RSS, Semantics and Social Sharing – “Feed me Seymour!”

It’s time to EAT!

When it comes to RSS (Really Simple Syndicate) Feeds, I’d say “feed” is a most appropriate term. You are hungry for visibility which results in conversions, revenue, visitors, new members and increased reach. Who isn’t hungry for some of that?! Well, your visitors are hungry for content. So how do these three terms satisfy all the hunger? Let’s take a look.

Semantics and SEO

In her article, “How Google’s Semantic Search Will Change SEO” – Erin Everhart describes Semantics as using, “…artificial intelligence in order to understand the searcher’s intent and the meaning of the query rather than parsing through keywords like a dictionary.” This is a simple straightforward way to start thinking about Semantics.

It’s important not to get bogged down just yet in the logistics of how to strategically create semantic content. We can tackle that later. For now our goal is to gain a general understanding of what it is and its function.

Let’s keep it simple. Semantic connectivity is the relationship factor between keywords and phrases that a user is typing in to conduct a search. In the old days (a few years ago) one of the main focuses and strategies was on using direct key words to create a connection between the content and the user. The Search Engine would crawl and return content based on those exact keywords.

Today with advancing technology, companies like Google can use tools that search content based on the connection of words and phrases to help put a user in front of relative and desired content. This is very powerful. In the past, a search term like “Top places to eat great BBQ” might have broken the Search Engine! Well, maybe it wouldn’t have broken it literally but it likely wouldn’t have given you what you were looking for. It would have returned results based on the exact words you typed in – kind of like a dictionary. These days, the search engine is able to use algorithms that assess the relativity and connection of the words and return the relative content that you are looking for.

By now you should be starting to grasp the power behind semantics. For a slightly more in depth look at the process, take a look at Sergio Redondo’s, “SEO 101: What is Semantic Search and Why Should I Care?”

Developing a strategy can be involved but now that we have a basic understanding, let’s move on to the next dish…

Social Media and Sharing

Social media and sharing simply put is being a part of an online community or social network and the use of tools that allow the sharing of media and content between community members.

Even if you have been hiding under a rock for most of the last decade or two… you’ve likely used (or at least know of) several of the social media tools and websites that exist today. Social media and online connection has been growing even in “non-tech-savvy” circles.

In studies that take a look at those who might be considered “Digital Immigrants” or non-tech-savvy – a consistent annual increase is shown in the use of social media sites. My dad who is in his 70’s has a difficult time bringing himself to use text messages to communicate just out of preference. He is a, “Digital Immigrant” but even he has a Facebook account that stays up to date. He even knows how to like, share and follow!

In today’s younger generation, it’s no secret that social media usage is off the charts. You can take a look at some interesting stats presented in this collaborative Pew Research Center article about Social Media Usage.

That being said, you can see the power behind Social Media Sharing and using it in developing online content or marketing strategies.

Now for desert!

Really Simple Syndication (RSS)

If you are unfamiliar with RSS Feeds, it is probably the easiest of the three concepts presented in the article to grasp and start implementing.

Essentially taking online content (such as this article) and making it available via RSS allows other users to connect to that content instantly and be notified of changes or new content as it is published. The beauty of RSS is that it also cuts down on and save a user time which these days, is truly a hot commodity.

This is accomplished using an RSS reader. One of my favorite feed readers is the Feedly reader. A feed reader creates an environment that allows a user to subscribe to a website’s blog or article content via its RSS Feed via a link or little button with a universal “RSS” symbol. Typically when clicked, it will present the user with a page of code – some applications will allow an instant one-click subscription. If presented with the code for the RSS, the next step would be to copy the URL in the address bar on this page of code into the RSS reader application.

Somewhere in the application there will be a place to add the URLs of the feeds you want to subscribe to. In Feedly, you simply paste the link into an input box and you are good to go:

You can keep adding feeds and this is where you can keep track of your favorite content all in one place. It’s powerful for users who want to keep track of new content and stay connected while saving time.

You’ve been served!

I hope you enjoyed this brief three-course explanation of few tools that help can maximize your efforts. If you found any of this information to be of value to you…

Please share and remember…don’t go hungry – subscribe to our RSS Feed!

« Previous post

No comments yet. You should be kind and add one!

By submitting a comment you grant Design on Target a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution. Inappropriate and irrelevant comments will be removed at an admin’s discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only, it will never be shared.