ZapTXT's New RSS Alert Service Ensures Web Users Never Miss a Crucial Piece of Information

ZapTXT is a new online application that makes RSS search follow you wherever you go. When ZapTXT detects a keyword in an RSS headline that matches search terms you have defined, it alerts you via email, IM or SMS text. ZapTXT also makes it possible for online publishers and bloggers to drive more traffic to their websites.

Mountain View, Calif. (PRWeb) November 16, 2006 -- ZapTXT aims to make RSS a whole lot more useful with a new internet service that launched today. Dubbed "RSS Search To Go," the ZapTXT (http://zaptxt.com/home/) service provides internet users with a simple and convenient way to ensure they are notified when a crucial piece of information is published on the internet.

By visiting ZapTXT (http://zaptxt.com/home/) and signing up for a free account, users can create custom searches called ZapTasks to track their favorite RSS-enabled websites for specific keywords. ZapTXT then continually monitors the websites and RSS feeds specified by the user and notifies the user (via email, IM, SMS text message, or special RSS feed) when that keyword is published in a headline.

"Like many people, I got hooked on RSS and then realized I don't have enough time to keep scanning the RSS feeds of my favorite websites," said Sameer Patel, co-founder of ZapTXT Inc. "So we turned the notion of monitoring feeds on its head. Just tell ZapTXT what RSS-enabled sources to monitor, give it a give it a keyword or phrase to look for, and move on with your life, assured that ZapTXT will let you know when that keyword is mentioned in a headline. Better yet, you can tell ZapTXT how crucial the information is to you by specifying how you should be notified."

Most online publishers and bloggers have implemented RSS feeds on their websites to let their readers know what's new, and to encourage them to visit the site to learn more. Yet RSS remains a geek technology for many Web users, even though it's now built into every modern browser. ZapTXT makes it easy for non-technical Web users to put RSS to work for them in a simple, non-technical way.

ZapTXT offers a number of benefits to people who consume internet content (Web users and subscribers of media websites) and the people who create that content (online publishers and bloggers).

Designed for people who get their news and information on the Web

* Get notified when crucial information is published. Web users can easily create ZapTasks by directing ZapTXT to any RSS-enabled website or set of websites, telling ZapTXT what to look for, selecting how they want to notified, and then waiting for the news to be pushed to them.

* Simplify your life. One ZapTask can monitor any number of RSS feeds and let a user know if a keyword shows up on any of them. ZapTXT already knows about dozens of popular websites, or users can add any they choose.

* Improve collaboration. ZapTXT users can share ZapTasks with friends who have similar interests, or colleagues with whom they collaborate.

* Receive news on your terms. ZapTXT lets you define how you receive notifications so you can receive important information in a way that's convenient for you. ZapTXT can notify you when a keyword shows up on your favorite websites via email, IM, SMS text, or a special RSS feed.

Putting ZapTXT to work

* News hounds can create ZapTasks focused on specific topics for a set of blogs or news sites. Or monitor the entire blogosphere for keywords by using RSS feeds from popular blog search engines. Example: tsunami AND "Pacific Coast".

* Interested in monitoring what other people have to say about a particular post on a blog? Simply create a ZapTask for the comments section and receive an alert every time someone comments on that blog post.

* Classifieds. Define search terms for gigs, items for sale, apartments or events on RSS-enabled classified sites. ZapTXT will alert you when it finds a match. Example: Xbox for $299.

* Research. Need to monitor a company, a competitor or just a topic of interest? ZapTXT keeps a look-out for keywords, allowing you to get on with more productive tasks. Example: Microsoft OR Cisco OR Apple AND Upgrade.

* New releases. Be the first to know when a new song shows up on iTunes, a gadget on Engadget, a video on YouTube, or when a book hits the stores.

ZapTXT widget helps online publishers and bloggers drive traffic to their sites

ZapTXT offers a free widget (http://zaptxt.com/home/publisher/) that enables online publishers and bloggers to alert their readers whenever their website is updated, or whenever a new headline or comment that includes certain keywords is added. This drives readers back to the publisher's website -- even to locations beyond the front page such as comments on earlier posts. Publishers and bloggers that use the ZapTXT widget will be able to give their readers great reasons to come back, and will also be able to learn what content their readers are specifically looking for.

ZapTXT enables publishers to develop a more accurate understanding of what interests their readers, what they are looking for, and how urgent that information is to them. In turn, this information is of value to a publisher's advertisers and sponsors, who can be provided with accurate ad-targeting information. A ZapTXT-enabled site drives traffic, informs editorial strategy, and drives ad revenue.

Publishers and bloggers can learn more about ZapTXT here (http://zaptxt.com/home/publisher/).

About ZapTXT

ZapTXT is a Mountain View, Calif.-based company that develops technology to make information monitoring more useful for content creators and content consumers. The ZapTXT system was originally developed by Eduard Sherstnev, a programmer and tri-athlete who was so busy training for his races in 2005 that he always found himself missing the boat on Craigslist classifieds. So he whipped up a little tool to watch for new job listings and for-sale items. On a whim, he decided to put his tool out on the Web. A few people wandered by, started using it, and told their friends. Soon, Sherstnev realized that his little tool had a following and, with co-founder Sameer Patel, developed the idea into a service for mainstream users. To sign up for ZapTXT, visit: http://zaptxt.com/home/.

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