epublishing innovation forum 2009
DESCRIPTION
How can publishers use RSS & widgets to drive traffic?TRANSCRIPT
Whenever, Wherever
Can RSS & Widgets drive traffic to your website?
@jc1000000 #epubs09
RSS• Really Simple Syndication
– Most popular social networks are heavily based on feeds and controlling them
• Users subscribe via Feed Readers – Google Reader, Netvibes, Bloglines & Newsgator, iGoogle
• Feeds are preferred for heavy news consumers– Scan many articles at once– Alerts user of new content
• Feed subscribers is often a measure of a blogs fanbase• Feeds are usually supplied in as Full with Ads or Partial
with no Ads– You can monetise feeds with AdSense & Mediafed– Excellent article here:
• http://www.doshdosh.com/monetize-rss-feed-advertising/
Partial or full feeds
Widgets Vs Apps
• Get ‘bite-size’ or ‘lite’ branded content updates
• Share content on social networks & personalised platforms
• Designed with distribution and viral in mind
• Intended to be ‘stolen’– User agnostic
• Powered by RSS
• Plug into device firmware and web site code base
• Designed for specific platforms & devices– Android / iPhone– Facebook / twitter– Desktop / Adobe Air
• Heavily linked to user• Powered by APIs
One feed to bind them all.‘News alerts’ for desktop & mobile usersOriginal
publishing platform
Keep your peergroup updated
Make your site mobile now
Being able to view the
content you love, whenever
you want, wherever you are, however you want is inherently
sexy.
Widgets are everywhere…
Widgets platforms & supporting networks
Can Widgets and RSS Drive Traffic to your Website?
• Short answer is YES– Best investment you can make in your CMS is to
maximise ability to create feeds whenever / wherever
• Content Syndication concept has expanded to include off portal channels– Youtube – Facebook apps– Itunes– Chumby, Joggler– iPhone– Even ad networks…
Skittles.com’s new home page is an excellent example of embracing off portal activity
Content syndication as audience development
• Putting your videos on YouTube– Give content away?!?
• Unpredictable results
Direct traffic to our video pages
Traffic to site from YouTube
Anatomy of web traffic
Blogs & Aggregators
SocialNetworks
SearchNetwork
Your website
Increase SERP real estate
Using widgets for natural search:• Linkable elements
– Frame– Image– Content
• Webmaster tools– Widget titles– Keyword feeds– Continuous update– Targeted– Iframe Vs Javascript
Partner type % Google visitswidget 18aggregators 31
Better value clicks
Traffic Source
% of total referrers
conversion rate
widget 4% 4.44
Social media
% Google visits
% PV per user
Facebook 0.03 8.3
Twitter 0.04 3.2
Google 100 2.7
Reverse Widgets / Share buttons
• Tweetmeme / Tweet this / Tip@techmeme
• Digg button• Youtube players• FlickR Photostreams• Slideshare shows• Add to delicious
Reverse widgets are all about *BLING*
Well dugg submissions push stories to top of results
Thanks for listening!
Jonathan Allen• [email protected]• Twitter.com/jc1000000• Linkedin.com/in/jc1000000• Slideshare.com/jc1000000