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