By now, I’m sure you’ve heard the news that Google will be shutting down their popular Google Reader RSS aggregator as part of their 2013 Spring Cleaning.  At Anvil we love our Google Reader.  Seriously though, WE LOVE IT.  Beyonce says if you like it you should put a ring on it, believe me, if we would we could Beyonce.

So what can be done to keep up on your favorite feeds?  Luckily, Google Reader isn’t the only player in the game, it’s just the simplest and there are many other options out there.

What Options Are Out There?

Here are a few of the more popular options:

• NetVibes
• NewsBlur
• Feedly
• The Old Reader (based on the original Google Reader design interface)
• Rolio

In addition to these, there is a crowdsourced list of 40+ Google Reader alternatives on Listly.

How Can I Move My Feed Subscriptions?

It’s pretty easy to export your subscription data from Google Reader and most of the services listed above will allow you to upload a file that will transfer your subscriptions.

Here’s how:

1. Log into Google Reader
2. Click on the Settings icon in the upper right corner of your screen and select Reader Settings
3. Click on the Import/Export tab
4. Click on the link for Download your data through Takeout
5. Click on Create Archive button
6. Click on the Download button after your archive is created
7. Unzip the downloaded file
8. Inside the file there will be an XML file titled Subscriptions this is the file you will upload to your new RSS aggregator service when prompted to

That’s it, 8 simple steps and you’re back RSS aggregating like a boss!