Web syndication

Web syndication is the process of making content available from one website to other sites. This allows different websites to provide summaries or full versions of recently added content to their own readers. It is a vital tool for modern digital communication. For the site providing the content, syndication increases exposure. This creates new traffic for the original site. It serves as a relatively cheap or even free form of advertisement. For the subscribing site, it adds depth and immediacy to their pages. This makes their websites more attractive to users.

Technically, syndication involves transporting data over HTTP. While it can use formats like HTML or JavaScript, it most commonly uses XML. There are several specific formats for this, including RSS, Atom, and JSON Feed. When using RSS feeds, a reader might see headlines, summaries, or modified versions of the original content. In other cases, sites use full content syndication. This means the entire text, audio, video, or even applications and widgets appear unaltered on the partner site. This allows information to flow seamlessly across the internet.

Content syndication is often categorized by three different factors. First, it can be organized by business models. Second, it can be organized by the types of content being shared. Third, it can be organized by the methods used to select distribution partners. Content creators can hand-pick their partners based on audience size or quality. Alternatively, they can use automated systems where users or publishers opt into the content. Some of these automated marketplaces include screening processes. This ensures that the material does not end up in an inappropriate environment.

There are three main business models for commercial web syndication. In a licensing model, distribution partners pay a fee to the content creators. In an ad-supported model, publishers share the revenue earned from advertisements with the content producer. A third structure is called barter syndication. In this model, no currency changes hands between the parties. This requires the content producer to find revenue through other means, like embedded advertising or subscriptions. Some entities, such as government groups or vanity publishers, may distribute content without any payment at all.

Syndication is not a new concept in the history of media. It first appeared in print, radio, and television to help creators reach wider audiences. In 1924, the United States Federal government proposed a radio syndicate. They wanted to reach the entire population quickly and efficiently. In the world of television, it is often said that syndication is where the real money is. For the digital age, a predecessor to web syndication was the Meta Content Framework. This was developed in 1996 by Ramanathan V. Guha and others at Apple Computer's Advanced Technology Group.

Online marketers use syndication as a strategy for search engine optimization. This involves building links to increase a website's visibility. Links in syndicated content often use anchor terms to point back to the original site. These links tell search engine algorithms that the destination website is an authority for a specific keyword. However, the rollout of Google's Panda algorithm may change how this works. It may use quality scores from linking sites to determine search engine results page rankings. This makes the quality of the syndication very important for marketers.

Syndication also plays a major role in e-commerce. Manufacturers often allow retailers or dealers to publish their product descriptions, images, and specifications. Because manufacturers are seen as authorities, this helps drive sales. Research from eCost.com suggests that more product content leads to more sales. This method helps manufacturers pass relevant information to their channel partners. While syndication has many benefits, it does have some drawbacks. Content creators might lose control over how their work is presented. Publishers may lose the ability to have exclusive content because it is duplicated elsewhere. Finally, users may sometimes encounter duplicate content, which can be an annoyance.