What are RSS Feeds

What are RSS Feeds?

View the Video: RSS in Plain English

"Real Simple Syndication," or RSS (also known as Rich Site Summary, RDF Site Summary, headline syndicators, aggregators, and XML format), is a specific type of file format that can be automatically read by special software programs, called News Aggregators, that subscribers have installed on their computers. To get an idea of how RSS works, test it out here on the SiteSell Website. Here you will find an excellent implementation of RSS. Click on the RSS orange button

at the top of the screen. Another example of an RSS Feed can be found at the bottom of this Web page.

Many Websites publish an RSS feed that a visitor can add to their news reader and get automatic updates when new items are published. This is a method of receiving news without using email and without the potential problems of email filters filtering out incoming messages. RSS feeds are an excellent and under-utilized way of instantly updating subscriber sites with the latest news and information available on the originating or headquarter site. Say for instance, that you run a small force of consultants or representatives, each having their own Website. But a key problem is that the consultant/representative Website information can soon become obsolete or outdated, even inaccurate, because they are not meticulously kept in synch with the home Website. RSS feeds solve the problem easily and inexpensively, and all critical information on the feeder Websites are kept in synch with the headquarter Website.

RSS is a new technology that according to a 2005 Yahoo survey showed only about 12% of internet users had heard of RSS and only 4% have knowingly used it. With these statistics in mind RSS is an interesting new avenue for distributing content but isn't about to replace email any time soon.

Try to imagine the traffic you'll get when the next RSS-empowered Windows browser, Internet Explorer 7.0, arrives from Microsoft (it's actually here already in beta format, if you'd like to take it for a spin now). Get your site ready now and be prepared for RSS to take advantage of all the free traffic it can bring to your Website. Just use the Google-owned http://www.Blogger.com to create your blog - it has that all-important blog search bar at the top of the page!

Allowing your Website visitors to receive your content via RSS/XML is important for several reasons:

Permits users to get content the way they prefer. Anything that is regularly updated, time sensitive and new, is a good candidate for RSS feeds.

Allow subscribing Websites to instantly learn of new developments, content, news, and products available on your Website.

Avoids email filters that may incorrectly filter your message based on content.

Attract more customers and/or visitors.

Another way for search engines to spider your website to have more content in the engines.

Frequently you'll see an icon like this

designating that RSS content is available from a website.

An HTML web archive is used for many of the same reasons you would use an RSS/XML feed. The difference with an HTML web archive is that someone visiting your website can click directly to the archive and view your newsletter content without the need for special RSS readers. This allows you to instantly have new email newsletters published to your website without having to do this manually.

First Step in Understanding RS Feeds

As a first step in understanding how this technology works, I'd suggest that you use at least one RSS Aggregator. This can be either an online RSS tool or RSS Reading software like SharpReader. Then subscribe to a few RSS feeds to learn how it works from your own experience.

Here are a few other resources to help you find RSS feeds that are relevant to your Website:

What are RSS Feeds?