When Considering RSS And Search Engine Optimisation
RSS and search engine optimisation can go hand and hand to significantly increase web traffic to your site. A RSS feed with a compelling theme is itself a powerful online marketing tool. Here are some simple tips on how to properly manage a RSS feed to maximize your web feed exposure.
The main element that will attract a reader to your feed is the channel title. Write it to attract the visitor’s interest. It is important to have your feed be properly categorized by search engines. Search engines use the channel title in indexing and categorizing feeds. Including keywords in the channel title that communicate your site’s theme is an effective technique to capture attention from both readers and robots.
The channel description should give the reader a general synopsis of the feed’s content. While it is good to include keywords and phrases for search engine optimization, the main purpose is to attract human readers. Therefore make it easy to read. Do not include any HTML in the channel description to keep compatibility with RSS readers. Search engines and RSS feed directories use the channel description when building an index to a feed. This makes a channel description a very important element in RSS structure.
Just like a well written newspaper headline will attract readers, the RSS feed item titles will help lure readers. Make sure to include keywords to get picked up by searches. Do not include any HTML in the titles and they should be no longer than 75 characters.
Proofread your content and correct all grammar, punctuation and spelling errors. Write for humans not robots. You do not want to optimize it to the extent that it is not readable for human beings. You want to capture the reader’s interest so they click through to your site.
Optimize your anchor text with specific keywords and phrases. This will help in getting your feed syndicated and being re posted by other publishers. A properly optimized anchor text will help in search engine website ranking.
Perform regular housecleaning by removing older items in your feed. If feeds become too bulky RSS readers will get bogged down and might not display at all. Consistent pruning of out of date items will keep your feed running smooth.
An effective technique is to use the H1 and H2 header tags to show item titles. Separate URLs with hyphens not underscores. Include keywords in the header tags to optimize your page.
Using an image in your RSS feed is a great way to establish brand recognition. Expert recommend a 88×31 for the size of an image. An image will greatly improve the feed’s appearance in an RSS reader. Warning: make sure to use the full URL of the image otherwise you will get a broken link if the feed is syndicated.
Put a favicon in your domain’s root directory so that RSS feed directories will display your site’s favorite icon. This is is a nice effect that will attract visiters. Keep in mind the balance between optimization techniques and readability. Avoid turning off potential visitor with mistakes by proofreading. These simple tips in using RSS and search engine optimisation will have a great pay back in increase visits to your site.
March 8th, 2010 - Posted in RSS | |
Leave a reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
