Moving Closer To The Spider or Why MSN Should Just Tag It!

Moving Closer To The Spider Or Why MSN Should Just Tag It!

(Why it's Strategically Important for any online concern to
keep your eye on the RSS Wildcard in the coming months. Don't
underestimate the potential of this new way of moving
content around the web. This one could deliver big returns!)


Moving Closer To The Spider

A little while back, the Internet changed. The change
was very subtle. Most people missed it.

There was a slight shift in the way information is
exchanged on the web. No great momentous event,
just a little sideways flex.

It all had to do with RSS -- Really Simple Syndication.

RSS allows you to directly deliver your content to all
interested parties... don't come to us; we will deliver
the information to you or your website.

It syndicates your content. In a nutshell; it's simply
a more efficient way to get your content 'out there'.

RSS really didn't catch on with aggregators or readers
but with the introduction of an RSS (live bookmark) feature
in the Firefox Browser -- it is becoming: more popular,
more accessible and more mainstream.

Plus, MyYahoo has an RSS feature where members
can access different RSS feeds that interest them.
Throw in the increased popularity in Blogs and
Blogging and you have an interesting explosive mix.

Some major players are making their moves.

Have you wondered why Google is sniffing around Firefox
recently...hiring Ben Goodger, FireFox's lead engineer...
could it have to do with this RSS feature???

Recent moves by MSN must have Google concerned if not worried!
Especially now that MSN has come out with their Beta Program
using RSS in their search.

And it's quite simple to use; just add "&format=rss" at the
end of the URL in your MSN search engine query.
For example, to get an RSS Feed for 'tsunami relief' you
would use this url:

http://beta.search.msn.com/results.aspx?q=tsunami+relief&format=rss

In Yahoo the URL would be slightly different:

http://news.search.yahoo.com/news/rss?p=tsunami+relief&ei=UTF-8&fl=0&x=wrt

Of course, you can change 'tsunami+relief' with the keyword or
phrase of your choice to suit your website's content.

That's MSN, and Yahoo but what about Google?

Google will have to scramble to keep up. But they're probably
miles ahead of this game --- we just haven't seen it yet.

The real big Question: What will Google do with RSS?
How will they use it?

The one who figures out the real Potential of RSS will be
'King of the Hill' for awhile.

The key may lie in Tags!

These are really keywords for blogs and they could just
as easily be keywords for RSS.

Deliver all that targeted content directly into an RSS
search engine. Webpages could be designed around these tags.
Directly deliver or pull all this content onto your RSS
supersite.

Say you have a website on 'notebook computers'! You could
pull RSS Feeds on all the different brands, all the product
review materials, all the company information or updates, etc.
and build a content rich RSS supersite.

You could even compile this supersite into an RSS Feed and
deliver it to all interested prospects -- might make a little
effective marketing system!

Information runs the net, RSS Feeds is now the most efficient
way to deliver that information.

Which leads us to the new Beta Search from MSN using RSS.
Shouldn't they Just Tag It!

Tags have hit the radar lately because Technorati, which
indexes 4.5 million blogs, started sorting blog posts by
using tags.

They have created a folksonomy, drawing tags from
different sources, mainly Flickr.com which sorts or
groups pictures and from del.icio.us -- where you
create a tag when you bookmark a page.

Or if your blogging software supports categories -- this will
be recognized by Technorati as a tag.

MSN should use a system of tags that was put forth by
Technorati in their folksonomy. They could even rate
these blog tags and develop a similar system for RSS
and then it's game on! Or Game over depending on your
views on the commercialization of the web.

Tags would deliver highly concentrated 100 proof content.
It's the nature of the beast - blogs and
RSS Feeds are more 'on topic' than webpages.

Well, they are! They're closer to the spider!

You get your content without the graphics, add-ons,
website follies...it's closer to the heart of the matter.
RSS delivers pure content.

These Tags could be keywords, use them for advertising,
charge a price for putting these RSS Tags on your
supersite. Pull in all this highly targeted content
from the vast world wide web for a price. And you have
your 'Adsense Type' delivery in RSS feeds. Companies
would pay to put their feeds/content directly onto these
popular targeted RSS supersites.

Right now, webmasters can for lack of a better word 'turbo-charge'
their sites with these RSS Feeds. It would add daily updated
targeted content for your site. Make any decent SEO smile.

Right now, webmasters should be positioning their sites
for RSS. Those who jump first will get a leg up on their
competition to say the least. A strategic tactic or move
for any online business should be considering or planning
their RSS strategies at this moment.

For the MSN example is just one application of RSS that's
coming into view.

But watch out ... this one is just hitting the fan...
on the horizon there are endless streams of
applications for RSS. Keep your eye on the cursor...
don't let RSS get too far from your radar.

The one who figures out the real potential of RSS
will be 'King of the Hill' for a little while until
something else comes along.



Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2005

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