Web Syndication 

Business > Double Click

Web Syndication

Using online content syndication to drive up readership and website traffic.

FROM: NOV-DEC 2007 ISSUE | BY ROBIN DAY

Most people have a few favourite websites they pop into on a regular basis to catch up on the latest news. Now it’s possible to save yourself time by having published updates delivered directly to your desktop.

Web-based syndication allows publishers of online content to make updates available to users automatically. The content can include anything from corporate newsletters to new blog postings or press releases.

Receivers of syndicated content can view it in their browser, display the content on their own website, or use specialized software called an aggregator to monitor a large number of sites for changes, eliminating the need to periodically check for updates.

Why Syndication?

The increasing demand for online privacy is partly responsible for the current popularity of Web-based syndication. Users can subscribe to feeds anonymously, reducing the risk of attracting spam. The ability to automatically monitor an unlimited number of sites for new content is a huge advantage. This is especially true when the user is another website which incorporates the subscribed content into its own pages.

Another advantage to users is the ability to cut to the chase and view new content without having to surf through a series of menus and advertisements.

From a content provider’s perspective, feeds keep site visitors up to date without storage of their personal information. Other benefits include instant dissemination of changes and reduced reliance on search engine rankings to generate repeat visits.

Who Is Using Syndication?

Syndication is being used by everyone from major news publishers to corporate Web developers, and even the kid down the street. The media is a major user of syndication, allowing users to subscribe to everything from headline news services to full-text versions of publications. Apple uses feeds extensively on the iTunes website to offer audio and video podcasts for download. Even college and university professors are getting into the act, using syndication to deliver traditional course materials and live lectures via podcast, which can be accessed on a computer or downloaded to handheld multimedia devices such as iPods or cellphones.

Creating Feeds

The process of Web syndication begins with the creation of an XML (eXtensible Markup Language) file called a feed. Feed creation is a technical process and there are different tools available to facilitate it. A search for RSS, Atom, or “Web feeds” will yield plenty of results to assist you in exploring this process.

The developer of the feed can determine how much content is provided, meaning how much content the user receives automatically without having to visit the website. Some choose to provide only headlines or basic information to drive traffic to their website for more details, while others include summaries of changes or the full content.

Once the feed has been created, a link is typically placed on the website so that visitors can simply click on the link to subscribe. The link is frequently in the form of a logo, and clicking on it will start the subscription. Unsubscribing is equally easy: simply delete the feed from your feed-reading service or software.

Reading Feeds

A wide variety of feed-reading applications (aggregators) are available. They range from stand-alone applications to online aggregator services that permit users to view their subscriptions from anywhere they have access to a Web browser. Prices range from freebies to pay-for-play tools offering enhanced features.

All provide similar core features, such as the ability to categorize subscriptions and an on-screen display of the number of unread articles in each category. Some also offer more advanced features including auto-discovery of new feeds, translation to multiple languages, and even conversion to audio files, which can be downloaded and played back on handheld devices.

Successful Syndication

Putting a logo on your website will not necessarily bring the masses to your door. You need to get the word out that you offer syndicated content and make it worthwhile for people to subscribe. This, in turn, means your Web content needs to be dynamic to ensure your site makes frequent appearances in your subscribers’ feed reader. That involves constantly developing new content.

Getting users to actually read their subscriptions can be another challenge. In a classic case of too much of a good thing, users can get carried away and end up subscribing to far more feeds than they can possibly read. It makes me wonder how long it will take for someone to develop a way to summarize all those summaries.

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