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Is RSS still relevant in 2024? A look at its possibilities

16 December, 2023

Alejandro Frades

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Imagine a world where accessing the latest news and content from your favorite sites was as simple as glancing at one place. That’s what Really Simple Syndication (RSS) promised in its early days. Today, in a digital environment dominated by social networks and complex algorithms, many wonder if RSS still has a place. In this article, we will rediscover the value of RSS in 2024, considering its impact and relevance for current websites.

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History and Evolution of RSS

Started as a simple content syndication format, RSS allowed users to efficiently follow updates from their favorite websites. Over time, it became an essential tool for online content distribution. Although its popularity has declined with the rise of social networks, RSS remains a robust and reliable option for content management.

RSS vs. Social Networks

Unlike social networks, where algorithms decide what content you see, RSS offers total control over information sources. This is particularly valuable in an era where information overload and algorithm-driven content can be overwhelming. RSS allows users to create a personalized content flow, avoiding distractions and promoting a more focused reading experience.

Is a feed the same as RSS?

Almost, “feed” and “RSS” are often used interchangeably, but in reality, there is a subtle difference between the two terms:

• Feed (feed or content source): This term refers to any online source that produces regularly updated content. It can be a blog, a news website, a podcast channel, a social media page, etc. A feed is essentially a continuous stream of new content published on a website or platform.
• RSS (Really Simple Syndication): RSS is a standard format used to distribute online content in a structured way. It is a technology that allows users to subscribe and automatically receive updates from website feeds in an RSS reader. RSS is used to organize and present the content of a feed in a readable and easy-to-manage way.

Feed Example: Technology news on a website. This blog is the content source. Every day, the blog’s writers publish new articles on technological topics, such as device reviews, industry news, and software tips.

In this case, the blog itself is the “feed” or content source. It is the place where technology-related content is constantly produced and updated.

RSS Example:

Now, to conveniently follow that technology news blog, you can use RSS. Imagine you have an RSS reader, which is an online application or service designed to manage RSS feeds.

In the RSS reader, you can add the URL of the technology news blog you want to follow. The RSS reader uses RSS technology to subscribe to the blog’s feed. What happens next is as follows:

• Every time the technology news blog publishes a new article, that article is automatically formatted into an “RSS feed”.
• Your RSS reader receives that RSS feed and displays it in your application or service.
• Thus, you can see the latest articles from the technology blog in your RSS reader in an organized way without having to visit the blog’s website each time.

Advantages of Using RSS

RSS remains a powerful tool for websites for several reasons:
Personalization and Control: Users can customize their news and content sources, choosing exactly what they want to see.

Efficiency in Content Delivery: RSS provides real-time updates, meaning users receive information as soon as it is available.

Simplicity and Accessibility: RSS is easy to use and integrates with a variety of readers and platforms, making access to content from multiple sources simple and centralized.

SEO Benefits: For website owners, offering an RSS feed can improve visibility and distribution of their content, attracting recurring traffic and improving user engagement.

How do I activate RSS on my WordPress?

If you are using WordPress, here is how to activate and configure RSS on your site:

1. Access your WordPress Admin Panel: Log in to your WordPress website with your username and password.
2. Go to Reading Settings:
   • In the admin panel, go to “Settings” in the left menu.
   • Then, select “Reading”.
3. Configure Reading Options:
   • On the reading settings page, you will find various options related to RSS feeds.
   • In the “For each entry in a feed, show” section, select the number of items you want to show in the RSS feed. This determines how many recent posts will be included in the feed.
4. Save Changes:
   • Scroll down the page and make sure to click the “Save changes” button to apply the settings.
5. Access your RSS Feed:
   • WordPress automatically generates the RSS feed for your website. Your RSS feed URL will be something like “yoursite.com/feed” or “yoursite.com/rss”. You can verify this URL by accessing it in your browser.
6. Add a Link to the RSS Feed on your Site:
   • To allow visitors to your site to subscribe to the RSS feed, you can add a link on your website. This is typically done in the sidebar, footer, or on a dedicated page.
   • To add a link, you can use the “Links” or “Text” widget in WordPress and provide the URL of the RSS feed.
7. Test the RSS Feed: Before making it public, it is good practice to test the RSS feed in an RSS reader to make sure it works correctly and that the content is displayed properly.
8. Publish the RSS Feed Link: Once you have tested the RSS feed and are sure it works correctly, publish the link to the feed on your website so that visitors can subscribe and receive updates.

How to know the RSS of your competitors or a website

1. Look for the RSS Icon: Some websites display an RSS icon on their homepage or content pages. This icon is usually an orange square with white waves. Click on this icon if you find it, as it often leads directly to the RSS feed.
2. Check the Page Source: Inspect the source code of the web page for links to RSS feeds. To do this, follow these steps:
   • Open your competitor’s web page in your browser.
   • Right-click anywhere on the page and select “View Source” or “Inspect” in the context menu, depending on the browser you are using.
   • In the source code window that opens, use the search function (usually Ctrl+F or Cmd+F) and search for the word “RSS” or “feed”. This will help you find potential links to the RSS feed.
3. Use Online Tools: There are online tools that can help you find the RSS feed of a website, even if it is not clearly displayed on the page. Some of these tools allow you to enter the URL of the website and return the link to the RSS feed if available.
4. Explore the Subscription or Contact Section: Sometimes, websites include links to the RSS feed on their “Subscription” or “Contact” pages. Check these out, as it’s a common place to provide access to the feed.
5. Ask the Site Owner: If you cannot find a website’s RSS feed any other way, you can try contacting the site owner and ask if they offer an RSS feed and what its URL is.
6. Use an RSS Reader: If you have a URL that you think might be the RSS feed, try adding it to your RSS reader. If it’s a valid feed, the reader will recognize it and start displaying content.

Tools to Organize Your RSS

1. Feedly: Feedly is one of the most popular RSS readers. It offers an intuitive interface that allows you to organize your feeds into categories, mark articles as favorites, and share content on social networks. It is also available as a mobile app.
2. Inoreader: Inoreader is another versatile RSS reader that lets you organize your feeds into folders and tags. It offers advanced features like searching for specific content and the ability to create rules for automated organization.
3. Pocket: While Pocket is primarily known as a tool for saving and reading later, it can also function as an RSS reader. You can add RSS feeds to your Pocket account and read the articles whenever you want.
4. The Old Reader: This RSS reader resembles the old version of Google Reader and is appreciated for its simplicity. It allows you to organize your feeds into folders and share content with other users.
5. NewsBlur: NewsBlur is an RSS reader with social functions. You can follow other users’ activities, comment on articles, and organize your feeds into categories. It also offers a preview of articles before opening them.
6. Feedreader: Feedreader is a free and open-source RSS reader that you can install on your own computer or server. This gives you greater control over your feeds and content organization.
7. Netvibes: Netvibes is a personal dashboard platform that allows you to organize your RSS feeds along with widgets and other sources of information on a single customized dashboard.
8. Flipboard: If you prefer a more visual reading experience, Flipboard is an interesting option. It organizes feeds into digital magazines that you can flip through like a real magazine.
9. Feedbin: Feedbin is an RSS reading subscription service that gives you access to a clean and easy-to-use interface for organizing your feeds and articles.
10. Tiny Tiny RSS: Similar to Feedreader, Tiny Tiny RSS is an open-source application that you can host on your own server. This gives you total control over your RSS feeds.

Practical Case of Using RSS for a Marketing Agency and a WordPress User

For a Marketing Agency: Suppose a digital marketing agency wants to stay up-to-date with the latest trends in its industry, as well as monitor its competitors’ activities and news relevant to their clients. The agency can use RSS in the following ways:

1. Monitoring Trends and Competitors: The agency can subscribe to RSS feeds of leading digital marketing websites, industry blogs, and publications related to their clients. This allows them to receive real-time updates on the latest trends, case studies, and marketing strategies.
2. Content Curation for Social Networks: Using an RSS aggregator, the agency can filter and select relevant content to share on their clients’ social networks. This helps maintain an active and up-to-date presence on the networks, offering valuable content for their clients’ audience.
3. Competitive Reports: The agency can follow the RSS feeds of competitor websites and blogs to keep an eye on their strategies and market movements. This allows them to react quickly and adjust their own strategies.

For a WordPress User: A blogger or website owner using WordPress can leverage RSS to increase traffic and interaction with their content. Here are some ways to do so:

1. Content Syndication: By enabling the RSS feed on their WordPress site, the user can make their content easily available to their readers. Followers can subscribe to the feed and receive notifications of new posts, increasing repeat visits to the site.
2. Integration with Content Aggregators: By submitting their RSS feed to popular content aggregators (Feedly, Flipboard, etc.), the WordPress user can reach a wider audience. This is especially useful for new or growing sites looking to gain visibility.
3. Automated Content Curation: The WordPress user can use plugins that allow displaying RSS feeds from other relevant sites on their page, providing additional valuable content for their visitors and encouraging greater interaction on the site.

Less Common Uses

1. Product Price Tracking: You can use RSS to follow the prices of online products. Some websites offer specific RSS feeds for products or categories, allowing you to receive notifications when prices drop.
2. Job Offer Monitoring: If you’re job hunting, you can subscribe to RSS feeds from job search websites with specific filters. This way, you’ll receive notifications when jobs matching your criteria are posted.
3. Monitoring Changes on Web Pages: Use web page change monitoring tools that generate RSS feeds. This will allow you to receive updates when a specific web page changes its content, ideal for tracking news or product updates.
4. Flight Notifications and Shipment Tracking: Some airline services and shipping companies offer RSS feeds that let you track the status of flights or shipments. You can subscribe to receive real-time updates.
5. Tracking Educational Content: On educational websites, such as universities or online learning platforms, you can subscribe to RSS feeds of courses, events, or conferences to stay informed about learning opportunities.
6. Blog Comment Control: If you manage a blog, you can use RSS feeds to monitor comments on your posts. This will allow you to receive immediate notifications when someone comments on your blog and respond quickly.
7. Tracking New Additions in Libraries: Some libraries offer RSS feeds to keep you informed about new book acquisitions or materials in your area of interest.
8. Security Alert Tracking: If you’re concerned about online security, some cybersecurity websites offer RSS feeds of alerts and vulnerabilities, allowing you to stay on top of the latest threats.
9. Notifications of Changes in Terms and Conditions: You can use RSS to monitor changes in the terms and conditions of online services, such as social networks or shopping websites. This will help you stay informed about important updates.
10. Online Auction Tracking: If you participate in online auctions, some sites offer RSS feeds to follow the status of your bids and receive real-time updates.

Conclusion

Despite changes in the digital landscape, RSS maintains its relevance for 2024. It provides an efficient and customizable alternative to social media platforms, allowing users and website owners to stay connected with their audience in a direct and unfiltered way. In a world where content is king, RSS offers a realm where simplicity and customization reign, demonstrating that sometimes the oldest solutions can still be incredibly effective. If you want to protect your website and keep it secure while taking advantage of RSS, consider the Wordfence tool an excellent option for enhancing the security of your website while staying up-to-date with the latest content trends.

Frequently Asked Questions about RSS

What is RSS and how does it work?

RSS, which stands for Really Simple Syndication, is a web distribution format that allows users to access updates from their favorite websites automatically and in an organized manner. It works by subscribing to ‘feeds’ from websites, which automatically send the latest updates to an RSS reader.

Is technical knowledge necessary to use RSS?

No, one of the advantages of RSS is its simplicity. Users can easily subscribe to RSS feeds with just a few clicks, and managing these feeds is done through intuitive interfaces in RSS readers.
How can I find a website’s RSS feed?

Many websites have an RSS icon, usually an orange square with white waves, that links directly to their RSS feed. You can also look on the homepage or in the contact section of the site to find the RSS feed link.

What types of content can I follow with RSS?

You can follow almost any type of regularly published online content, such as news, blogs, website updates, podcasts, and more. If a website updates its content regularly, it likely offers an RSS feed.

Can I share content from my RSS feeds on social networks?

Yes, many RSS readers have options for sharing content directly on social networks, making it easy to distribute interesting information to your followers.

Is RSS safe? Are there privacy risks?

RSS is generally safe and respects privacy, as it does not require you to log in or share personal information.

Is RSS Safe? Are There Privacy Risks?

RSS is generally safe and respects privacy, as it does not require you to log in or share personal information. However, it is always important to verify the security and reputation of the RSS reader you choose to use.