How to Syndicate My Content Using RSS

RSS has become popular by the blog explosion, and more of your users are downloading content to their readers everyday. There are several ways that vary in degree of difficulty. To install most RSS feeds, simply follow these steps.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Find the RSS feed that you want to add to your page.
2. Get the code for the RSS feed.
3. Copy the code to your Clipboard or Notepad.
4. Open your editing software.
5. Paste the code into your page.
6. Save the page.
7. FTP the page to your server account.

Overview

8. RSS Management. There are many big web sites that specialize in only one thing. Managing
   your feed and offering it to your users. The downside of this is that, of course, they are going to inject some of their own advertising into your content to cover the cost of providing the service. But it is a quick way to add feeds. Simply cut and paste a few lines of code into your pages and you're ready.
   
9. Feed creator tools. Several smaller Web sites offer a similar service, though they don't actually manage the feed/feeds. Most of them provide a small online tool where you can enter your url into their interface, and it will give you some code, usually Java, to add to your Web site. Definitely a quick, easy solution, and usually all these web sites add to the feed is a link back to their own web site. The down side of this option is that the 'cut and paste' Javascript is not picked up by most search engines at all, so if much of your content is to be offered via your feeds, this may not be your best option.
   
10. Add your own RSS script. Likely, the best solution overall for any Web site, but also the most difficult if you are not adept at PHP or coding. You can easily hire someone to install or create such a script for you, but if you're at least a little oriented with reading html and or PHP, ASP, etc, you can add the script yourself. There are many good, FREE options in this area. You just have to seek them out. Most of the scripts are very light and only take a few minutes to install.

Tips & Warnings

• These are general steps most RSS feed will have specific ones for their feed.
• When editing your Web site, always make a backup copy prior to editing.
• Choosing an option to meet your needs can be a challenge, depending on what services you want to offer through the feed. If you want to serve some of your own advertising within the feed, then you will have a more difficult path than with a personal blog offered to your readers.
• Another factor is how much content to offer, and different feeds can be more easily adjusted than others.