Google Reader is a powerful tool for SEO and marketing, if you know how to use Google Reader to your advantage. As RSS feed readers go, Google’s product is one of the most popular and the company is continually adding new features to lure even more users.
Ignoring the advantages of marketing your blog through Google Reader is akin to not using keywords in your post titles – it simply does not make sense.
About Google Reader
Google Reader is an aggregator, much like FeedDemon or NewsGator. It compiles a list of all the blogs a user wants to follow and includes tools that allow them to group the links, share the sites, and even follow Twitter or other social networking accounts.
You must have a Google account set up to use Reader. Users can share information with others who have Google accounts and also utilise Reader as their preferred feed aggregator.
Specific blog posts can be “liked” (publicly shared) or “starred” (shared with friends) if the reader is particularly fond of it. This helps others take note of popular posts and spread them virally. The greater number of likes on a post, the better its chance of getting noticed.
If you are a savvy marketer, your mind is probably already focusing on the potential advantages to having readers download an RSS feed to their Google account through Reader.
Using Reader With Your Google Account
For one thing, every site up as an RSS feed is shared with their list of friends, which can be customised. So if someone adds a feed to your blog, it will also appear to their friends. Add your own blogs to your Reader account and they can quickly become viral as friends share the content.
Follow what your friends are reading and you may even find a new source for industry news or a blog where you can post as a guest. Perform a public profile search and you can find even more people to associate with and perhaps use for reciprocal marketing.
Turn that around and consider what other users see about you when they search public profiles. Your profile is like a virtual business card. Ensure that it makes it easy for others to find you based on your business and its products and services, personal interests, location, schools attended, and your professional bio.
You can also subscribe to keywords. This subscription will show blogs associated with those keywords, giving you a great way to keep up on the competition or trend what people are discussing. The information you derive from this type of subscription can tell you what changes may need to be made to your own site or give you new keywords to use in your SEO efforts or pay per click campaign.
Once you learn how to use Google Reader, you will find it can be a great weapon for your internet marketing arsenal. Don’t ignore the power of Google; ensure that your profile and your posts are included on this aggregator.
About Sean Rasmussen
I had originally signed-up with Google Reader, however was not sure how to use it and what use it would actually be to me. After reading this post I thought that I’d give it another look and have actually found some great uses for it.
I haven’t got anybody listed as a “friend”, but I guess it is early days.
There sure are some great advantages of Google Reader Cemil.
Keep working on your social networking and you will make plenty of friends that will help you, and you can help in return
Regards – Sean
A very useful article. Thanks for writing it. I’ll recommend my readers see this page as another way to advertise online for free.
Rebecca Habel
Glad to be of help Rebecca.
I am sure your readers will also benefit from utilising Google Reader.
Regards – Sean
This is a truly powerful tool.
I use it often and can easily keep up with my subscriptions
Another online tool that really just is so powerful. Anyone not using this, is missing out. Big time!
What a great article. Google Reader is about to be expanded by having me added to it.
It now makes sense as to what it can and should do. I had heard of it but it was never really explained and like so many things in this internet marketing world, was put to one side until the right day came along. And, here is the right day.
Thanks for the push and the information.
Hi Sean,
I use Google Reader and I love being able to check out what my friends are doing and sharing. I’ve added my RSS feed to my Google Reader so it makes it very easy to share my new blog posts.
I get a little traffic to my blog from Google Reader and I’m sure this will only improve as I add more friends.
Hi Sean,
I’ve found the Google Reader account very useful. Knowing about this handy tool is another advantage by being in the YOTA Forum. I simply followed the video tutorials available in the forum on how to sign up and use Google Reader.
I use the “share” and RSS feed buttons regularly to help make new blogs go viral.
There is still some features in Google Reader I didn’t know about before reading this article.
Hi Sean
Is there a grammatical error here?, doesn’t quite read correctly:
For one thing, every site up as an RSS feed is shared with their list of friends
I couldn’t work that one out either. I presume it means that sites have the facility to add an RSS feed icon ….???
Hi Sean
Forgot to add that the mistake above is the first line under “Using Reader With Your Google Account”
Hi Sean
I now understand the power of Google Reader and that it is a must to subscribe to it if I want to be kept up to date with my competition.
It is also beneficial to know what other marketers in my niche area are writing about. I can use various tools in Google Reader to enhance the capabilities of my marketing expertise.
Another page to bookmark for later reading. RSS has been a bit confusing to me before, but I take your point that it is a real asset to use. I am obviously not a savvy marketer