If you’ve gotten past the basics of what RSS feeds are about and how they can benefit you, then you are ready to learn one of the best-kept secrets about presenting your news feed on your website. It’s not enough to simply install an orange RSS button for visitors to click, to see your feed or to fetch the feed address. To really bring benefit to your site, you should display some of the most recent items in your feed directly on your website, even if only a partial presentation of the item descriptions (aka articles).
But how? What code is used to display the news feed? After all, the feed is an XML file not suitable for direct human consumption. It needs to be translated into the HTML code that a browser understands and can present in human-readable form.
The good news is that there are websites out there that offer scripts to do that translation to human-readable text. You can locate them by doing google search on terms like “RSS feed translation”. You will learn that there are basically two kinds of scripts that are up to the job: javascripts and PHP scripts. Think there’s no big deal as to which you should use? Think again.
In making your decision as to using a javascript or a PHP script, keep in mind two important goals pertaining to use of your feed on site. First, search engines appreciate websites that have fresh content posted every so often. Not wholesale changes (that could actually penalize your site), but tidbits of new information, with such information being posted every few weeks. If your website offers fresh content, search engines will reward your site with higher Search Engine Results Page (SERP) placement, even though your page rank remains the same.
Second, if search engines can “see” your fresh content (in other words, if search engine spiders can crawl that content), and if that content is relevant to the theme of your website, you will be further rewarded with increased “importance” (aka page rank). That increased importance will also improve your SERP placement.
So, your opportunity is to display your news feed (say the first couple of most recent items) in a way that presents fresh content that is crawled by spiders. By simply posting a small article every few weeks, your web site will leap upwards on SERP.
Now let’s take a close look at using javascript vs PHP scripts for the feed presentation. Here’s the fundamental difference between the two — and the critical reason for choosing PHP scripts. Javascripts are executed AFTER your webpage is presented to the browser for display to your site visitor. That means that spiders, visiting your site, see the javascript code, not the translated news feed! So, your site doesn’t get credited for fresh content or the theme-relevant content of your feed.
On the other hand, PHP scripts are executed BEFORE the code is presented to your browser. PHP stands for “PHP Hypertext Pre-Processor”. Note the word “Pre-Processor”. This means that your PHP script is executed with your news feed being converted to HTML code before being presented. Spiders visiting your site will, therefore, see the result of script execution, i.e., the HTML code that is your translated news feed (having been translated from XML to HTML). And this means search engines will see your fresh and relevant content — your news feed!
To understand and execute PHP scripts, note that website servers must support PHP. Most do, because PHP is an extremely popular language for website code generation. But if your server does not, ask your hosting organization to support PHP. They are likely to honor your request because of the improved competitive nature of their hosting service as a result.
To turn this into practice, check out the news feed publishing service at Enfeedia If you publish your news feed with Enfeedia (by filling out forms), you will be given the PHP script code snippet to place on your site. Everything else is automatic. Whenever you post an item to your news feed, it appears on your website — no coding necessary, no file uploading to do. You can see an example of on-site display of a news feed at RunAway GetAway Alliance
Don’t waste your news feed! Display even the first two or three most recent news items on your site and watch your SERP placement soar.
Ken Gorman is a developer and operator of numerous websites and an outspoken advocate of RSS New Feeds. He developed Enfeedia to bring RSS news feeds to the general public offering the same benefits from news feeds as enjoyed by major corporations.
vmgbpo @ August 25, 2008
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Niche marketing has been around since the dawn of commerce. Back then it was easy to select a niche. You found a need and filled it, or you inherited the family business. If your town needed a blacksmith, and you had the skills, you became a blacksmith and marketed to those who needed your services. While the basics have not changed (filling a need, providing services or products), much has changed over the centuries, which has caused niches to become more and more specific. Here are some things to avoid when choosing a niche.
Follow your passion. As a niche marketer I have seen this so many times that it borders on the ridiculous. Admittedly, I have given this advice, but it is always tempered with this: not all passions will be profitable online. If it is too obscure, or is not one people spend money on, then your passions will be classified as a hobby and not a money-making business. By all means, continue to follow your passions, put up a blog, or site, or whatever you like; just be realistic about its profitability.
Assuming it’ll work. I’ve made this mistake a few times. You ever get a bright idea and just know it will be the next big thing? Maybe you are right, but you could be wrong, too. Do the research. Is there really as big of a market as you think? Will people pay for what you are offering? Does the niche exist? Will you be creating a new niche? It is not impossible to have a million dollar idea, but be sure you know what you’re doing before acting on pure impulse.
Not having a plan. Let’s say your passion has potential, and your big idea is poised to be a hit. If your research leads you to moving forward it is essential that you have a plan in place. Not having a plan uses up precious energy and resources. It is like travelling without a map. You may get there, but it will take too long and you won’t be sure you have arrived. Your plan does not have to be complicated, nor set in stone, but you do need one.
Michael Oksa These mistakes are made all the time by new people, and pros alike. Avoiding them will give you an edge over the competition. You can virtually eliminate the research at a site like ProHotList. Thousands of niches have been explored and new ideas are added on a regular basis.
vmgbpo @ August 25, 2008
