety of feeds e.g. news (science, technology, local), weather
- connects to all Yahoo features and services

Disadvantage
- banner advertisements

There are also lightweight RSS aggregator extensions which are actually plug-ins to existing internet browsers. An example of which is Sage aggregator.

Advantages:
- free of charge
- beginner-friendly
- reads both RSS and Atom feeds
- allows feed discovery
- can be assimilated to Firefox bookmark (storage and live)
- allows OPML feed lists imports and exports
- customizable style sheets
- supports a wide range of locales e.g. Catalan, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, Korean, Polish, Slovenian, etc.
- easy installation

Disadvantages:
- good for about 12 RSS feeds
- limited use to Mozilla-Firefox and Mozilla-Firefox supported browsers

RSS developers promise better features in future versions of their aggregators. Microsoft is planning to include a built-in aggregator in their next Windows version. These developments are definitely something to look forward to by all internet aficionados.

Its always important to remember that this RSS tool can be used to help yourself and others make your time more valuable and at the same time it helps your website via website promotion. Helping others find what they are looking for right away.

Terry Detty enjoys this Web Site Promotion along with Free Online Shopping Malls . Great results are realized when this Web Promotion is working.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory | Submit Articles | Article Search Engine | Article Directory
RSS Announcer will submit your RSS feeds automatically and can be found at http://www.generateawesometraffic.com

Looking Here For An RSS Guide?

Looking Here For An RSS Guide? is a technical article that explains the different types of feeds that exist. These different feeds are convenient for the businessperson as well as for the recipient. The creator of the podcast has a means of introducing the latest news easily and quickly and the recipient can keep up with several different areas of interest quickly with the summaries of these feeds.

Looking Here For An RSS Guide? by T. Detty

RSS is an abbreviation that has evolved into the following, depending on their versions:

RDF Site Summary (also known as RSS 0.9; the first version of RSS)

Rich Site Summary (also known as RSS 0.91; a prototype)

Really Simple Syndication (also known as RSS 2.0)

Today, RSS stands for ‘Really Simple Syndication’, and it has the following 7 existing formats or versions:

0.90
0.91
0.92
0.93
0.94
1.0
2.0

RSS tools refer to a group of file formats that are designed to share headlines and other web content (this may be a summary or simply 1 to 2 lines of the article), links to the full versions of the content (the full article or post), and even file attachments such as multimedia files. All of these data is delivered in the form of an XML file (XML stands for eXtensible Markup Language), which has the following common names:

RSS feed
Webfeed
RSS stream
RSS channel

They are typically shown on web pages as an orange rectangle that usually has the letters XML or RSS in it.

RSS feeds can be used to deliver any kind of information. Some of these ‘feeds’ include:

Blogs feed – each blog entry is summarized as a feed item. This makes blog posts easier to scan, enabling ‘visitors’ to zoom in on their items of interest.

Article feed – this alerts readers whenever there are new articles and web contents available.

Forum feed – this allows users to receive forum posts and latest discussion topics.

Schedule feed – this allows users (such as schools, clubs, and other organizations) to broadcast events and announce schedule changes or meeting agendas.

Discounts or Special feed – this is used to enable users (such as retail and online stores) to ‘deliver’ latest specials and discounted offers.

Ego or News Monitoring – this enables users to receive ‘filtered’ headlines or news that are based on a specific phrase or keyword.

Industry-specific feed – used by technical professionals in order to market, promote, or communicate with current (and prospective) customers and clients within their specific industries.

RSS feeds enable people to track numerous blogs and news sources at the same time. To produce an RSS feed, all you need is the content or the article that you want to publicize and a validated RSS text file. Once your text file is registered at various aggregators (or ‘news readers’), any external site can then capture and display your RSS feed, automatically updating them whenever you update your RSS file.

RSS tools are useful for sites that add or modify their contents on a regular basis. They are especially used for ‘web syndication’ or activities that involve regular updates and/or publications, such as the following:

News websites – as used by major news organizations such as Reuters, CNN, and the BBC.
Marketing
Bug reports
Personal weblogs

There are many benefits to using RSS feeds. Aside from being a great supplemental communication method that streamlines the communication needs of various sectors, RSS tools and feeds can also have tremendous benefits in your business, particularly in the field of internet marketing and website promotion.

RSS tools and feeds provide Internet users with a free (or cheap) and easy advertising or online marketing opportunity for their businesses. Below are some of the RSS features that can help make your internet marketing strategies more effective.

1. Ease in content distribution services. With RSS, your business can be captured and displayed by virtually any external site, giving you an easy way to ’spread out’ and advertise them.

2. Ease in regular content updates. With RSS, web contents concerning your business can now be automatically updated on a daily (and even hourly) basis. Internet users will be able to experience ‘real time’ updates as information in your own file (such as new products and other business-related releases) is changed and modified simultaneously with that of the RSS feeds that people are subscribed to.

3. Custom-made content services. With RSS, visitors can have personalized content services, allowing them total control of the flow and type of information that they receive. Depending on their interests and needs, visitors can subscribe to only those contents that they are looking for (such as real estate or job listings).

4. Increase in (and targeted) traffic. With RSS, traffic will be directed to your site as readers of your content summary (or 1 to 2 lines of your article) who find them interesting are ‘forced’ to click on a link back to your site.

These are just several of the many things that you can do with RSS. The possibilities are endless, and they are all aimed at providing you with an effective internet marketing strategy for your business. It is website promotion in one of its finest hours of online webness.

Terry Detty enjoys this Web Site Promotion along with Free Online Shopping Malls . Great results are realized when this Web Promotion is working.

Article Source: ABC Article Directory | Submit Articles | Article Search Engine | Article Directory

For software that will submit your RSS feeds to RSS directories go to http://www.generateawesometraffic.com

Content For Free – Brief Q&A

Content For Free-Brief Q&A will tell you which free content would be the best to place on your websites. The point is to have updating content that improves your rankings with the search engines. This article will show you how this works.

Content For Free – Brief Q&A by Keith Driscoll

Is Content For Free Of Any Use To Search Engines?

It is widely assumed that the search engine position algorithms prefer web sites which are updated frequently over those which are not. Some webmasters resort to purchasing content, either custom written material, or paid feeds such as news feeds (RSS) or software that helps with written content. Others use a kind of program that converts things like Amazon or eBay product feeds into content that appears to come from their own website. This software may not come cheap though.

For the most part webmasters, however, are all the time on the lookout for great quality, human-created content that they can exploit, which search engine spiders will like, and that is totally free. This ideal sort of content is of course pretty hard to locate. A well-liked source is free articles from the main article directories, but there are other sources that are often overlooked, you simply have to dig a bit deeper on the search engines for it.

One of the most valuable ways of including free, legitimate content to your website is to include a list of relevant sites, or sites for extra reading or additional information. Some webmasters are disgusted by this notion, as it takes your visitor away from your website to somewhere else! They think that the only links on a website should be to other pages on the website itself, or to websites which are paying you, such as AdSense, Clickbank or affiliate links, or obligatory links to an article author’s website. However these links are rarely ever clicked, especially if your website has been designed properly. These links in fact add importance to your website in the eyes of the search engines.

What Exactly Is Content For Free?

Providing content for free to other sites is a powerful means to gain traffic on the Internet. This is how it works: You have certain content which other folk will find beneficial. You provide this content for other folk to publish on their site for free, in order to include the information however they have to include a link back to your website, commonly referred to as Bio.

It throws up new visitors to your website. Assuming that the content is in some way applicable to your company then these visitors are more than likely going to be interested in what you are offering. This in turn increases the inbound links on your website. This is essential in improving your positioning on search engines.

It also attracts other webmasters who wish to use the content. Once you hit critical mass you will obtain a multiplier effect where the more websites utilize your content the more webmasters see it, visit your website and use it, and so on.

Will Content For Free Result In More Sales?

If you would like visitors to return to your site, you will need to include new content to your website. There are a lot of ways to do this.

The two most widespread ways to do this are javascript and RSS. Javascript is a little code that will display dynamic content on your website by including a short piece of code to your website. Although it is dynamic and changes, javascript is not search engine friendly, you really require the content to be added server side.

RSS is a kind of search engine friendly code that may possibly be read by the search engines. It is a bit more complicated to setup on your website, but it is well worth it. The search engines will spider your website more often if you use this kind of code to update your website as it updates content on a regular basis.

For a lot more top quality articles then please visit Content For Free

Article Source: ABC Article Directory | Submit Articles | Article Search Engine | Article Directory
The RSS Announcer will help you submit your RSS feeds more easily than doing it manually. Get at http://www.generateawesometraffic.com