understanding RSS...

[fthomas137]

I'm trying to fully understand the power of RSS and how it applies to us IMer's. Keith in his successful thread about creating blogs with wordpress talks about submitting his blog for syndication.

How the heck does one successfully milk RSS syndication to get your sites syndicated and displayed on other sites? I'm creating a ton of original information and I want to get it syndicated as much as possible.

I feel kinda like an idiot on this one, as I just cannot seem to figure it out. It's probably super, super simple, but I'm having a brunette moment...


Frank

[Ron Killian]

First off, of course you need a rss feed, off a blog is the best, assuming you already have that. Next step would be to submit that feed to every RSS feed directory you can find, google will show you many lists.

Next, add your feed everywhere you can. Many social sites will let you add a RSS feed such as Mybloglog, Squidoo, multiply, hubpages, blogger (sidebar widget), jump tags and so on.

Ping your original feed, then ping all the feeds generated by the social sites where you added your feed.

That's the basic's. It's great for getting back links to deeper pages.

Did that help? If you have any questions, just ask

[fthomas137]

Thanks Ron,

I may need more hand holding, if that's ok. I've got a blog, so the RSS feed on the site is good. Next, how do I add my feed in other places? Next, how do I ping the feeds? I do use wp to ping out posts and pages, but never did it for rss feeds.

Thanks!

Frank

[Ron Killian]

Originally Posted by fthomas137

Thanks Ron,

I may need more hand holding, if that's ok. I've got a blog, so the RSS feed on the site is good. Next, how do I add my feed in other places? Next, how do I ping the feeds? I do use wp to ping out posts and pages, but never did it for rss feeds.

Thanks!

Frank

Happy to help. Since you have a blog you have a feed, on that part your set. Next you'll need to get your feed url, which is usually linked with "subscribe with RSS", or one of those orange RSS buttons/graphics. Hard for me to tell you as blog theme's can differ so much.

For Wordpress, it Usually looks something like this: http://www.yourdomainname.com/feed/

If you can't find it, PM your blog and I'll get the link for you.

Then search google for RSS Directories, you should find a bunch of RSS Directory Lists. Those are the ones to submit your feed to. There is normally an "add feed" or "submit feed" type link or page. Submit to every one that works.

As for social sites, hard to say as they all differ. You'll need to look around the site and see if there is a place to add a feed. Or some places like Squidoo you can add a rss module, think it's similar for hubpages. For blogger, you can add a sidebar RSS widget and just enter your feed info. At least go through the ones I mentioned. I can get you some more if you want them.

As for pinging, you can do it with sites such as pingoat or pingomatic. Just enter your info and submit. I personally have switched to a rss submit program. Since your using a blog, I am am guessing Wordpress? If so, pinging like I mentioned above is probably not needed, as Wordpress pretty much does that for you, automatically and if you pinged the above sites, your just pinging duplicate sites. I mention the above sites, just so you know, they really just ping the same sites your wordpress blog does. One of my sites has an RSS feed but it is not a blog, so I need to do the above for my site. You don't. Did that make sense?

Was that any help? Let me know if you have any questions

[fthomas137]

Ok, I think I'm starting to get it. I did find software to do the job of rssing easier to multiple rss feeders called rss submitter. Do you have any experience with this software or a like software. I have about 100 blogs I would use this on and I can see if I do it manually, it could take some time....

Frank

[Eric Lorence]

Go into your dashboard/settings/writing...

Find that box near the bottom that has "http: //rpc.pingomatic.com/" and add as many update service url's as you can find, here's a list:

Update Services WordPress Codex

Burn your feed at Feedburner, and dress it up with some of the custom options, and activate "Ping Shot" make sure you add the 5 additional update services option.

Use Big Mike's RSS bot to submit your feed to over a hundred RSS directories.

Use Feedburner's "subscribe by Email option, and place the link prominantly on your blog pages.

Place All the feed chicklets on your blog pages as well, and a RSS icon on your sidebars.

Just a few moves to get you started...

Good luck!

[Ron Killian]

Originally Posted by fthomas137

Ok, I think I'm starting to get it. I did find software to do the job of rssing easier to multiple rss feeders called rss submitter. Do you have any experience with this software or a like software. I have about 100 blogs I would use this on and I can see if I do it manually, it could take some time....

Frank

I have not used that one, so I couldn't really tell you. I use RSSBot myself, works well. Sorry, have no clue on the other one.

Your right though, can save alot of time v.s. doing it by hand.

Need anything else, just say so

[fthomas137]

Originally Posted by Ron Killian

I have not used that one, so I couldn't really tell you. I use RSSBot myself, works well. Sorry, have no clue on the other one.

Your right though, can save alot of time v.s. doing it by hand.

Need anything else, just say so

May I ask what website you pulled rssbot from? I did a google on it and found multiple rssbot programs.

Thanks a bunch Ron,

Frank

[Ron Killian]

Originally Posted by fthomas137

May I ask what website you pulled rssbot from? I did a google on it and found multiple rssbot programs.

Thanks a bunch Ron,

Frank

Same as Eric mentioned, Big Mike's program: Incansoft

I like it so far.

[Quentin]

I think you may be missing the point of rss a bit.

RSS is a file that compiles your content and allows people to add it to an RSS reader program which then advises them when you add more content. These readers can either be online or run as stand alone software from your desktop. This is then what is called an RSS feed.

The visitor can request a feed (xml file usually) from your site usually by clicking on the RSS logo or link and adds it to their RSS reader so they do not have to keep coming back to your site to read the posts you make.

Most blogs create this xml file automatically and you can use a service like Feedburner to take that feed and provide better formats and statistics so it will be formatted for better reading on mobiles, different browsers etc.

FeedBurner

Here is one of my more popular feeds.

The Internet Marketers Club

Thats really the prime reason and use for RSS

Now alternatively you can also submit that same feed to all sorts of different services that will then post the link to your site.

Programs like Wordpress give you the ability to do this automatically in the settings at the bottom of the writing page. By default Wordpress uses Pingomatic and as Eric said you can add others but be careful you do not duplicate the services.

I have compiled a list here that are not duplicates.

Real Simple Sydication | The Internet Marketers Club

Where a lot of people using wordpress make the mistake is that they do not use an inhibitor.

Basically whenever you right or edit your post it pings these services so many get bocked as spam because people edit their posts many times.

I use a plugin called smart pinger which replaces the built-in ping/notify functionality. It pings only when publishing new or future posts, not when editing.

Ultimate Plugins Smart Update Pinger [Ultimate Plugins]

You can also submit your blog to other sites which act more like search engines called blog directories and include your rss feed unlike traditional search engines.

Again I have a good list here at

Real Simple Sydication | The Internet Marketers Club

There is a whole community online that use these RSS feeds and never visit your site but prefer to control their reading through a RSS reader.

Some of the more popular readers are Google Reader which is an online reader and I use a desktop reader called Feed Demon by Newsgator.

There is obviously a lot more we could say about RSs but this should be enough to wet your appetite.

Quentin

[fthomas137]

Uh I'm such a slug somedays! Goodness I cannot even read! Guys thats a very big bunch! You've all helped tremedously and thanks Ron for sticking it out with me!

Quentin, I'm trying to figure out RSS to permit my site articles to be syndicated by other web pages to help build backlinks to my site. And I'm not adverse to others posting my original content, as long as others keep my backlinks in place. And thanks, I kept wondering why I would use feedburner. The multi-platform automation makes sense for it. Would it be better to syndicate my main feed from the wordpress blogs to other RSS feeders, or link my feed to feedburner and syndicate that?

Frank