An XML-based content format, RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is the primary format used to gather and organize web content spanning various blogs and news sites. When content is placed into RSS and sent to other people or websites, it is known as a RSS feed. Content from various blogs is gathered, combined, arranged and finally displayed in single location known as a feed reader.

How Does RSS Work

RSS feeds keep your audiences updated about your latest blog posts and make it easy for readers to access content on your blog. It saves people time of having to bookmark your blog and having to visit it repeatedly to read new posts. Instead with RSS feeds when audiences subscribe to blogs, they automatically receive the feed for every blog they’ve subscribed to and can read the content in a single location using a feed reader.

Subscribers to your blog are intimated of any content updates you make to your existing blog through RSS feeds. RSS has now become an integral part of the web and all Internet browsers support RSS. Popular search engines such as Yahoo and Google offer built-in RSS feeds once you log into the personalized page of these search engines such as iGoogle and MyYahoo. Bloglines is popular feed reader software that can read the feeds you subscribe to.

Benefits of RSS to your Blog

A major benefit of creating an RSS feed for your blog is to generate more web traffic. If readers subscribe to your blog, they will get updates about blog every time they open their RSS readers. This in turn will ensure that your blog remains fresh in their minds and have them visit your blog frequently, resulting in more hits for your blog. RSS feeds means that you are not spamming your subscribers through emails or newsletters, which can get blocked by spam filters, or can annoy your subscribers. RSS feeds are an ideal way to serve content to your audience in an unobtrusive yet noticeable fashion.

Creating a RSS feed for your Blog

Most blogging host platforms such as Blogger and WordPress automatically create RSS feeds. Using these platforms saves the time, money and effort required to buy software that creates RSS feeds. However, if you are proficient in writing XML codes, it is possible to create RSS feeds on your own.