The end user can subscribe to an RSS feed from the web page or various web pages of his choice (by simply clicking the RSS button). The RSS reader checks the subscribed feeds for new content regularly and automatically downloads any updates that it finds providing the subscriber with the feeds.
For end users, this means that RSS delivers the latest news onto their computers, making it possible to stay in touch with the huge amount of information available from all their favorite websites. The subscriber is in full control of setting filters to the content or which categories he wishes to receive. This saves time and there is no need any more for your morning routine of going through all your favorite websites. RSS enables you to get any content you want, whenever you want and how you want it. There is no need to give any personal details in order to subscribe to a RSS feed and therefore, RSS is also 100% SPAM free. If you wish to unsubscribe to the news feed, just hit the delete button in your RSS reader. Done!
Since major Internet Companies, such as Google, Yahoo and Microsoft are constantly implementing new RSS functionality and RSS tools, Media Companies are more and more open for using RSS. It is a growing source for subscribers, webmasters and publishers. Further, RSS works very much in favor of Online Publishers when it comes to Search Engine Optimization and traffic building. A simple copy and paste code of a sites feed makes it very easy for the webmaster to distribute the content which is a great way of getting incoming links to a website which automatically increases traffic.
Despite the overall advantages of RSS and its growing technical modifications and improvements, RSS has still a long way to go. RSS originally launched in 1999 and gained widespread use in 2005 but Online Publishers did not know how to promote it. Instead, they wanted the end user to go to their website in order to push advertising. The perception towards RSS is now slowly changing and an overall increase in popularity of RSS amongst the online publishing world and end users is on the rise.
For more information:LTS Media Ltd.6 Water LaneLondon NW1 8NZPh: 0845 257 0778info@thestreamingmonkey.comhttp://www.thestreamingmonkey.comhttp://www.aquacms.net
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/The-Power-of-RSS-in-the-Online-Publishing-World/425620
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
RSS for Users and Webmasters – A Simple Explanation by Paul J. Allen
What is RSS: The letters RSS have several different meanings depending on who you ask, but the most popular and widely used meaning for the abbreviation is Really Simple Syndication. RSS is a simple way for a website to send out information to other websites, blogs, RSS feed-readers etc so that they can read the information the website is sending out and can then reproduce it in a manner they see fit.
How is RSS used if I’m a home or business user: Let’s say you want to keep up with the latest news from several different websites, but you don’t want to have to go visit them each day. You can subscribe to each website’s RSS feed, and then read those feeds in a piece of software of your choice. For example, Windows Vista comes with an RSS feed-reader as one of its standard sidebar widgets. You can add the feed from the website(s) you’re interested in and the latest news from each of those sites will automatically be updated by the widget when new news comes along – you don’t have to do anything!
Today’s most popular browsers, Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 3, both come with built-in RSS feed-readers as well. When you go to a website that has an RSS feed you’ll see the small orange RSS feed icon appear in the browser bar. When you click on that you’ll be taken to a page that looks like this:
http://edition.cnn.com/services/rss/?iref=rssmorenews
with a subscribe button near the top of the page. Click the button to add the feed from this page to your browser so you can see when new content is added to the page without having to go back and manually check.
How can I use RSS on my website: This is perhaps one of the most interesting uses of RSS as it allows you to show content from another website on your own site. Let’s say you would like to show the latest posts from a popular blog or news site on your own website. To do this you can either custom-make your own code, or use a piece of code (frequently JavaScript is used for this purpose) to read from the RSS feed and show that information on your site. A website called Dynamic Drive has a lot of excellent ready-made scripts for just this purpose.
Many open-source content management system projects, such as Joomla, have extensions or plugins that allow you to show external RSS feeds on your site as well. Open source CMS’s are becoming more and more popular and provide an excellent way of building a cost-effective website with minimal knowledge.
It is very important to note that you should always check the Terms of Service or publisher guidelines before using anyone’s RSS content on your own website. If in doubt always contact the website owner first.
In most cases an RSS feed will contain the title of the article, a brief description of it and a link back to the originating website of the article where you can view the article in full. Sometimes, such as Google’s RSS feed for its news service, it will also contain an image. This lack of in-depth content is one of the pitfalls of RSS – in almost all cases to view the whole story your visitor will have to leave your site and go to the originating website. In most cases you will also have to give credit on your own site to the source of the RSS feed. Even if it is not requested by the originating website, it is often a pleasant courtesy to place some form of credit on your site.
Conclusion: Really Simple Syndication is a boon for both users and publishers. It gives individuals the ability to keep tabs on fast-flowing information without having to trawl through multiple websites to find it. It also gives publishers - particularly webmasters - the ability to display fresh, constantly updated content.
Paul is a founding member of http://www.GlobalBusinessNetworking.com, an online business networking website. He is fairly new to writing articles, but has had tremendous fun writing his own blog and other material for the site. He'd very much appreciate any constructive feedback on his articles.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/RSS-for-Users-and-Webmasters-–-A-Simple-Explanation/446389
How is RSS used if I’m a home or business user: Let’s say you want to keep up with the latest news from several different websites, but you don’t want to have to go visit them each day. You can subscribe to each website’s RSS feed, and then read those feeds in a piece of software of your choice. For example, Windows Vista comes with an RSS feed-reader as one of its standard sidebar widgets. You can add the feed from the website(s) you’re interested in and the latest news from each of those sites will automatically be updated by the widget when new news comes along – you don’t have to do anything!
Today’s most popular browsers, Internet Explorer 7 and Firefox 3, both come with built-in RSS feed-readers as well. When you go to a website that has an RSS feed you’ll see the small orange RSS feed icon appear in the browser bar. When you click on that you’ll be taken to a page that looks like this:
http://edition.cnn.com/services/rss/?iref=rssmorenews
with a subscribe button near the top of the page. Click the button to add the feed from this page to your browser so you can see when new content is added to the page without having to go back and manually check.
How can I use RSS on my website: This is perhaps one of the most interesting uses of RSS as it allows you to show content from another website on your own site. Let’s say you would like to show the latest posts from a popular blog or news site on your own website. To do this you can either custom-make your own code, or use a piece of code (frequently JavaScript is used for this purpose) to read from the RSS feed and show that information on your site. A website called Dynamic Drive has a lot of excellent ready-made scripts for just this purpose.
Many open-source content management system projects, such as Joomla, have extensions or plugins that allow you to show external RSS feeds on your site as well. Open source CMS’s are becoming more and more popular and provide an excellent way of building a cost-effective website with minimal knowledge.
It is very important to note that you should always check the Terms of Service or publisher guidelines before using anyone’s RSS content on your own website. If in doubt always contact the website owner first.
In most cases an RSS feed will contain the title of the article, a brief description of it and a link back to the originating website of the article where you can view the article in full. Sometimes, such as Google’s RSS feed for its news service, it will also contain an image. This lack of in-depth content is one of the pitfalls of RSS – in almost all cases to view the whole story your visitor will have to leave your site and go to the originating website. In most cases you will also have to give credit on your own site to the source of the RSS feed. Even if it is not requested by the originating website, it is often a pleasant courtesy to place some form of credit on your site.
Conclusion: Really Simple Syndication is a boon for both users and publishers. It gives individuals the ability to keep tabs on fast-flowing information without having to trawl through multiple websites to find it. It also gives publishers - particularly webmasters - the ability to display fresh, constantly updated content.
Paul is a founding member of http://www.GlobalBusinessNetworking.com, an online business networking website. He is fairly new to writing articles, but has had tremendous fun writing his own blog and other material for the site. He'd very much appreciate any constructive feedback on his articles.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/RSS-for-Users-and-Webmasters-–-A-Simple-Explanation/446389
New Orleans Search Engine Marketing Firm by Andre Savoie
Search engine marketing (SEM) can sometimes be difficult concept to grasp because everyone seems to have their own definition and expectations. However no matter how you define your online goals, a New Orleans based search engine marketing firm can help your business gain visibility via search engines.
Why is search engine marketing important? The answer is simple – because for most consumers their search for a business starts online. Most industry reports estimated that between 60 – 75% of consumers are using some sort of local or geo-targeted search phrase such as “New Orleans” when looking for a business.
This is good news for local businesses – especially in the New Orleans area. Generally speaking, online competition for “New Orleans” related local search phrases is relatively low compared to other major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles. For instance, a search for phrases such as “painting contractor in New Orleans” produces organic results geared largely around directories. The same search with “Los Angeles” shows a different story – a first page full of local businesses that have optimized for local search.
Improve Your Online Visibility, Be Found Locally
Focusing on local search can be a great way to improve your online visibility where it counts – in front of your potential clients. And depending on the competition level in your particular industry this may be a strategy that produces tangible results in a relatively short time frame. SEO work takes time to show results. However with lower competition levels for localized phrases in your market you should start to see SEO results in much less time.
Search Engine Marketing Expertise Benefits All Types of Businesses
Hiring a local New Orleans search engine marketing firm is not just for big businesses anymore. As more and more businesses realize that the search process is starting online they are diverting more of their marketing budget to online activities and away from traditional marketing.
This includes nonprofit organizations as well who rely on their branded image and fundraising to survive. In fact many nonprofit organizations and churches have turned to website design and online advertising services in an effort to better meet the needs of their clients.
The professional search engine marketing consultants at WSI have helped businesses like FBT Film, Savoie Realty, A Childs Wish of Louisiana and BJs Quick Print develop dynamic websites which are steadily gaining online visibility. These clients trusted our search engine specialists to optimize their sites to attract local customers searching for services in their area.
If you are considering hiring a local, New Orleans based firm to handle search engine marketing for your firm please email us at andre@mywsiconsultant.com or visit us at www.mywsiconsultant.com. We can help you tailor a plan to fit your business goals and budget that will increase your online visibility where it counts – in front of your potential customers.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/New-Orleans-Search-Engine-Marketing-Firm/740778
Why is search engine marketing important? The answer is simple – because for most consumers their search for a business starts online. Most industry reports estimated that between 60 – 75% of consumers are using some sort of local or geo-targeted search phrase such as “New Orleans” when looking for a business.
This is good news for local businesses – especially in the New Orleans area. Generally speaking, online competition for “New Orleans” related local search phrases is relatively low compared to other major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles. For instance, a search for phrases such as “painting contractor in New Orleans” produces organic results geared largely around directories. The same search with “Los Angeles” shows a different story – a first page full of local businesses that have optimized for local search.
Improve Your Online Visibility, Be Found Locally
Focusing on local search can be a great way to improve your online visibility where it counts – in front of your potential clients. And depending on the competition level in your particular industry this may be a strategy that produces tangible results in a relatively short time frame. SEO work takes time to show results. However with lower competition levels for localized phrases in your market you should start to see SEO results in much less time.
Search Engine Marketing Expertise Benefits All Types of Businesses
Hiring a local New Orleans search engine marketing firm is not just for big businesses anymore. As more and more businesses realize that the search process is starting online they are diverting more of their marketing budget to online activities and away from traditional marketing.
This includes nonprofit organizations as well who rely on their branded image and fundraising to survive. In fact many nonprofit organizations and churches have turned to website design and online advertising services in an effort to better meet the needs of their clients.
The professional search engine marketing consultants at WSI have helped businesses like FBT Film, Savoie Realty, A Childs Wish of Louisiana and BJs Quick Print develop dynamic websites which are steadily gaining online visibility. These clients trusted our search engine specialists to optimize their sites to attract local customers searching for services in their area.
If you are considering hiring a local, New Orleans based firm to handle search engine marketing for your firm please email us at andre@mywsiconsultant.com or visit us at www.mywsiconsultant.com. We can help you tailor a plan to fit your business goals and budget that will increase your online visibility where it counts – in front of your potential customers.
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/New-Orleans-Search-Engine-Marketing-Firm/740778
The Use of RSS and Aggregators by Sharpy
Really Simple Syndication (RSS) is a tool useful for saving or retaining new information on websites that you visit a lot or websites that are important to you. RSS utilizes an XML code which checks continuously the content or subject matter of a certain website in search of new information then transmits the information by way of feeding the information to your subscribers.
RSS feeds are generally being used in blogs or news sites, though any website wanting to broadcast and publish information can utilize them. Once new information is sent, it will contain a headline, a summary, and either a rundown or a brief review of the news or story. The user will need to click the RSS feed link to read further.
To accept RSS feeds, a feed reader is needed. This is called a feed aggregator. Aggregators are freely available online, and all that is needed is a bit of searching. You should be able to locate a certain interface that best interests you. What’s more, RSS feeds can likewise be read and retrieved from mobile phones and on Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs.
Once you stumble across a website that you want to add into the aggregator, the process can be achieved in two ways. Almost all sites offering an RSS feed will display an “RSS” or “XML” logo in their pages and with one click, it promptly adds that particular feed to one’s aggregator. Some aggregators however, require you to copy and then paste the URL of the feed into the program.
Whichever the method you use, you can be certain that the feed will be available as soon as you have added it, likewise, in a matter of seconds, the next update may arrive. Should you no longer want to read updates from a particular site, you may simply remove the feed from the aggregator.
Through e-mail subscriptions, you can read newsletters. RSS feeds on the other hand, can be more convenient in keeping up with newsletter updates since they are prompt and available in an instant; you no longer have to wait for a scheduled time to obtain a news summary. Plus, the news will never be detained by a spam filter.
RSS feeds are used every day by people that understand and appreciate the accessibility of fast reports and news that can be readily read and they generally only read updates that they find interesting.
Aggregators
Aggregators are popular in the use of feeds, and come in having several kinds. Web aggregators or portals as they are sometimes called, create this view which is made available in a web page. Nowadays, aggregators have been incorporated into e-mail programs, and other forms of dedicated software.
Aggregators offer a whole host of special features, such as combining more related feeds in just a single view, hiding certain entries or statements that have already been read, and classifying entries and feeds, into specific folders.
Why make a feed available?
Your site visitors can read your latest update without even having to visit your web pages. While at first, it may seem corrupt, it will in fact enhance the visibility of your site. This is because subscribers can easily keep up with your site, allowing them to view it any time they want to, whether on the train, in the dentists waiting room or at the office. Also, RSS feeds keeps your site in the mind of your readers, as they get notified each time you update your site.
For instance, every week your website broadcasts a new feature. Without a feed, your subscribers will have to remember to go to your site to see if you have updated with something new. That is, if they remember to and they can spare the time. However, if you supply a feed for your subscribers, they can just open their aggregator and it will immediately provide them with a link and a description of updates at your site.
Which format is best?
Syndication can be very confusing as it utilizes a variety of formats. However, this can be easily solved as in general, syndicated libraries are used by aggregators which conceptualize a particular format that a feed is in, in order that they can utilize a specific syndication feed.
With this knowledge, the format is just a matter of personal preference. RSS 1.0 is far reaching, and practical should it be integrated into Semantic Web Systems. RSS 2.0 is very easy to create by hand and Atom is an IETF Standard, which brings consistency, stability and a natural community to support its usage.
Steven W Sharpe has been building websites for many years and runs a number of successful websites. He is the owner of http://www.articleland.co.uk. Further articles about this subject can be found on his website at http://www.articleland.co.uk/categories/Internet/
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/The-Use-of-RSS-and-Aggregators/422551
RSS feeds are generally being used in blogs or news sites, though any website wanting to broadcast and publish information can utilize them. Once new information is sent, it will contain a headline, a summary, and either a rundown or a brief review of the news or story. The user will need to click the RSS feed link to read further.
To accept RSS feeds, a feed reader is needed. This is called a feed aggregator. Aggregators are freely available online, and all that is needed is a bit of searching. You should be able to locate a certain interface that best interests you. What’s more, RSS feeds can likewise be read and retrieved from mobile phones and on Personal Digital Assistants(PDAs.
Once you stumble across a website that you want to add into the aggregator, the process can be achieved in two ways. Almost all sites offering an RSS feed will display an “RSS” or “XML” logo in their pages and with one click, it promptly adds that particular feed to one’s aggregator. Some aggregators however, require you to copy and then paste the URL of the feed into the program.
Whichever the method you use, you can be certain that the feed will be available as soon as you have added it, likewise, in a matter of seconds, the next update may arrive. Should you no longer want to read updates from a particular site, you may simply remove the feed from the aggregator.
Through e-mail subscriptions, you can read newsletters. RSS feeds on the other hand, can be more convenient in keeping up with newsletter updates since they are prompt and available in an instant; you no longer have to wait for a scheduled time to obtain a news summary. Plus, the news will never be detained by a spam filter.
RSS feeds are used every day by people that understand and appreciate the accessibility of fast reports and news that can be readily read and they generally only read updates that they find interesting.
Aggregators
Aggregators are popular in the use of feeds, and come in having several kinds. Web aggregators or portals as they are sometimes called, create this view which is made available in a web page. Nowadays, aggregators have been incorporated into e-mail programs, and other forms of dedicated software.
Aggregators offer a whole host of special features, such as combining more related feeds in just a single view, hiding certain entries or statements that have already been read, and classifying entries and feeds, into specific folders.
Why make a feed available?
Your site visitors can read your latest update without even having to visit your web pages. While at first, it may seem corrupt, it will in fact enhance the visibility of your site. This is because subscribers can easily keep up with your site, allowing them to view it any time they want to, whether on the train, in the dentists waiting room or at the office. Also, RSS feeds keeps your site in the mind of your readers, as they get notified each time you update your site.
For instance, every week your website broadcasts a new feature. Without a feed, your subscribers will have to remember to go to your site to see if you have updated with something new. That is, if they remember to and they can spare the time. However, if you supply a feed for your subscribers, they can just open their aggregator and it will immediately provide them with a link and a description of updates at your site.
Which format is best?
Syndication can be very confusing as it utilizes a variety of formats. However, this can be easily solved as in general, syndicated libraries are used by aggregators which conceptualize a particular format that a feed is in, in order that they can utilize a specific syndication feed.
With this knowledge, the format is just a matter of personal preference. RSS 1.0 is far reaching, and practical should it be integrated into Semantic Web Systems. RSS 2.0 is very easy to create by hand and Atom is an IETF Standard, which brings consistency, stability and a natural community to support its usage.
Steven W Sharpe has been building websites for many years and runs a number of successful websites. He is the owner of http://www.articleland.co.uk. Further articles about this subject can be found on his website at http://www.articleland.co.uk/categories/Internet/
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/The-Use-of-RSS-and-Aggregators/422551
SEO or Search Engine Optimization Explained by Anne P. Jackson
Now you're going to want to know what I mean by “organic search results”, aren't you? Organic search results are Non-Sponsored results that appear in the left middle of a Search Engine Result's Page. (SERP) (It took me a long time to “get” that one!). Basically, it's indexing for FREE., unlike the PPC ads and the sponsored ads. Organic search results are great because:
It's Free
It's high quality traffic
It's can be a LOT of traffic
Search engine are constantly changing their algorithms – the method by which they search the internet, a website and determine it's relevancy based on the sites keywords. No one has yet to really figure out these algorithms as they are changed often, sometimes in just a matter of days.
All is NOT hopeless, however. You can make very educated guesses by studying websites that are already ranked high in the search engines. You can test your own website by making small changes and watching the ranking in the SERP. Switch your keywords around – or your content. But do only one method at a time so that you know which one is best!
Factors that are known to affect search engine ranking:
Keyword in the page title
Keyword META tags
Keyword in description META tags
Keyword in first sentence of content
3-5 per cent keyword density in the page content. More might get you a Google slap – less might get you ignored
Keyword as internal anchor text – don't use “click here” use your main keyword (did you know that if you type “click here” into a Google search box you'll get over 2 BILLION results?)
Backlinks – you will want as many backlinks from high page rank sites as you can. The easiest and often the most effective method of getting backlinks is to write articles and link to your site.
Page rank is a number (0-10 per Google) that is assigned to a website that provides some insight to its' “importance” on the internet – per Google! O is of least importance and 10 the highest. A ranking of 1 or 2 is not to difficult to attain – sometimes all it takes is time. A ranking of 3-4 will take a bit of work and 4-5 is pretty darn good. A ranking of 7-8 will take a LOT of work and 9-10 is almost always the search engines themselves. The biggest factor in determining page rank is backlinks!
As you can see there are many factors that contribute to your websites “importance” and getting them on the SERP. Keep working at a little bit at a time and don't give up – you'll eventually get there if you have all the “factors” in place correctly.
Pot Pie Girl and her One Week Marketing will teach you all of this – and more! Are you ready to bring your page into the SERPS for free? Read an excerpt of her One Week Marketing Guide at Pot Pie Girl
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/SEO-or-Search-Engine-Optimization-Explained/740449
It's Free
It's high quality traffic
It's can be a LOT of traffic
Search engine are constantly changing their algorithms – the method by which they search the internet, a website and determine it's relevancy based on the sites keywords. No one has yet to really figure out these algorithms as they are changed often, sometimes in just a matter of days.
All is NOT hopeless, however. You can make very educated guesses by studying websites that are already ranked high in the search engines. You can test your own website by making small changes and watching the ranking in the SERP. Switch your keywords around – or your content. But do only one method at a time so that you know which one is best!
Factors that are known to affect search engine ranking:
Keyword in the page title
Keyword META tags
Keyword in description META tags
Keyword in first sentence of content
3-5 per cent keyword density in the page content. More might get you a Google slap – less might get you ignored
Keyword as internal anchor text – don't use “click here” use your main keyword (did you know that if you type “click here” into a Google search box you'll get over 2 BILLION results?)
Backlinks – you will want as many backlinks from high page rank sites as you can. The easiest and often the most effective method of getting backlinks is to write articles and link to your site.
Page rank is a number (0-10 per Google) that is assigned to a website that provides some insight to its' “importance” on the internet – per Google! O is of least importance and 10 the highest. A ranking of 1 or 2 is not to difficult to attain – sometimes all it takes is time. A ranking of 3-4 will take a bit of work and 4-5 is pretty darn good. A ranking of 7-8 will take a LOT of work and 9-10 is almost always the search engines themselves. The biggest factor in determining page rank is backlinks!
As you can see there are many factors that contribute to your websites “importance” and getting them on the SERP. Keep working at a little bit at a time and don't give up – you'll eventually get there if you have all the “factors” in place correctly.
Pot Pie Girl and her One Week Marketing will teach you all of this – and more! Are you ready to bring your page into the SERPS for free? Read an excerpt of her One Week Marketing Guide at Pot Pie Girl
Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/SEO-or-Search-Engine-Optimization-Explained/740449
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