RSS: An Introduction to Syndication and Viral Marketing

SEO experts know that RSS is indispensable for a high-quality internet marketing campaign. RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication or Rich Site Summary. Syndication is the process of republishing an article from another website, and an RSS feed is a tool for determining when website content has been updated.

Why Should I Use RSS?

1. RSS saves time. Instead of bookmarking and visiting each website that interests you, you simply log in to your RSS aggregator to see which websites have been updated.
2. RSS allows you to see the latest updates almost as soon as they are posted.
3. RSS takes the hassle out of subscribing and unsubscribing. You choose the websites to which you want to subscribe and you choose when you want to unsubscribe, no questions asked.
4. RSS means less mail in your inbox. Although you will be required to provide your email address to use RSS aggregators, updates are not sent to your inbox. And because your email address isn't used to provide updates, you don't have to worry about spam.
5. RSS is a great tool for website publishers as well. When a publisher updates the site with a new product or service, that information will be passed on to the feed subscriber. Not only can the publisher can avoid spamming, but the publisher is also ensured that his target audience is aware of the new product or service.

Are There Any Drawbacks to RSS?

1. RSS is a relatively new technology, so not all websites support it. This can be a turnoff to users who only want to get updates through an RSS aggregator.
2. RSS feeds do not always displays graphics and photographs in the updates.
3. RSS sometimes makes it difficult to determine the source of the update since RSS feeds don't use the actual website URL.
4. RSS feeds can increase demand on the server since most readers still access the website after being notified that there is an update.
5. RSS has no mechanism for allowing publishers to determine how many subscribers they have, nor why users unsubscribe. This is important information for creating marketing strategies.

How Do I Get Started Using RSS?

There are two primary components to RSS: the RSS feed and the RSS aggregator (also called a "feed reader"). If you are interested in subscribing to a particular website, you first need to determine whether or not it has an RSS feed. If so, you can subscribe to the feed using an RSS aggregator, which collects updates from the websites.

There are two types of aggregators. The desktop aggregator is a downloadable program that may require a fee. These aggregators are typically used by professionals who want the ability to customize feeds. Web-based aggregators are usually free. Once you've chosen your aggregator you simply register, choose your feeds, and begin receiving updates.

Internet Marketing and RSS

Increased marketing capability is a byproduct of RSS, which was originally designed to allow users to customize their homepages with links to webpages that interested them. Internet marketers soon realized that their subscribers were a self-selected audience. Simply by subscribing to a website, users were declaring their interest in a particular product or service, and marketers were guaranteed an audience that was already interested in the product on some level.

Users and publishers are increasingly using RSS to manage information and to market products and services. This trend will continue to grow as RSS technology becomes more mainstream and easier to use. To learn more about how you can use RSS to grow your internet marketing campaign, consult an SEO expert or internet marketing company.