Google Reader’s demise means big gains for Feedly

When Google last week announced it would shut down Google Reader by July 1, users began flocking to alternative services. And so far, Feedly appears to be one of the biggest winners, picking up more than 500,000 new users.

Feedly, an RSS service for mobile devices and most Web browsers, began catering to Google Reader users shortly after Google’s announcement. In a blog post, Feedly said it was building a Google Reader clone that will be ready by the time the service shuts down. Feedly also posted a blog with tips for Google Reader users, including how to easily transition from the dying service over to Feedly.

Those quick moves appear to have paid off, with Feedly gaining half a million new users in less than a week. Its iPhone and iPad app is now also the top free news app in the Apple App Store.

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As a result, Feedly says it has had to expand its bandwidth and add servers to keep up with the increase in demand. The company said its goal for the next 30 days is to make sure it can handle the increased load, listen for suggested improvements from new users immigrating from Google Reader and add new features on a weekly basis.

Google announced the plan to close Google Reader in a blog post detailing its annual spring cleaning, which is when the tech giant usually shuts down its less-popular services. Google said it was choosing to close Reader as a result of a drop in usage.

But Feedly hasn’t been the only service to benefit from Google Reader’s demise. Newsblur, another RSS service, gained so many new users that it went down and was inaccessible to users after the Google Reader announcement.

Other services, like Flipboard and Netvibes, have put up blog posts trying to lure Google Reader users.

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