RSS is not quite a household word, but technically astute
individuals are adopting the use of RSS feeds at an
alarming rate. If you are interested in jumping on the
bandwagon, but not quite sure of where to start, consider
following these simple RSS feed tips to maximize feed
compatibility and make your feed stand out from the crowd.

RSS DO's

1. Titles and Descriptions.

Always include meaningful keywords in your RSS feed's
Channel title and description. Many readers will view or
search for topic specific RSS feeds using keywords or
keyword phrases. If you have descriptive keywords in your
RSS feed's title and description the feed is more likely to
be located and subscribed to by interested parties.

2. GUID Format.

Always include a GUID with each feed item. The GUID is a
globally unique identifier. Each post should use a
different GUID. The GUID will in some cases assist RSS news
readers and aggregation software in determining when new
content has been added to the RSS feed or when existing
content in an RSS feed has been modified. If you do not use
GUID's, the software used to aggregate the feeds may have
difficulty detecting changes to feed items or the software
may not always recognize new content.

3. Publish Dates.

Always include a publish date on feed items. The publish
date should be used even if the content is timeless. The
Publish Date will help readers determine that status of the
content contained in the feed item.

4. Polish Your Feed.

Consider including images within your RSS feed. While the
added images will not necessarily improve ranking, they
will add a polished look to your RSS feed and help brand
your feed.

5. Feed Hosting.

Either host your own feed, or set it up to forward to a
third party from your website. This will allow you retain
complete control over the RSS feed. You will not need to
rely on the stability of another company. If you control
the forwarding and at any point you are dissatisfied with
the service provided by the third party, you can redirect
the feed to another location.

RSS DON'Ts

1. Plagiarize.

Do not plagiarize content in your RSS feed, there is little
more to be said. Written words are considered protected in
most countries. Posting someone else's work and taking
credit for their words is wrong and will damage your
reputation as a credible source.

2. Splog.

Do not create splogs by automating feed creation. Splogs
just clutter the search engines and directories and make it
difficult to locate RSS feeds with meaningful content.

3. Violate Copyrights.

Do not violate copyrights by republishing an RSS feeds
contents. If you quote content from another RSS feed,
credit the source and provide and link to the original
source of the content. As a rule of thumb, editorial
content should exceed the length of the quoted material in
the post.

4. Violate TOS.

Do not republish RSS feeds without confirming that feed
syndication is allowed. The terms of use are not always
apparent, so it is important that you check the terms of
service on the publisher's feed subscription page prior to
syndicating the contents of another publisher's RSS feed.

5. Provide Multiple Feed Formats.

Do not provide multiple feed formats for the same content.
As far as the subscriber is concerned, the version of RSS
that you are using is irrelevant. Multiple versions of the
same feed simply cause confusion. Almost all RSS readers
and news aggregators support all versions of RSS, simply
choose a version and provide a single feed.

By adopting good feed practices, you can reap the benefits
of having an RSS feed. Following these simple RSS do's and
don'ts will get you started on the path to RSS success.


About the Author:

Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll
http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing,
publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon
manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a
wireless text messaging software company.