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Get Better Search Engine Rankings with RSS
by Satyajeet Hattangadi ©Copyright 2004

RSS is the latest craze in online publishing. But what exactly 
is RSS? 

RSS or Rich Site Syndication is a file format similar to XML, 
and is used by publishers to make their content available to 
others in a format that can be universally understood. 

RSS allows publishers to "syndicate" their content through the 
distribution of lists of hyperlinks. 

It has actually been around for a while, but with the advent of 
spam filters and online blogging, it is fast becoming the choice 
of ezine publishers who want to get their message across to 
their subscribers. 

However, not much attention has been given to the advantages RSS 
provides for search engine optimization. 

Why Search Engines Love RSS

Many SEO experts believe that sites optimized around themes, or 
niches, where all pages correspond to a particular subject or 
set of keywords, rank better in the search engines. 

For example, if your website is designed to sell tennis rackets, 
your entire site content would be focused around tennis and 
tennis rackets. 

Search engines like Google seem to prefer tightly-themed pages.

But where does RSS figure in all this?

RSS feeds, usually sourced from newsfeeds or blogs, often 
correspond to a particular theme or niche. 

By using highly targeted RSS feeds, you can enhance your site's 
content without having to write a single line on your own. 

It's like having your own content writer - writing theme-based 
articles for you - for free! 

How can RSS improve my Search Engine Rankings?

There are three powerful reasons why content from RSS Feeds is 
irresistible bait for search engine spiders. 

1. RSS Feeds Provide Instant Themed Content

There are several publishers of RSS feeds that are specific to 
a particular theme. 

Since the feed is highly targeted, it could contain several 
keywords that you want to rank highly for. 

Adding these keywords to your pages helps Google tag your site 
as one with relevant content. 

2. RSS Feeds Provide Fresh, Updated Content

RSS feeds from large publishers are updated at specific 
intervals. When the publisher adds a new article to the feed, 
the oldest article is dropped. 

These changes are immediately effected on your pages with the 
RSS feed as well. So you have fresh relevant content for your 
visitors every hour or day. 

3. RSS Feeds Result in More Frequent Spidering

One thing I never anticipated would happen as a result of adding 
an RSS feed to my site was that the Googlebot visited my site 
almost daily. To the Googlebot, my page that had the RSS feed 
incorporated into it was as good as a page that was being 
updated daily, and in its judgement, was a page that was worth 
visiting daily. 

What this means to you, is that you will have your site being 
indexed more frequently by the Googlebot and so any new pages 
that you add to your site will be picked up much faster than 
your competitors. 

How does this benefit you as a marketer?

Well, for example, let's says a top Internet Marketer comes out 
with a new product that you review and write up a little article 
on, and that your competitors do the same. 

Google generally tends to index pages at the start of the month 
and if you miss that update, you will probably need to wait till 
the next month to even see your entry in. 

But, since your site has RSS feeds, it now gets indexed more 
frequently. So the chances of getting your page indexed quickly 
are much higher. 

This gives you an advantage over the competition, as your review 
will show up sooner in the search results than theirs. 

Imagine what an entire month's advantage could do to your 
affiliate sales! 

Why Javascript Feeds Are Not Effective

Some sites offer javascript code that generates content sourced 
from RSS feeds for your site. 

These are of absolutely no value in terms of search engine 
rankings, as the googlebot cannot read javascript and the 
content is not interpreted as part of your page. 

What you need is code that parses the RSS feed and renders the 
feed as html content that's part of your page. 

This is achieved using server side scripting languages like PHP 
or ASP. 

A good free ASP script is available from Kattanweb 
http://www.kattanweb.com/webdev/projects/index.asp?ID=7 

An equally good PHP script is CARP 
http://www.geckotribe.com/rss/carp/ 

So in conclusion, besides optimizing on page and off page 
factors, adding RSS feeds to your pages should be an important 
part of your strategy to boost your search engine rankings. 

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Satyajeet Hattangadi is the CEO of Novasoft Inc, a software 
solutions provider, that specializes in affordable customized 
software solutions. http://www.novasoft-inc.com Get the Free 
Email Course "RSS Riches" and learn how to use RSS to get high 
search engine rankings and monetize your website at: 
http://www.trafficturbocharger.com   
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