| We've all heard about it-it seems like all the buzz right | | | | if you're running a website on a Windows server. If |
| now in the search engine marketing industry is RSS. | | | | you're using the PHP version of CaRP then you'll want |
| If you're a website owner, than there are two ways | | | | to use PHP pages on your website-or you will need |
| your website can benefit from using RSS on your | | | | to parse your html pages as PHP pages.Finding an |
| website-you can provide an RSS feed or, for the | | | | RSS FeedOnce you've installed the parser script, you'll |
| not-so-technically-inclined folks like me, you can use | | | | want to find the appropriate RSS feed to use on |
| an RSS feed to keep your site's content fresh.RSS is | | | | your website. Keep in mind that a lot of RSS feeds |
| a way to syndicate website content. According to | | | | are provided for "non-commercial use only", so if |
| Wikipedia, "RSS is a family of XML file formats for | | | | your website is a for-profit website you'll need to |
| web syndication used by (amongst other things) | | | | check the terms of using the RSS feed before you |
| news websites and weblogs...the RSS formats | | | | use it.The best way to find an RSS feed is to search |
| provide web content or summaries of web content | | | | for it. Following my real estate example above, |
| together with links to the full versions of the | | | | searching for "rss real estate" (without the quotes) |
| content, and other meta-data." Wikipedia goes on to | | | | finds several feeds. Topix.net provides a real estate |
| say that "A program known as a feed reader or | | | | rss feed. By copying that URL and pasting it into the |
| aggregator can check RSS-enabled web pages on | | | | CaRP code provided by CaRP, you can add that |
| behalf of a user and display any updated articles that | | | | code to any web page on your website and the |
| it finds. It is now common to find RSS feeds on | | | | latest Real Estate News from Topix will automatically |
| major web sites, as well as many smaller ones."If | | | | appear. Another way to find a feed is to look for a |
| you're a website owner, you can use RSS to your | | | | blog on your site's topic. Most blog software includes |
| advantage in two ways: use someone else's RSS | | | | an RSS feed, so searching Google for "keyword blog |
| feed or produce your own RSS feed. 1. Install a | | | | rss" might also help you find a feed you can |
| script on your website-whenever a web page on | | | | use.Adding an RSS feed on your web page won't get |
| your website is loaded the script automatically loads | | | | you high rankings in the search engines. A while back |
| data from an RSS feed. If the RSS feed you choose | | | | I tested this theory a while back by making three |
| to use is the latest news, then the latest news will | | | | nearly identical web pages-one static page, one with |
| appear on your website. This is fairly easy to set up | | | | RSS feed content on it, and another with a live RSS |
| and is good for search engine optimization purposes. | | | | feed on it. It turned out that after all three pages |
| I'll discuss installing an RSS feed script on your | | | | were indexed and ranked, the page with the live RSS |
| website later on in this article.2. Provide an RSS feed | | | | feed actually ranks third-the static page without the |
| of your website's content so others can use it. By | | | | RSS content on it always ranks the best. Search |
| providing an RSS feed of your website's content, | | | | Google for "silly burlywood revenue" and you'll see |
| you're essentially allowing people to use the content | | | | what I mean.Although adding an RSS feed won't get |
| on their website or through their feed reader. In | | | | your page top rankings in Google, there are other |
| either case, you're also providing links back to your | | | | benefits. For example, updating your web page's |
| website, which is good for search engine optimization | | | | content on a regular basis gets the page crawled |
| purposes-it will also get visitors to visit your website. | | | | more often-and more active crawling can contribute |
| Providing an RSS feed of your site's content can be | | | | to other benefits, such as ranking for terms that |
| tricky to set up-or it may not be appropriate if you | | | | appear in the feed on your site as well as causing |
| don't have a lot of content on your website. I'll | | | | new web pages on your site to get indexed faster |
| discuss your options later on in this article.If you're a | | | | than they were before.Providing an RSS Feed of |
| website owner, then chances are you want to keep | | | | Your ContentDepending on your website's content, |
| your website's content fresh. By updating the | | | | providing an RSS feed of your content might be |
| content on a regular basis, the search engine spiders | | | | appropriate. If your website provides news or |
| will take notice-they'll visit your website more often | | | | contains a blog, then publishing an RSS feed might |
| and index the new content and new web | | | | work well. Most blog software automatically publishes |
| pages-which can ultimately bring more visitors to your | | | | an RSS feed of your blog, so you might want to find |
| website. For example, if your website is about real | | | | its URL and start promoting it. If you sell a lot of |
| estate, you might consider including the latest real | | | | products on your website, you might consider making |
| estate news on your website. Users typically search | | | | an RSS feed available-perhaps one that includes your |
| for topics that are related to items in the news, so if | | | | top selling products along with their prices. Other |
| those topics and keywords are included on your | | | | websites might be interested in publishing that data |
| website you can typically be found in the search | | | | for their users, and you would receive more visitors |
| engines for those terms. It's like having your own real | | | | and links back to your website, something that will |
| estate news staff on hand, 24 hours a day, adding | | | | help your site's search engine rankings.Publishing an |
| the latest news on your website.Installing an RSS | | | | RSS feed is a little more complicated, perhaps to |
| Feed on Your WebsiteInstalling an RSS feed on your | | | | lengthy a discussion for this article. However, there |
| website is not as difficult as it sounds. You simply | | | | are many good tutorials out there, including Danny |
| install a script one time-and then anywhere you want | | | | Sullivan's Search Engine Watch article about it, as well |
| the RSS feed to appear you simply pick a feed and | | | | as the RSS tutorial at mnot.net.Whether you use |
| copy and paste some code on your page. The first | | | | RSS to publish your own feed or you use someone |
| thing you need to do is figure out which script to use. | | | | else's feed on your website, both provide great |
| If your website is using an Unix server and has PHP | | | | benefits to website owners-and definitely will |
| installed, the the easiest PHP script I've found is called | | | | continue in the future to be used more and more.Bill |
| CaRP. You will first want to visit the CaRP download | | | | Hartzer is a successful writer and search engine |
| page and download the file. CaRP has a free version | | | | marketing expert who has personally created |
| that you can use on your website. They request that | | | | hundreds of websites over the years. |
| you link back to their website if you use it. Unzip the | | | | Extended bio info:Bill created his first website back in |
| zip file and upload the files to your website using an | | | | 1996 to help promote his former database software |
| FTP program. Then, run the setup file in your web | | | | business. It was then when he learned about the |
| browser, chmod the appropriate files, and continue | | | | power of the search engines and web search, which |
| with the directions given to you in the web browser. | | | | helped potential customers find his business online.Bill |
| Once it's installed, the script will give you code to | | | | Hartzer has over 15 years of professional writing |
| copy and paste wherever your want the RSS feed | | | | experience. He has survived stints as a writer for |
| to be displayed on your website. You can even | | | | television, as well as a technical writer for several |
| change the font, size, and color of the feed by | | | | computer software companies in Florida and in Texas. |
| specifying those attributes before the code.There | | | | Mr. Hartzer combines his writing and online skills to |
| are other RSS parser scripts available, but CaRP is | | | | create compelling and useful websites for |
| the one that I'm more familiar with because its ease | | | | corporations worldwide. Mr. Hartzer focuses on the |
| of use and ease of installation. To find other RSS | | | | optimization in the business to business arena, but |
| parsers, you can search Google for "rss parser | | | | applies these optimization skills to business to |
| script". CaRP is typically used if you have PHP installed | | | | consumer websites, as well. |
| on your website, and RSS parser scripts are available | | | | |