RSS, which is one way to notify readers of updated information on one’s own site, has seen a decline in the number of users year by year, with the termination of ” Google Reader”, which could be said to be the representative of RSS readers. It is said that the reason for this is that if you follow the site or the operator’s Twitter or Facebook, you can receive and check updated information.
However, even now, there are a certain number of users who check the site using RSS, so it would be worth setting up an RSS button to get those users to revisit the site.
In this article, we will introduce two methods for setting up an RSS button on your WordPress site, one that uses a plugin and one that does not. If you haven’t installed an RSS button on your WordPress site yet, take this opportunity to set up your RSS.
What is RSS in the first place?
I think that there are many people who have never used RSS, so first I will briefly introduce what kind of function RSS is.
I will explain how to set up the RSS button later, so if you just want to know how to set it up, you can skip it.
RSS is a function that delivers update information
As I mentioned at the beginning, * RSS is a function (or more precisely, a format)* that informs subscribers of updates to your own site. RSS users use a tool called an RSS reader to receive updated information on RSS, and check updated information on websites that subscribe to RSS.
what is the purpose of the rss button on a blog
The advantage of using RSS is that you can receive updated information on all subscribed sites by checking your RSS reader without having to search or bookmark multiple sites and access them each time. Currently, the main RSS readers include “Feedly” and “Inoreader”.
The number of RSS users is declining due to the spread of SNS, but it is possible that users who are still using it are highly likely to become enthusiastic fans of their own sites, so the RSS button should not be installed. It is recommended to keep it.
Google also recommends RSS distribution
RSS is used to improve usability, and Google also recommends installing RSS .
The principle of SEO is to optimize the site according to the official blog for webmasters published by Google. From the SEO point of view, it would be better to have RSS installed.
How to set up an RSS button without using a plugin
From here, I will show you how to actually add an RSS button to your WordPress site.
Let’s start by looking at how to set up an RSS button without using a plugin. However, in this method, although it is easy to install, it is necessary to control the display with CSS, so we recommend using a plug-in for beginners.
Prepare an image for the RSS button
First prepare the RSS image to be set on the RSS button. There are many royalty-free materials with RSS buttons on the market, so please try to find an image that fits comfortably on your site.
For RSS, Twitter, Facebook, etc., it is recommended to prepare a visually easy-to-understand image and set the link.
Please upload the acquired image to “Media” in the sidebar menu of WordPress.
Get RSS feed URL
Next, we will acquire the RSS feed URL required to deliver updated information via RSS. You can get the RSS feed URL by pasting the URL of your own site into the RSS feed acquisition/detection tool – RSS listing.
If you cannot get the RSS feed URL from the above site, please try the following.
You can find the RSS feed URL with this operation.
Install RSS button from widget
Next, we will install RSS from the widget screen.
Go to the widget management screen from “Appearance → Widgets”, add widgets such as text and custom HTML to any place such as the bottom of the article, and write the following img tag .
- RSS feed URL: Paste the RSS feed URL obtained earlier
- URL of RSS image: Paste the image URL of the first acquired RSS button
To find the URL of the image, open the RSS button image uploaded to WordPress media, and copy the image URL next to “Copy Link ” .
Finally, save the widget and the installation of the RSS button is complete.
