Newsreader subscription to rss feed

More and more people keep up-to-date with their favourite blogs through the use of Newsreaders. Recent statistics from FeedBurner suggest that the top 5 (Google Reader, myYahoo!, Bloglines, Netvibes & Newsgator) account for more than 95% of all views and clicks. Related (but different) to newsreaders is the increased use of browser-based subscriptions (i.e. Firefox Live Bookmarks and Internet Explorer 7.0). In the box below, I provide links for the top 5 that you can simply click on to subscribe, plus an AddThis link you can use for any of the other smaller newsreaders out there:

Subscription via newsreader:

Add to Bloglines | Add to myYahoo | Add to Google Reader | Add to Netvibes | Add to Newsgator | AddThis (other newsreaders)

Subscription via browser:

Click here to access the feed direct then use your browser subscribe button from the menu bar.

Subscription by email

Whilst somewhat "retro", subscription by email is actually quite a recent introduction to the market. Most of us visit our email first (before anywhere else) during a typical computer session. Many like the convenience of having posts from their favourite blog sent direct to their email inbox. We make direct use of the FeedBurner email subscription service for our blog feed:

Subscribe via email using:
Newsreader Email Subscription Service

Syndication of content using javascript

Now for the really useful stuff! If you are a webmaster and wish to syndicate our content for use on your site, you have come to the right page! This simple method makes use of the CARP generated javascript which we host on our own site:

<script src="http://www.seo-expert-services.co.uk/ses-carp.php"></script>By request, we can provide almost limitless customisation of your javascript feed, using the excellent FeedSweep hosted service (contact us to find out more).

Syndication of content using PHP script

Subscription by PHP script is the choice of the true webmaster professional (running Apache webservers). Why? Well, contrary to much of the rubbish you read on the internet, Search Engines do not always "love" content rich RSS feeds. Or rather, they do not love them if they are wrapped in javascript (as is the case with 95% of all syndicated feeds on the web). However, by using embedded PHP script, your web page will render all the text and links from the originating feed (so search engines will find and index it all).

Whilst not for the total novice, PHP script inclusion is really not so very difficult. We talk you through, step by step, how to syndicate our feed by PHP below:

Firstly, you need to edit your .htaccess file and add a single line (which tells your Apache server to include PHP scripts in HTML output). For 95% of all web servers, this line will be one of the following two different options:

AddType x-mapp-php4 .html .htm
AddType application/x-httpd-php .htmlSecondly, you need to include the following script in your web page at the location where you want the feed to appear:

<?php
require_once 'http://www.seo-expert-services.co.uk/ses-carp.php';
?>

By inserting this PHP script (without any further modification) you will render the feed you see below this paragraph. By request, I can provide webmasters with their own customised scripts to fit your site style (e.g. with dates removed or extra line breaks). Here is the raw rendering:

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SEO Expert Services - The SEO Expert blog
Free SEO articles, covering organic search engine optimisation and paid internet marketing.

The Future of Search - The decline of Google?
31 Oct 2007 at 11:00pm
An incredible 256 million people visited a search engine in December 2006 – 81% of the global Internet population. Neilsen, Hitwise and Enquisite estimate Google’s underlying market share to be in the range of 77-80%. During 2006, Google became the second biggest advertiser in the UK (overtaking channel 4) and UK online sales grew by 50%. Could this represent a peak of Google's powers? This article explores the likely scenarios.
Search Engine History - How Google came to dominate
8 Oct 2007 at 12:00am
So how did Google get from a market share of <1% in 1999 to almost 80% today? What is so special about Google and how has it come to dominate the scene? In this article, the third in my search history series, I look at the role of luck, timing and the mistakes of competitors in the rise of Google. I also evaluate the unique technology and vision at the heart of the Google algorithm.
Search Engine History - Web Search Before Google
14 Sep 2007 at 12:00am
Did Google always dominate the web search market? In the second of three posts on the history of the Search Engines, I look at the pioneers of the early search market, including the very first web crawler, WWW Wanderer. Did you know that Disney used to be one of the biggest players in the business? Or that Altavista was more technically advanced, in many ways, in 1998 than Google is now? Read on!
Search Engine History - The Early Years
11 Aug 2007 at 12:00am
So where did it all start? In the first of three posts on the history of the Search Engines, I look at the history of the internet itself and the forerunners to modern, web-based search engines (in the period immediately prior to the emergence of the first widely-used web browser). In this whistle-stop tour, I take in now forgotten tools like Archie, Veronica and WAIS
Google Universal Search SEO
28 May 2007 at 12:00am
Earlier this month, Google unveiled a new Universal Search system, a radical change to its search results pages that will surface listings from its news, video, images, local and book verticals with much greater frequency. This article considers how the webmaster should respond to this innovation, considering both traditional asset optimisation and specific strategies for Universal Search.
SEO for Google Earth
20 Apr 2007 at 12:00am
Why on Google Earth am I suggesting optimisation for the world's favourite bit of fun? Well, Google are currently investing heavily in mobile and geographical information offerings, including a new mobile browser and location-based services such as Google Ride Finder Google Transit. As the web becomes ever more local, you should seriously consider optimising your site for Google Earth and the next generation of local search products.
Submit site to Baidu and Yandex
21 Mar 2007 at 8:05pm
In China, Google enoys only a 27% market share; very much second fiddle to 百度搜索 (Baidu) with 55%. Similarly, in Russia, Google is in third place, with Яндекс (Yandex) the clear leader. More than 50% of growth in internet users from 2007-2010 is likely to come from these huge countries. Isn't it time to consider a listing on their biggest search engines? This short article looks at what is required to get your site crawled.
The Google Sandbox
11 Feb 2007 at 8:56am
Much has been written about the Google Sandbox effect. Much of what has been written is very suspect speculation! This article sets out to debunk a few myths and answer the most common questions that new site webmasters have. Specifically, I review whether or not the Google Sandbox really exists, how it works and how to escape from it. Vital reading if you have a new website!
List of UK Directories
16 Jan 2007 at 11:00pm
Many UK-based webmasters often ask if there is a list anywhere of directories and search engines based in the UK Ireland. This posting on my blog offers a list of 20 such directories, together with their PageRank (PR), listing type and other comments, including whether, for example, registration is required. A great resource to get your UK search ranking up on Google, Yahoo! and MSN.
Better Google.co.uk Search Engine Rankings
14 Dec 2006 at 11:00pm
Many UK webmasters find it frustrating that their website does not rank better on Google.co.uk, their home search engine. Research has shown that 3.5 times as many searchers in the UK use google.co.uk than do google.com and, of these, 35-45% regularly check the pages from the UK radio button to narrow down their search. Ranking near the top of these narrowed results is thus a pretty important mission for the UK-based online business!
Submit Sitemap to MSN, Google and Yahoo
21 Nov 2006 at 11:00pm
In November 2006, Google, Yahoo! and MSN joined forces to support a new industry standard for sitemaps: Sitemaps 0.90 (see MSN announcement (http://blogs.msdn.com/livesearch/archive/2006/11/15/microsoft-google-yahoo-unite-to-support-sitemaps.aspx) here). As long as webmasters follow the protocol, they can ensure their sites are fully and consistently indexed across all the major search engines (a real step forward). This article is important for all those with missing or poorly ranked pages.
Syndicating the SEO Expert Blog Feed
19 Oct 2006 at 6:52pm
This blog posting contains detailed instructions for individuals and webmasters seeking to syndicate the SEO Expert Blog content for use in their favourite feed-reader or to display on their own site. Four methods are covered; (a) newsreader subscription to rss feed, (b) updates by email subscription, (c) javascript (own-site) syndication and (d) search-engine-friendly PHP script syndication.

Newsfeed display by CaRP