What RSS Really Means
Every internet user has seen the orange buttons on websites that have the little broadcast wifi looking symbol, right? But did you know what those little orange buttons do, or what they stand for? Those buttons symbolize RSS, otherwise known as really simple syndication or rich site summary. What RSS is, is a clever way to aggregate updated content and news from a website that is most relevant to you. So rather than spending hours scrolling through your favorite blogs and websites, if you subscribe to an RSS feed, you get the news sent directly to your RSS reader!
According to industry trends and statistics, there are more than 12.6 million websites currently using RSS feed technology. So the question then is, how do you search RSS that you want? Is there some sort of RSS search engine, RSS search hub, or RSS directory? Why, yes, there are RSS search engine that can help you further narrow your query. In fact, there are dozens if not hundreds of RSS search engine to help you find your way.
Certain websites or search engines, such as CNN or Yahoo, serve as an RSS search engine by providing direct links to the news you want. For example, the RSS feed directory on CNN distinguishes between RSS for U.S. News, World News, Business, Technology, Health, you get the idea. This type of RSS search engine, so to speak, fine tunes (even further) the news you want so that your RSS reader is not being inundated with every headline of the day. Let us be honest, who really cares about the Real Housewives or celebrity gossip? I digress. Anyway, once you subscribe (an RSS search engine can link you to blogs, podcasts, or other sites, too), updated content will be sent directly to your reader.
If you are the owner of a blog or site looking to incorporate RSS technology into your site, it is a fairly simple process. Simply input some code into the HTML editor of your website. If you want to link an RSS feed from another website onto your site, you simply need to insert the URL into your HMTL editor. There are many benefits to being a publisher of an RSS feed. Not only can you reach bigger audiences, but an RSS feed improves the search engine optimization ranking of your site, too (that is a heck of a lot cheaper and easier than many other internet marketing strategies)! As soon as you do this, your RSS feed will likely be picked up by an RSS search engine or two.