Managing Your RSS Feeds with Google Reader and Feedly
Posted in Blogging, Featured on Thursday July 8, 2010 | 37 commentsVery little of my time is actually spent on photography. I’ll go out and shoot and maybe take 30 minutes tops. Usually it’s a picture here and there and of course, unlike some of the other stuff I’m about to mention, I can do it while living my life.
The time I get to myself amounts to a few hours a day. During that time, I’m editing photographs, writing blog posts (yeah, I actually put some thought into these things!) and reading blogs. I may spend more time reading blogs than the other two combined. Truly, I subscribe to every great blog I come across. There is an abundance of wealth and information out there from all different viewpoints! It would be a pity to exclude one because I think I might not get the time to read it. So I subscribe, subscribe, subscribe.
Using a feed reader will allow you to quickly read through hundreds of blogs a day! On average, I can read through updates from about 50 blogs in 30 minutes and that includes the amount of time I take to comment. But I do see some confusion as to how to set it up and how to make sure your site has it. This article shares how to quickly set up subscriptions in Google Reader and ways you can use Google Reader and Feedly to make your blog surfing fun and efficient.
If you’re already familiar with RS and Google Reader, you might want to skip down to the tips.
What is RSS? Do I have it?
It’s a simple concept, in fact, it stands for Really Simple Syndication. Pretty much every major blogging platform will create an RSS feed or you, without you having to take any action at all. Just look for an RSS icon somewhere in your blog design. Even if it’s not in your blog design, chances are the RSS feed URL has been embedded into your HTML headers and will be picked up if someone tries to subscribe to your site through their feed reader of choice.
In other words, don’t worry so much about what RSS is. Feed readers make it easy to subscribe to blogs and blogging platforms make it easy to create feeds. The technical jibber-jabber is not of much consequence. If you’re concerned that you don’t have a feed connected to your blog, try viewing the HTML source and search the headers for “atom” or “rss”. If you can’t find it, consult your blogging software technical manual for instructions to set up RSS feeds. It’s usually as easy as clicking a button in your control panel.
Great! So How do I use it?
I use Google Reader to manage my subscriptions and that is what I’m highlighting in this article, but there are many choices. You can have a web-based feed reader like Google Reader or Bloglines or a client-based feed reader which you download as software on your machine. Most web-enabled cell phones have a choice of applications you can install, but they’ll probably have something you can use to read through your Google Reader subscriptions too. I like using the web-based feed reader because it doesn’t matter what machine I’m on or where I am: all my blogs are with me.
If you’re brand new to Google Reader and need help getting set up with the basics, I recommend watching the quick 2 minute video below. It explains everything you need to know to get your subscriptions set up!
Subscribing to sites directly through Google Reader is fine, but I find using their bookmarklet is the best way to subscribe since Reader doesn’t need to be open and I don’t need to go hunting around the site for an RSS icon or link. When I’m visiting a site I like, I just click on my “Subscribe” bookmarklet and I’m immediately taken to Google Reader to subscribe. To install the Bookmarklet:
- Click on Settings > Reader Settings located in the top right hand corner of any Google Reader screen.
- Click on the Goodies tab
- Look for the very last heading, Subscribe as you Surf and follow the simple directions
Tag Feeds by Category for Easy Reading
The moment I subscribe to a new site, I take a moment to click on the “Feed Settings” and select or create the appropriate Tag to categorize the blog. I find being extremely organized makes it much easier in the long run to maximize how many blogs I read. I have tags (or folders) set up for every major category of site I frequent. A feed can have multiple tags, but I like to categorize them under only one. You can manage your tags by going to your settings and clicking on the Folders and Tags tab. Here you can also choose to publicize your tag and share this content on your website either by adding a clip (Last X entry titles in the feed) or a blogroll, as I’ve done on my link page.
As an example, here are my main tags and how I use them when subscribing to new feeds:
I learned about this tip in a business writing class and it has served me so well! It makes it easy to choose the right word without looking like a dolt. (Nothing worse than someone who always uses “whom” to try to look smart.)
Rephrase the sentence into a question and answer using either him or he. Therein lies the proper selection.
HE = WHO
HIM = WHOM
Who participates in blog hops?
He participates in blog hops.
From whom do I learn?
I learn from him.
My deepest apologies for this interruption, but I’m a bit of a grammar nut and I see confusion over this a lot. I’m not saying I get all the rules right 100% of the time, but I do actively try to use proper grammar.
- Blogs with Photos: It’s labeled as “Photographer’s Personal Blogs” on my links page, though it is not entirely accurate. 98% of these blogs are hobbyist, amateur or professional photographers. Some are just “blogs with photos” and don’t have a personal, individual connection. This category contains my peers. The people who participate in blog hops I do, whom I learn from and who also enjoy posting about their life through photographs.
- Photography and Photo Editing Resources: This includes any blogs written mostly by professionals or a group of professionals focusing on photography and photo editing tips. If you sell textures or actions and your site has a blog, I subscribe to it under this category. If you are a professional photographer, but you participate in blog hops or blog a lot about your personal life, you’d be in the “blogs with photos” category.
- Creativity & Inspiration: A blog might fit into the previous two categories, but if the focus of the site is to spark creativity in others through prompts, articles, ideas or workshops then it will be placed here. This is mostly a mix of photography and writing inspiration.
- Blogging: I’m a blogger and I enjoy reading about ways to improve my blog or build my readership. I also like coding and fiddling with design and plugins and the act itself of “working on my site”. These blogs try to help other bloggers build better blogs. A bit meta, but they are interesting nonetheless!
Reader Play
Google Reader has a really cool option in it called “Reader Play” They advertise the “Explore” option in Play on the landing page, which is just a collection of popular blogs, possibly based on similar blogs you’ve subscribed to. For some reason, Google doesn’t make it very clear that you can also use Reader Play to browse your own subscriptions. Just go to your Folder Settings when viewing All Items or a specific subscription folder and select “View in Reader Play”
This option works very well for photography and video blogs, but not wonderfully on sites that are primarily text or use low resolution images. You’ll be presented with a dark background highlighting the first image in the blog post. An excerpt will show underneath the image and if the entry has several images, you’ll see thumbnails on the right hand side. If I want to read the full entry, I always click on the title link and open it in a new tab. This takes you to the blog post on their site. I like actually visiting people’s blogs as opposed to reading 100% through a feed reader. You can also click the Read More link at the end of the excerpt to continue reading in Play. You can navigate through entries either by clicking the arrows on either side or on the thumbnails in the bottom bar of the page.
07/21/10 Update: For even more great Google Reader tips, check out this great article I just found: Managing RSS Feeds with Google Reader by Carrie Actually.
Feedly
While Reader Play is a lot of fun, I’ve abandoned it in favor of Feedly. This is a Firefox only option, unfortunately. I maintain that Firefox is a better browser than Internet Explorer any day, so if you need a reason to switch, maybe Feedly will be it. I don’t know how it works its magic, but it is a plugin for Firefox which uses your Google Reader and Twitter accounts to generate magazine-style content for the page. In the settings, there are options for your landing page, however here is one option.
On the top are Popular Articles, based on the total number of subscribers and Must Reads which are based on your own preferences. Must Reads are used several places within the interface to highlight articles from the subscriptions marked as such. It’s a great way to ensure you never miss an article from favorite blogs as you’ll always be presented these to read first! Look for a star when viewing a list of your subscriptions or individual blog feeds to mark a blog as Must Read.
If you’re wondering what appears on the bottom of the cover page, think about the bottom of the front page of a newspaper. All your subscription categories have their own headline with three article excerpts for each.
Another great way Feedly gives you to browse through your subscriptions is to do so per category. Featured articles show at the top. I’m not sure how those are chosen, but I think it’s a mix of popular and must reads. Your Must Read source list is directly to the right and you’ll see a number beside the favicon and title if there’s new content. On the bottom half of the screen you’ll see excerpts broken down by blog (Must Reads first, followed by all others) and to the right, the rest of your source list for this category including how many fresh pieces of content it contains.
The true beauty of Feedly is in the clicking. Click on a source title and you’ll be taken to a page where you can easily read through their new articles. Click on the title of an individual article excerpt and something special happens. A window contained solely on the page opens up so you can view the entirety of the article. To the right, you’ll see icons to interact with the article which follow you as you scroll down to read through the entry.
Shown to the left, here are the options from top down:
- Recommend in Google Reader / Buzz
- Save for Later in Google Reader
- Minimize and Hide the article, marking it as read.
- Google Mail
- Share on numerous sides like stumbleupon and delicious.
- Minimize only
- Next Article
Feedly is by far the best way I’ve seen subscription content organized! There are a multitude of options, such as recommended blogs based off your subscriptions and clearing all older articles, but I can’t get into all of them here. I suggest giving Google Reader and Feedly a shot, especially if you currently do not use a feed reader. Play around and enjoy your time reading through all the rich content the internet has to offer!
Your Opinion Matters!
Do you use a feed reader or have any thoughts about them? If so, what do you use and why? If you use Google Reader or Feedly, what is your favorite feature?
Most importantly, remember that I subscribe to every great blog I come across. If you are not on my subscription list I implore you to leave me a comment and let me know!
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For months, I strictly used blogger Dashboard, but it recently got too overwhelming. I switched over to Google Reader, and I am loving it so far! I love that I can sort all of my blogs and read everything right in the same tab.
Also, I love that I am in your “Must Read” section! That makes me feel special.
Artistically Amy´s last blog ..Black and White Wednesday – A Gazebo
I find most of your posts so interesting! appreciate that you comment on my site as well. Anyone who takes the time to regularly comment on my site is an automatic must read!
Twitter: @lynda
Hi Mark and family,
First of all I like to give you my congratulations for your web/blogsite. Your site looks very nice! Lots of nice-looking websites on the internet but many of them are only looking nice … So far so good, yours is interesting, many people can learn a lot by visiting this site. There is lots of very usefull information on it. Even superbe pictures … Mayby we can be usefull for each other on some kind of business niches. I’ll like to keep in touch with you, … if you are interested of corse.
Many thank’s again and my best regards to Mark and family.
Greetzz,
Geert
P.S. Please, don’t spread around my personal name. Normally I do never leave this personal info on any site.
P.S. …
After I’ve already sended my message, I’ve seen that I was little wrong …
That’s why I am sending this second mail.
I am sorry because I wrote to you with the name of your ‘Mark’. …
Many, many congrats again with your digital piece of art! And this time I wrote it specially for you, dear Mss Linda.
Interesting comments Geert. Thanks for stopping by.
Twitter: @lynda
@lynda awesome!!! thank you! can’t wait to go through and put it into action. you rock. #31dbbb
via Twitoaster
This is great, I am learning so many new tricks. I am forever struggling to keep up with my Reader and I am a big FireFox fan, but I never heard of Feedly. Thank you so much I am going to try it out, it might be just what I need.
Twitter: @MSongbird
You’re welcome Marianne! Have you been able to give it a try yet? It’s revolutionized the way I read sites!
Twitter: @lynda
This is a really helpful post – i accidentally came across Feedly a few months ago and boy i’m glad i did, such a better experience than google reader and that’s not slighting google reader. I love the way i am able to read by category, and categorise things as i subscribe – i love that it collates twitter and mentions of my blog and also puts up my google alerts – simply magic (that’s anything you don’t understand how it does it but you know it does, right? right!)!
Glad to finally have gotten round to visiting your blog!
Anna´s last blog ..Lovely Ladies from SITS
Thanks so much Anna. I found Feedly through my referral stats. it’s so cool!
Twitter: @lynda
Great post! I’ve used Google Reader for years (very easy to access anywhere), but love this new idea and sounds like the interface will be fun to use!
thanks for the head up!
Andree´s last blog ..10 Must Have Items for Living on the Road
Twitter: @OnLindenWay
It definitely is. Thanks for stopping by!
Twitter: @lynda
Thanks for sharing Feedly – it’s great!
I didn’t know about that before, found it here, thanks!
BLOGitse´s last blog ..commenting – blogger vs wp
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Woo-hoo! Glad to be of help. Have you gotten a chance to use it? What do you think?
Twitter: @lynda
To be honest – I haven’t used it that often to get used to it. Yet. It looks so different – more than a list (which I like!) but my mind needs some time to melt new things…but slowly
Do you use only Feedly or do you use Reader as well?
BLOGitse´s last blog ..Rick’s Cafe in Casablanca…
Twitter: @BLOGitse
I use only Feedly to read my feeds, but sometimes I’ll go into Google Reader to manage them since I find that’s usually easier.
It does take some getting used to!
Twitter: @lynda
awesome post! how in the world do you read all your favorite blogs in 30 minutes? I am so backlogged that i am like months and months behind.
nadia´s last blog ..Delicious Milk Tart – Anyone
Twitter: @funwithmama
I found you through the SITS blogfrog challenge. Even though I already use Googlre reader (sort of!)I learned so much from this article. I get overwhelmed when I check into reader and see 1000 unread posts, but organizing them (or trying Feedly) sounds like it would make keeping up much easier. thanks!
elizabeth´s last blog ..6 Ways to Stop Hating Your -
Well, you have changed my life today!!
This was so helpful!!! I got google reader and feedly set up this morning and I think I love feedly!! I need to organize it, but I will save that for a bit later.
One question – I could not figure out where/how to tab my info on Google reader – I only have two tabs on there ‘private’ and shared and can’t figure out how to add others. But if I am going to primarily use Feedly – will that matter?
Thanks in advance for your help!!
I am shouting out this article to the world!! Whoo-hoo!
Michelle, you can organize your feeds into folders using Feedly and it will translate to your Google Reader settings. They work hand in hand.
To “tag” a feed (or put it in a “folder”) through Google Reader once you subscribe to the blog up in the top menu options all the way to the right you’ll see “Feed Settings”. Click the down arrow and then select “New Folder…” or select the existing folder if it’s already created.
I hope that helps!
Twitter: @lynda
Hi Lynda,
Thanks for the great info. I have tried using my google reader a few times but I quickly get overwhelmed with all of the options and give up. Do you suggest one use Google Reader and Feedly or are they similar enough in their purpose that we should choose one or the other?
Twitter: @themamazine
Thanks Brittany,
Feedly uses Google Reader as its back-end. I think you need to be set up with a Google Reader account first if you use it, but aside from that you can manage everything through Feedly itself.
Twitter: @lynda
These are great tips! I use Google Reader every single day. It’s crazy. I have almost 300 feeds I’m subscribed to, so if I don’t read a little everyday, it gets to over 1000 new posts & I just can’t keep up! haha I wrote a post about how I keep everything under control if you want to check it out…
http://www.ingenuemom.com/2010/06/how-to-efficiently-read-blogs.html
Cameron´s last blog ..Dear Baby- Analyzed! 31DBBB Day 4
Twitter: @ingenuemom
Thanks for the link!
Google Reader has a specific option you can use to mark as read over a specified time period. It’s handy!
I like Feedly because it lets me set up my “Must Read” blogs and after I finish reading them, I “mark as read” anything older than a week.
Twitter: @lynda
Thank you thank you thank you for all this information! I love Firefox too and will definitely be checking out Feedly…anything to make keeping up with all the blogs I love easier. Good luck with the 31DBBB…so much fun!
Jen at Lita’s World´s last blog ..ProBlogger Challenge Day 2 – 10 Easy Green Tips
Twitter: @LitasWorld
Thanks for the great info about Google Reader! i haven’t used it much, b/c it seemed daunting, but now i realize how simply it truly is. You just made my blog reading so much easier!
melaina´s last blog ..TV fashion
Twitter: @melainarae
Okay I’m excited I found feedly for chrome too! I gave up firefox for chrome, even though I was a lover of firefox the speed and simplicity of chrome won me over!
You can find feedly for chrome here:
http://blog.feedly.com/feedly-chrome-access/
Pepper´s last blog ..All About Color
Twitter: @unicornbeauty
Thank you for commenting it’s available in Chrome! I actually noticed that a few days ago, but I’ve been too busy to update this post. I kept expecting someone to say, “Hey, it’s available for Chrome too!” but you are the first!
Twitter: @lynda
Always love to be a help. LOL
Pepper´s last blog ..All About Color
Twitter: @unicornbeauty
Thanks for the tips! I use Google Reader, and have been so lazy about adding tags to my subscriptions. I am totally creating a feedly account – this minute! So cool – I’ve never heard of it before, and I so agree with you about Firefox too! You totally rock! Thanks a bunch.
Michelle´s last blog ..I’m Not Crazy- I’m A Homeschooler
Twitter: @greenearthbazar
You’re welcome!
I always assign labels immediately when I subscribe. It’s pretty easy to do via the “Feed Settings” dropdown in Google Reader.
Twitter: @lynda
[...] Managing RSS feeds and how to use it and set it up by Lynda Giddens. Based on Lynda’s explanations, I installed the bookmarklet in my toolbars area of my browser. Not sure about categories yet. Or feel Confused. Will reread when I have more content.. [...]
Hello Lynda,
Referenced your posting in my blog post today. You were very informative on RSS feeds and using them.
Eileen
http://socialmedia.eileenteaches.com/blog/?p=153
Eileen Ludwig´s last blog ..Stop Motion YouTube video to Commercial Contract
Twitter: @eileenludwig
you’ve made a new user out of me, I knew I needed to get the google reader and get a handle on all the blogs I follow but my email is filling up!
Love how it looks and looking fwd to using it to stay up to date.
Thanks!
Christy, Home♥Mom.com
christy´s last blog ..Its Friday- Im Hopping! No6
Thank you for such a thorough review! I have been using google reader forever and sometimes I never even go through the entire list. I am off to go get feedly now! Thanks again:)
(SITS)
Jennifer´s last blog ..Sizzlin Summer Sweeps Giveaway Winners
Twitter: @sisterlysavings
[...] This should be an enjoyable and refreshing task as I imagine most of us love reading blogs in our niche anyway. I subscribe to at least 100 other blogs in my niche and make a point to read through them regularly. If you need help juggling RSS feeds, allow me to recommend my tutorial on Managing Your RSS Feeds with Google Reader and Feedly. [...]
Wow. That’s all I have to say is, “Wow!” This is great content, especially for a newbie like me. I had Google reader, but hadn’t figured out how to maximize its benefits. This post took me a while to read through because I was following along step-by-step to update my reader. Thanks for wonderful tips! I will enjoy blog reading even more now. P.S. I found you through the 31DBBB and SITSgirls.
Michelle´s last blog ..Priorities- A Balancing Act
Twitter: @halfwayblonde
Thanks so much for the great post. Although Google Reader is convenient and has a lot of good info, I’ve never liked the layout. So I’ll definitely give Feedly a try.
I have a question from the exporting end. I just changed my own blog’s feed to “Full” but it’s still showing as a partial feed, with no post photos appearing. I use Blogger & Feedburner. Any ideas why this is happening? Advice appreciated!
style maniac´s last blog ..SUMMER MORNINGS
Twitter: @thestylemaniac
I’m not very familiar with Blogger. You changed to full within the blogger dashboard? Make sure the feed URL is right in Feedburner. Maybe you have to publish a new post before it takes effect?
Twitter: @lynda