A few blogs I read have recently moved from full RSS feeds to partial feeds. I’m not a partial feeds fan because if I start reading something in my RSS feed reader I want to read the whole lot in the feed reader.
I hate having to be forced to click over to the website to finish reading. If I want to comment I will click over and make that comment unless the comment system is Disqus – then often I won’t comment.
I asked a blogger whey they went from full to partial feeds and they said that they needed more page views as this is how online advertisers choose where to put their ads. They didn’t like to have to do it but as they write a lot of content they need to make money with the blog somehow.
I hardly click on ads on any website, do you? I know, I have ads on my website but am lucky to make any money out of them at all but then this website isn’t a business, but a hobby and my pageviews aren’t that great either.
Apparently I’m not alone. According to this Hubspot article, I’m more likely to birth twins than click on an online ad.
I guess people must click on online ads as some websites apparently earn the bulk of their living this way. I guess banner ads are an easy out for organisations in addition to sponsored content and so on, or instead of things like sponsored content. They might help with brand recognition as well?
I’ve been thinking of taking my ads off as they don’t add any real value for me or for the readers I do have.
But what’s your thoughts on partial RSS feeds?
Totally agree. I find them very annoying.
I can understand some where they are after the ads or are part of a larger site that wants to try and ‘pull you in’ – but there’s a few I follow where even that isn’t the case.
-dave
There’s definitely the partial feeds that have been setup and the blogger doesn’t know how to make them full feeds, or doesn’t care.
I am not a fan of partial feeds either. As someone with really crappy internet having to click through is not always possibly so I rarely follow any blogs with partial feeds and if I do I hardly ever click through.
I think assuming partial feeds will get you more page views is a bit of a misnomer. I think great content will get you readers, and getting that content to your readers in ways that they can consume if (whether that is via a feed reader, via email etc) is the best way to get readers who will return… that is how you get more page views. But I’ve never tried partial feeds so I have no idea really! LOL
They are right in someways though… bigger stats will entice brands to work with you. As someone who makes some money from their blog I know that most brands are looking for healthy numbers (among other things) even if those numbers don’t mean all that much. And these days I am guessing most bloggers don’t make money from pay per click ads – some of my ads are PPC but a lot are pay per unique view so more views would mean more money. And higher stats will attract more things like paid sponsored posts, give aways, invites to events etc..
I think some people go to partial feeds to stop scrapers from automatically scrapping their blog’s feed and republishing it, but I’ve found that if people want to steal your content they’ll do it regardless and there are other ways to have full feeds and discourage scrapers…
Anyway sorry for the essay but once you get me talking blogging I am hard to shut up!
I’d forgotten about the scraper content thing which is some people’s justification for partial feeds. And thanks for the comment, it’s good to have the viewpoint.
I subscribe to a few blogs – but its generally my time allowance and my fondness for that blogger’s style that entices me to click through or just delete from my inbox.
I’m with you, although, a blogger I used to devour went to partial feeds a few months ago and I have gone off reading it because of that. And because the content isn’t as interesting as it used to be.