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Whew - Another Home Grown Tool in the Works!

July 25, 2007 | Author: Mark | Filed under: Tools of the Test

Hi Everyone -

Sorry if I have been neglectful to my loyal following of readers - both of you! LOL

Since returning from the beach I have been trying to find the best way to automate a bulk listing of websites with the proper articles for search engine content - whew, that was a mouthful! What I have come up with is the following:

  • RSS to SQL database
    What this little script does, is allow me to plug in a RSS xml feed location and the articles are semi-automatically downloaded into a MySql database I have running on my server.

So, you may ask… how does that fit in? You may hear me utter the phase “Content is King” more than once over the course of this project - simply put, if you have no new and fresh content on your site, both the search engines and visitors will have no reason to come back! Imagine going into a hardware store that sells nuts and bolts - you go in there one time and see that they ONLY carry a 5/16 size. It worked for you, so you picked some up! GREAT!! Two days later, you need a 3/8 so you go back to the same nuts & bolts hardware store only to find they dont have the size, and you have to go elsewhere… darn! Well, again, a few weeks later you need a different size so you return to the same nuts and bolts store hoping they may have it this time… nope, still only 5/16. Eventually - you just quit going to that store unless you need that one size only!

The purpose of a content site is to have an constant changing source of fresh articles, products or information! By using RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds - it changes every day!

You can see the first page generated on the home page of our Product Reviews and Information page. The main page content you see comes directly from CNET latest 25 product reviews RSS feed. Since the site is based off products and reviews, I simply searched the web for a “New Product Reviews” RSS feed, plugged the loaction into the database script, and when calling them to the www.meetthegoods.com website, I filtered them down by the feed database ID.

Since I dont want to slow the site down - I actually do the database work in a different “include” file located on the server, then just call that file to be displayed in the main entry page of the site!

CYA Soon

Mark

This entry was posted on Wednesday, July 25th, 2007 and is filed under Tools of the Test. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.



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4 people have left comments

Mark,
I have a mixed fillings about this.
I read everywhere that you need a “FRESH” and unique content. Isn’t this considered as non-unique content and my site will be “punished”?

Jenny wrote on August 2, 2007 - 3:21 pm |

Hi Jenny -

“Fresh” content is the goal for sure - however, RSS news feeds, if managed correctly, will keep your content fresh just due to the nature of updating!

In my own opinion, if you have the ability to give your readers (not just the search engines) something fresh to see on each return visit, they are far more likely to pay attention to your home grown articles/content as well.

mark wrote on August 3, 2007 - 12:08 pm |

Mark,

“What this little script does, is allow me to plug in a RSS xml feed location and the articles are semi-automatically downloaded into a MySql database I have running on my server.”

Do you know if there a similar wordpress plagin that does it? I am not a technical person and can’t write scripts, but i can follow directions. Do you know of something similar to this in wordpress that can be easily installed?

Thank you in advance
Jenny

P.S.
How can I subscribe to your posts?

Transport Companies wrote on August 19, 2007 - 9:00 am |

Jenny -

Good question on the subscribe option! I have not even looked into it before now… I have the rss feed active on the site now, which can be used with any rss reader or even outlook with the right plugins. I have never done much with a blog in the past, so I am learning some new stuff with them as well.

Here is a good place to get a feed plugin: http://rawlinson.us/blog/?p=212

Mark

Mark wrote on August 20, 2007 - 2:48 pm |
SUBSCRIBE TO MY FEED

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