Using RSS feeds

If you're an avid blogger, chances are that you read a whole lot of other blogs. It can be time consuming to keep track of every single blog you're interested in by actually visiting the blog to see if it's updated.

The good news is that you don't have to if you use RSS feeds. Now, I know 'RSS feed' is a funny name but really there's nothing to it!

An RSS feed is kind of like getting email from a website. Once you're subscribed to an RSS feed using a reader, you automatically receive the new content as an email every time the blog is updated.

Some popular readers include Google Reader and Technorati (which can also be used to promote your blog, as we'll see in a minute) but there are hundreds!

Here's a quick video that explains RSS feeds in plain English.



Of course, the other great thing about RSS feeds is that you can use them to promote your blog. You can do this by signing up for an account with RSS providers like Technorati and Feedburner. Keeping track of your feed in this way allows you to see how many subscribers you have and gives you access to a range of other methods for promoting your blog.

It's also a good idea to 'ping' search engines and other services using site such as Ping-o-Matic.

Ping-o-Matic sends out a 'ping' to tell everyone that your blog has been updated. All you need to do is enter the address of your blog and...'ping' - out it goes! This is especially good for telling search engines you've updated as Google loves websites with brand-new content.