|
If you want people to find your Web site while searching the Internet, your site can benefit from having backlinks — links from other sites pointing to it. Now you have the problem of finding those sites. One method of doing so is to take your content and syndicate it to other Web sites and e-mail newsletters.
You need links from pages that are already indexed by the search engines. Pages with high PageRanks are more valuable than those with low PageRanks. Links from related sites may be more valuable, and so on. However, when searching for links, you probably don't want to be too fussy to start with. A link is a link. Contrary to popular opinion, links bring value, even links from unrelated sites.
 | E-mail newsletters don't help your search engine position because search engines don't read them (although that could change at any time). However, most e-mail newsletters are placed into Web archives — that is, they become Web pages — which often are indexed by search engines. Furthermore, newsletter readers sometimes post articles from the newsletters on their sites or come directly to your site. |
Four ways to syndicate
You can syndicate content four ways. But some of the methods don't help you in terms of getting your site noticed by search engines! In some cases, it's possible to syndicate content and not benefit from those links pointing to your site, depending on how the content is distributed. The following list details the four main syndication categories:
- Browser-side inclusion: Many syndicators employ browser-side content inclusion through the use of JavaScripts; a JavaScript in a Web page pulls the article off the syndicating site. The problem is that JavaScripts are run by the Web browser itself. The page loads, and then the browser runs the JavaScripts. Searchbots, however, don't run JavaScripts.
- Hosted content: Some content syndicators, generally those selling content, host the content on their own servers, and the sites using the content link to it. The problem with this method is that if you host content for, say, 50 sites, you don't get the benefit of 50 links in the search engines — 49 occurrences are ignored.
- Manual inclusion: This method works well for the search engines; they see the content and the links to your site. But the problem is that you're relying on the other site's owner to manually place the content into the page.
- Server-side inclusion: You can do server-side inclusions a number of ways, such as by using INCLUDE commands, running PHP or ASP scripts (server-side scripts), and using a relatively new method, RSS feeds. The advantage is that the search engines will see your content and the links back to your site. The disadvantage is that the methods are more complicated to use than either manual or browser-side inclusion.
To ensure that the search engines see links to your Web site, you simply can't use the first or second methods. That leaves the last two, of which the third, manual inclusion, is easiest and by far the most common.
| If you want to syndicate your content, prepare the articles carefully. You should produce each article in two forms: in plain text for text newsletters, and in HTML for HTML newsletters and Web sites. Make the HTML version simple so it can be taken and dropped into any other Web page. |
Getting the most out of syndication
If you're going to syndicate your work, you should consider the following points when creating your articles:
- Every article should contain your site name near the top of the article. Put a site logo near the top and include a link on the logo back to your site.
- If you can find a way to work a link to your site into the article, all the better. Perhaps link to another article on your site for more information. Make sure the link text has useful keywords.
- At the bottom of the article, include an attribution or bio box, including a keyworded link back to your site and a logo with a link on it. (Don't forget to use ALT text in the <IMG> tag.)
You'll want to set up a library area on your Web site where people can access the articles. In the library, you should post certain conditions:
- Consider putting limits on the number of articles that can be used without contacting you first. For example, site owners can use up to five articles, and if they want more, they must get permission.
- State clearly that you retain copyright of the article and make clear the following conditions:
• The user cannot change the content.
• All logos, attributions, copyright notices, and links must remain.
• Links must remain standard HTML <A> tags and cannot be converted to another form of link.
Getting the word out
When you have your articles ready, you need to get them into the hands of people who can use them. You need to register with as many syndication directories as possible. Here are a few more ideas for getting the articles out:
- Make sure that visitors to your site know the library is available.
- Directly contact sites and e-mail newsletters that may benefit from your content.
- Include information about available materials in any e-mails you send and in your printed materials.
Using RSS
Grabbing content from RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds is relatively easy. Creating content is a bit more complicated. RSS has become very popular, but not so much for placing content into Web sites; rather, people are using RSS readers to pull in RSS content. You may want to use the manual form of syndication first. After you have set up your RSS feeds, register the RSS feeds with as many RSS directories as you can.
|
