Keep web traffic coming back to your site. Many web site companies, including a la mode's Appraiser XSites, allow appraisers to show RSS Feeds. But . . .What is it? and what does it do for YOU!?
RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. It allows other sites (Yahoo!® News, Inman®, The New York Times®, Appraisal Scoop) to publish news stories, blogs, podcasts, and video blogs to your site automatically, so you’ve always got highly targeted, current content.
Why is RSS important? It’s no secret that search engines reward sites with fresh, relevant content with a boost in search engine ranking. They also look for links between your site and other websites, especially sites that have similar content that's relevant to the industry, or local content.
RSS feeds will keep your visitors on your site longer, and will keep them coming back. Plus, if you have a specialty, you can choose a RSS feed that gives visitors the impression that you’re the unrivaled expert.
- Do you specialize in relocation appraisals? Add an RSS about local news or economic conditions.
- Are you a commercial appraiser? Add an RSS about commercial news.
- New construction appraisers can add an RSS feed about construction trends.
Click HERE to continue reading how to add an RSS feed to Appraisal Scoop!
How does it work? Adding a RSS feed to your XSite is really easy. But first, you need to decide what news you want to have on your site. Doing a simple Google search for “RSS Feed directories” will give you a ton of choices. Here are a couple of suggestions:
- www.topix.net
- http://news.yahoo.com/rss
- Local newspapers often publish RSS feeds, so check their websites
Once you’ve found the news that you want to have on your site, look for the RSS Feed icon or text link, and copy the URL for the feed.
If you've got an Appraiser's XSite and want to add the Appraisal Scoop RSS feed, follow these simple steps.
- Log into your XSite and go to the “My Content” step of the XSite Wizard.
- Add a new custom page and enter a button name [example: RSS News Feed], web address, and Page Title .
- Then check the RSS Feeds box.
- Click the “customize” button to add your feed.
- Enter [Appraisal Scoop] in the "Feed Section Title"
- Click the Add Feed button and paste the Appraisal Scoop RSS feed in to the Feed Path Box
( http://appraisalnewsonline.typepad.com/appraisal_news_for_real_e/atom.xml ).
(Be sure to leave out the http://)
Click Save in the “Add Feed” window and the “RSS Feeds” window. - Save your content page and you’re all set.
Can I add RSS feeds to my non-XSite website?
Yes! Using an RSS to Javascript service is a free and very simple way to add RSS feeds to your website. After providing a few details, such as the URL of the feed you want to show, you will receive a small bit of Javascript code to add to a web page on your site.
The first place that I would start is your web site hosting company. Since my site is hosted by XSite, that's what I used for an example.
But . . . If your site is hosted by GoDaddy.com, or one of the other commercial site hosting companies, they may already offer a built-in solution to RSS feeds.
If not, you can try a 3rd party solution to creating the necessary code to embed the RSS feed:
Here's a site that could work for you: http://www.rssmixer.com/
You can also use what's called a Widget. A Widget is also a script you can paste into a page or "sidebar" on your site. Generally it's in some soft of "skin" or frame, but many are customizeable to brand it with the same colors or fonts as your site.
Here's a site that you can consider: http://www.feedzilla.com/
Author: Brian J. Davis, RAA - Brian Davis & Associates - Brian has over 24 years of appraisal experience in Central, IL and hosts the Appraisal Scoop blog, the WinTOTAL Users Group email forum and the Appraisers Water Cooler social networking platform.
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