The Pros and Cons of Using RSS Feeds

RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication. RSS typically uses XML files that can be read by a user’s feed reader, which converts the files into an easy-to-read format. This content is distributed in real-time so that the top results on the RSS feed are always the latest published content for a website. RSS Feeds FROM your Station Website If you own a WordPress website, you can easily find your RSS feed by typing the domain and putting a “/feed” at the end (ie https://www.skyrocketradio.com/feed). This will display all of your latest post updates. To get specific category feeds, follow your domain with “/category/(slug-of-category)/feed” (ie. https://www.skyrocketradio.com/category/blog/feed). RSS feeds will allow you to insert your radio station website posts in e-mail newsletters, auto post to social media, display posts on sister radio station websites, and more. The Pros of Using RSS Feeds FROM your Station Website - Automation - Set it and forget it - Cross Promotion - Can Increase Backlinks The Cons of Using RSS Feeds FROM your Station Website - Automation - Duplication - Decreased visitors RSS Feeds ON your Station Website I’ve seen many stations display the latest posts from CMT.com, MTV.com, Rolling Stone, Fox News, CNN, local tv stations, etc. There are few or no pros for displaying RSS feeds like this on your website. The Cons of Using RSS Feeds ON your Station Website - # Reasons for your Visitors to Leave - Google does not count displaying RSS feeds as content What about Importing RSS Content? Most RSS feeds out there only contain short excerpts with links back to the website to get the “meat” of the story. These are not good for importing. However, some RSS feeds contain full articles. While this is the best option, there are pros and cons that you must weigh. The Pros of Importing RSS Content - Fresh Content on a Regular Basis The Cons of Importing RSS Content - Copyright - Image Copyright The corporate law firm of Womble Bond Dickinson posted a great article on this back in 2017 that covers every little thing you should consider with regards to staying safe with third-party content: https://www.womblebonddickinson.com/us/insights/articles-and-briefings/best-practices-using-third-party-content-your-companys-website. - Google/SEO Hit - Not local content The best way to implement imported RSS content is to use it sparingly to increase the value of the local content you are already creating. RSS content should not be the only content you have on your radio station website. Safe Content Providers - Pulse Web Content (United Stations): https://www.pulsewebcontent.com. They also provide the feed in RSS that includes copyright information, etc. - ABC News: Offers importable web content for most music formats as well as national news, entertainment, health, sports, and world news. Contact Mary McCarthy at 201-214-4190 for details. Conclusion RSS feeds can be a valuable tool to bring visitors to your website but use them correctly and responsibly. Do your homework before implementing any strategy that puts a third-party feed on your site and weigh if it adds value to your website.