Pheedo Debuts RSS/Atom Ad Server

Feed and blog ad firm Pheedo has launched an ad management tool that will let publishers insert paid ads into their RSS or Atom content feeds, and track the resulting activity.

Kanoodle, which has been a pioneer in RSS ads, will provide syndicated ads, but publishers may also sell ads directly. Participating publishers at launch include Topix, Lockergnome and PaidContent.org.

The Web-based ad server, called SimpleAd Feed Management and Server, monitors feed activity to determine how often an ad should be inserted, according to Pheedo. It also serves ads tailored to the characteristics of each news reader, the company said.

Reporting includes both data on ad views and click-throughs. It also gives publishers information about their audience size, the popularity of their content and what aggregators audience members are using.

As blogs and XML-based feeds have begun to catch on with early adopters, start-up companies like Pheedo have begun working to help publishers monetize their investment in content feeds. Another firm, RSSAds.com, is also developing an ad model for feeds, while FeedBurner provides audience metrics similar to those offered through Pheedo’s new product.