R
randy
Guest
Like everybody else, I've heard a million pros talking about how you have to do something with RSS. The problem, typical of most hot topics, was information overload. Weeding through site after site I found that most of the content, tools, etc. was aimed at bloggers, affiliate marketers and, in general, for people a hell of a lot smarter than me.
Unlike most of the talk around RSS, I don't have a blog yet (someday) and my only goal at this point with RSS is to provide my new site with fresh, spiderable (is that a word?) content as I take my first steps up mount google. Anyway, I found an important point in my search that, being completely new to web design and programming, I didn't even know to look for. That point is that the means to the end is just as important as the end itself. This may be old hat for most of you but for fellow newbies, you can get RSS feeds on your website via java script or html. Both will get you the same result, information on your site for users to view, but the java script approach will not help you at all with the fresh content piece that the search engines are looking for. Again, my knowledge on Java script ends at spelling the two words but just make sure that the solution you use (if you're intent is to provide spider food) is not java script based. If I'm butchering this concept, techies feel free to correct me...I know what I mean...I think.
To make a long post longer I found a very easy way to get RSS feeds on my site. I stumbed on an article that talked about the process and a free product called RSS2HTML. You can get it at rsshtml.com. The full article is here http://www.guruofinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=31
Long story short, in 3 steps you can put feeds on your site:
1) Download the freeware (2 files- a php file and a template file)
2) Upload the two files to your web host.
3) Create a link for a full page of RSS feed info or tweak two lines in the php file to be able to place the RSS feed into a specific spot in an existing page.
Both the article (which took the bulk of his info from the site) and the documentation on the site itself handhold you through the steps and the tweaks to make to the code.
I put a feed on my homepage today in about an hour, which is probably about 45 minutes longer than it would take most of you. I hope some others finally get over the RSS hurdle too.
Unlike most of the talk around RSS, I don't have a blog yet (someday) and my only goal at this point with RSS is to provide my new site with fresh, spiderable (is that a word?) content as I take my first steps up mount google. Anyway, I found an important point in my search that, being completely new to web design and programming, I didn't even know to look for. That point is that the means to the end is just as important as the end itself. This may be old hat for most of you but for fellow newbies, you can get RSS feeds on your website via java script or html. Both will get you the same result, information on your site for users to view, but the java script approach will not help you at all with the fresh content piece that the search engines are looking for. Again, my knowledge on Java script ends at spelling the two words but just make sure that the solution you use (if you're intent is to provide spider food) is not java script based. If I'm butchering this concept, techies feel free to correct me...I know what I mean...I think.
To make a long post longer I found a very easy way to get RSS feeds on my site. I stumbed on an article that talked about the process and a free product called RSS2HTML. You can get it at rsshtml.com. The full article is here http://www.guruofinfo.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=31
Long story short, in 3 steps you can put feeds on your site:
1) Download the freeware (2 files- a php file and a template file)
2) Upload the two files to your web host.
3) Create a link for a full page of RSS feed info or tweak two lines in the php file to be able to place the RSS feed into a specific spot in an existing page.
Both the article (which took the bulk of his info from the site) and the documentation on the site itself handhold you through the steps and the tweaks to make to the code.
I put a feed on my homepage today in about an hour, which is probably about 45 minutes longer than it would take most of you. I hope some others finally get over the RSS hurdle too.
