RSS is an abbreviation for Rich Site Summary (also known as Really Simple Syndication) and is a type of content feed format used to publish websites that are updated frequently, such as blogs, news sites, audio and video sites.
Many blogs and news sites use RSS to attract readers. Avid readers often subscribe to the websites they want to follow and view news and content headlines in a summary list. For example, some journalists will use RSS to keep up with news or stories, including content from a business or government press office. Here are some simple practical tips for developing websites with frequently published content, such as blogs or press centers.
Some best practices for promoting RSS
- Promote the visibility of your RSS on your website in an accessible area as well as on the sitemap page
- Use a standard RSS button/icon
- Make sure your RSS feed is available on the page of your individual post/article
- Add a link to your RSS feed to your sitemap
- Place your RSS feed on Linkedin if you are lazy and don’t want to selectively promote articles
- Subscribe to RSS yourself and follow other sites, blogs, and competitors to personally generate ideas
- Use SEO best practices for headlines and snippets with published content pieces
- Use a web-based feed management tool, such as Feedburner.com, to access feed statistics and analytics
- Submit your RSS feed to Ping-O-Matic