So you've decided to beef up your website by adding an
XML feed. This is a great idea; whether you maintain
a personal blog or operate an independent news site,
adding an XML feed is a surefire way to keep your RSS-friendly
readers in the know. Not only will they appreciate the
access to constantly updated content, they'll love no
longer having to check the site daily for new information
-- now it comes straight to them! What's more, maintaining
an XML feed makes it highly possible for you to attract
readers who otherwise may have never stumbled onto your
site. Everyone wins.
But how, exactly, do you find (and eventually keep)
those readers?
1. Use the Community. No matter the subject area of
your website, the vastness of the Internet is bound
to have some sort of burgeoning community for it. Readers
and writers of RSS feeds love to communicate, so get
in there and communicate with them! Find like-minded
sites featuring like-minded feeds and trade links; if
the site-owners appreciate your content, they'll almost
always share the information with others. These virtual
hubs of knowledge are well worth getting to know --
word of mouth, after all, is a powerful thing.
2. Keep Up the Updates. Though this seems to go without
saying, frequently updating the content of your site
is vital to the life of your XML feed. The purpose here
is two-fold. First of all, fresh and well-written content
is the best way to keep readers coming back for more;
after all, an XML feed thrives on constant updates and
readers expect that sort of timeliness. But secondly,
and perhaps most importantly, frequently updating your
content keeps your site's name near the top of the directories'
list of newly updated feeds. By attempting to stay near
the front page, readers will come to know you as a common
player, thus increasing their interest in what you have
to say. Just make sure you aren't updating simply for
the sake of updating; RSS-users are capable of seeing
right through that tactic and will sometimes abandon
a feed for being too obnoxious in its promotional efforts.
3. Remember the Reader. It's important to make your
XML feed as accessible and user-friendly as possible.
Say, for instance, that a reader stumbles onto your
site and enjoys the content but knows nothing about
RSS, how it works and how they can use it. Well, why
not help them out? Create a separate page on your site
that explains the function and purpose of RSS and clues
readers in to some of the best aggregators; often, they'll
take heed, check out the format and subscribe to your
feed. And they might even share the information with
some of their friends!
4. Feature the Feed. It's also important to make your
XML feed's presence very apparent on your site. Make
sure to place the orange XML or RSS button in a place
that readers will immediately see it; they can't subscribe,
after all, if they don't know it's there. And get acquainted
with the capabilities of different web browsers. Some,
such as Firefox, will automatically detect a site's
XML feed and ask users if they'd like to subscribe,
a feature called Auto-Discovery All you have to do is
enable it within your feed using the browser's enabling
code and your XML feed will be automatically promoted
for you. And after all the work you've done to boost
up your visibility, isn't it worth just another second's
effort to have some of the promotion accomplished for
you?
5. Know the Directories. One of the easiest and most
efficient ways to get your XML feed noticed above the
World Wide Web's white noise is to submit it to as many
RSS directories as possible. These sites function for
the sole purpose of listing new and newly updated feeds.
Diligent readers will frequently browse for content,
thirsty for the freshest information the Internet has
to offer, and maintaining your presence on these directories
is essential to alerting readers of your presence. Granted,
this is sometimes easier said than done; hundred, if
not thousands, of RSS directories exist and hundreds,
if not thousands, of XML feeds fight for a presence
on them. But by knowing the best directories to submit
to (see the links below for just a few) and keeping
abreast of any new directories that pop up, your XML
feed won't go unnoticed.
Sonia
Winters writes for Andy Hagans Link Building ( http://www.andyhagans.com/ ), an SEO
firm offering link building services. |
