Syndicating your RSS Feeds

RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is an increasingly popular method to syndicate website content and promote websites. Just as your web site can (and should) be submitted to search engines, your RSS feeds can also be submitted to RSS feed-specific directories and search tools.

Carefully follow the submission guidelines provided by each directory. Make sure you are not submitting an unrelated feed, a feed with bad code, or a feed with poor descriptions. Carefully choose your feed's category and only submit to relevant categories.

Many RSS search engines and directories allow you to freely submit RSS feeds. Feed directories are generally categorized by subject. Web surfers looking for RSS feeds about a specific subject will often search the RSS directories to find feeds that match their criteria. Topic-specific and podcasting RSS directories are also gaining popularity.

Make sure your RSS feed is compliant! The best feed in the world won't be read if the feed code is bad. Use a website like http://feedvalidator.org to make sure your code is valid.

When submitting to RSS feed directories, keep the following in mind:

As with many things in life, quality trumps quantity. It is always best to submit your RSS feeds to reputable RSS feed directories. A good criteria is to check the directory's Google Page Rank. Good directory placement increase the number of sites linking to your website, increases your link popularity, and raises your feed's profile.

Try to find niche directories suitable for your feed. For example, if your web site covers Real Estate, focus your efforts into finding Real Estate RSS directories, and submit your feed there.

To find RSS directories, do a search for 'rss directories' in your favorite search engine. Several web sites contain comprehensive directory lists that you can use as a starting point.

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