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RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication". On the internet, it provides a method to easily distribute a list of headlines, update notices, and sometimes content to a wide number of people throughout the online community. It is used by computer programs that organize those headlines and notices for easy reading.

• The benefits of RSS

The majority of people who use the internet are only interested in websites where new content and changes are made on a regular schedule. These may include websites that are news sites, community blogs, religious organization information pages, product information pages, medical websites, and weblogs. The advantage of RSS takes away the tedious chore of constantly checking each website to see if there is any new content.

• How does RSS work?

The process of RSS works by letting the website author maintain a list of notifications on their website in a standard way. This list of changes and notifications is called an "RSS Feed". When you find an interesting website where the content is updated regularly, you can sign up to the RSS feed and receive notifications on the latest headlines or changes.  

For example many SEO companies will sign up to many feeds including the Google blog, SEO Moz and econsultancy where updates, news, controversial topics, tips and professional views  within the online community can be accessed daily through notifications.

This keeps leading SEO companies such as Goy Media abreast of what is new and important within the industry whilst also making sure that we are ahead of the game. The same rule will apply for our clients websites where they may run a daily blog providing regular new content featuring product updates, special promotions and industry news allowing their customers to receive notifications as and when changes are made.

There are specially designed computer programs which are called "RSS aggregators" and these are developed to automatically access the RSS feeds of websites that a person may care about. The RSS aggregators or RSS readers then organize the results. Most website templates powered by word press and CMS now provide this feature. The majority of websites now provide access to an RSS feed such as the BBC being a good example.

RSS is set up to provide very basic information when it notifies you. Normally it will be a list format where items are presented in order from newest to oldest. Each item in the RSS list will usually consist of a simple title describing the item along with a more complete description and a link to a web page with the actual information being described. Sometimes this description is the full information you want to read (such as the content of a weblog post) and sometimes it is just a summary.

The RSS information is situated on a single file on a website in a manner similar to normal web pages. The information is coded in the XML computer language for use by an RSS aggregator programme.

RSS aggregator programs

A RSS aggregator works similar to a web browser for RSS content. RSS aggregators automatically analyse RSS feeds for any new items on a continual basis, which makes it possible to keep track of changes to multiple websites without needing to tediously read and re-read each of the websites.

RSS aggregators detect any additions to the website that has been signed up to the RSS feed and they then present them all together in a compact and useful manner. Readers can quickly check the title and description of an item to see if it is of interest, then they can simply click the link to be brought instantly to the related web page for reading.   

Here is a screen shot of an RSS aggregator in action. See the list from the RSS feed being monitored, along with an indication of the number of unread items in each feed.

It will also provide a quick view of the article and a link to the actual article on the website that you have subscribed to.

• There are many RSS aggregators available. Some are accessed through a browser, some are integrated into email programs, and some run as a standalone application on your personal computer.
• It is now very common for websites to have RSS feeds and they can be a great way of promoting websites content and of course acquiring links and exposure. The orange button with the letters "XML" or "RSS" is what people can then click to sign up to an RSS feed.  
• Maximising your website with good content and regular updates which also provides information that is useful to people will be a key component in having readers subscribe to your RSS feed.