The post The Ultimate Guide to Blog Commenting appeared first on ProBlogger.
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If you've ever read an article, book, e-book, or listened to a webinar or talk about finding readers for your blog, you'll hear the following advice:
' Leave comments on other blogs '
This was the first piece of advice I remember reading about creating readers, and I've heard (and given) it hundreds of times since.
In fact, this trick is an essential part of Engage and Network's 31-Day Course - Day 11 on Building a Better Blog.
7 Benefits of Commenting on Other People's Blogs
1. Create your profile - when you comment, you will be seen. A good comment can get people's attention.
2. Showcase your expertise : Share your knowledge or experience with others to build your credibility.
3. Meet other bloggers : Commenting can often be a great way to get noticed by other bloggers.
4. Drive traffic to your blog - Your engagement will often drive people to your blog.
5. Generate Ideas - Starting a conversation in the comments of other blogs often gives you ideas for your own blog posts.
6. Stay Up - I find reading and commenting on other blogs a good daily discipline to keep up with what's going on in my industry and engage my brain on the topics I'm working on. It's also good writing practice!
7. Opportunities May Come - Last week someone left a comment on my photography blog that I thought was so insightful that I asked them to do a guest post. In fact, now that I think about it, one of our most successful dPS eBook authors first became famous with a great blog comment. You never know where a good comment can lead!
1 problem with commenting on other people's blogs
The problem with commenting on other blogs as a method of increasing traffic is that while it can have many benefits, it can also damage your blog's brand and reputation if not done properly. About it below.
This article will give you tips on how to leave comments effectively and what to avoid.
4 types of commentators
I've seen quite a few approaches to blog commenting over the last 10 years. I suspect most of us fall on that spectrum.
1. Spammers
We've all seen them: They leave completely inappropriate comments on your post and are full of links with keywords trying to rank in Google for those words. These are often auto-generated spam schemes that get caught in your spam filters and still don't work.
There is no debate about the legality of these comments - they are spam and any sane blogger will flag them as such.
2. A self-promoting spammer
Further down the spectrum, we usually see commenters who at least leave comments manually, and sometimes even leave their comments on topic... (sometimes).
However, their comments are obviously only aimed at getting a link to help with search rankings or a few clicks to their site.
This group uses different expressive strategies that show who they really are.
First, they usually don't leave personal reviews, but their title is something like "Best Dog Biscuits" or "Hawaii Accommodation".
Also, they rarely say anything about the conversation, leaving the "great" comments blank. Otherwise, sometimes this group will do something controversial to get attention (attack the author or other commenters) in the hope that people will want to see it.
They also often leave links in comments unrelated to the post.
In short, this group is impersonal, irrelevant, adds no value, and engages in self-promotion.
Sometimes these comments make it through spam filters, but most bloggers delete them when caught. It's doubtful that comments are really useful for commenters as most blogs have nofollow links in their comments which negate the search ranking benefits and no one in their right mind will click on their links because the spam is so obvious.
3. A commenter who builds their profile by providing value
In my opinion, the commentator does this well.
Of course they read the post and have valuable input. Her comments aren't always long or in-depth, but they add something thoughtful and relevant to the conversation.
This group can share a story, give an example, offer a different perspective, answer a question, or do anything else that adds value to the blog and its readers.
This commentary attempts to add value while building his profile and credibility in the process. They are looking for a win-win exchange where bloggers/readers can benefit from their comments but also gain traffic and praise from the exchange.
In my experience, the best of these commenters use a personal name (and a personal avatar if possible). They comment less than the above groups, but the comments are more effective.
Note : It may be worth creating a Gravatar account for avatars, as many blogs use it for avatars.
4. A provider of value who receives no value
At the other end of the spectrum is that rare group of commentators who are fully committed to creating value, but for one reason or another don't promote themselves.
Not bad, but lately I have come across a few bloggers who are embarrassed or afraid of being seen as spammers because they never link to their blog.
I partially understand the "shy" side, but my advice to this group would be this: if you add value, most bloggers won't mind linking to your blog, or won't link to it in their comments section. .
A blogger I recently met said she never posts links because she heard it could get her in trouble with Google.
I know Google looks for unnatural links (so those in the two spammer categories above should be careful), but they have no problem with genuine comments. In fact, Matt Cutts (of Google) made this video on the subject.
How to comment on other blogs effectively
A few years ago, here on ProBlogger, I offered 11 tips to make your comments stand out on other blogs.
I think most of the advice I gave is still relevant today:
- Be early: Early commenters see more comments than latecomers. However, being the first in every position can be a bit boring.
- Share an example : Based on a blog post with an example that illustrates what the blogger is saying.
- Add a point - If a blogger missed a point, suggest it.
- Disagree - You may not want to do this for every comment you leave, but be polite when you disagree and then add constructive reasons that can make a good impression.
- Write with conviction, passion, and personality : These things stand out and show that you care about your comment.
- Use humor - this can grab the attention of those scrolling through the comments.
- Ask a question - I've noticed a long time ago that when people ask good questions, they become the topic of conversation in the comments.
- Comment Format : Be careful with this. Some commenting systems allow you to write comments in bold or italics. But don't overdo it here, as it looks like spam. Commenting systems like Disqus allow you to add images; They can also draw attention to your comment.
- Helpful Links - When you add a link, make sure it's relevant and valuable
- Comment Length - Are all article comments long? Be brief and get noticed. Are all other comments short? Leave it for a long time - again it will be noticeable.
- List/Decompose : Carefully consider the appearance of your comments. Will it be a large block of text? If so, consider breaking it up into short paragraphs or even a list-like format.
An additional tip I've used a lot: If you leave a valuable comment on a blog post, share the link to that post on social media.
This shows the blogger that you don't want to participate and promote their blog (which gives a good impression). It also has the added benefit of giving your followers something useful to read (both a blog post and a comment) and showing that you're involved outside of your blog, which can enhance your brand.
You can also take it a step further by posting a blog post that you've commented on. I've done this rarely and only when I think the blog posts and comments are valuable, but it can have a big impact.
Oh, and another tip: frequent commenting on the same blog can pay off. A great comment can be influential, but that influence grows exponentially over time. Don't become an over-subscriber and dominate the blog (see below).
Things to avoid when commenting on other blogs
I also wrote an article a few years ago about how you can hurt your brand by commenting on other blogs. There I listed 10 things to avoid (this has caused quite a debate among some, so opinions differ):
- Overuse of captions – This practice was more common a few years ago, but it involves leaving a link to the blogger in your comment in addition to a link field that allows you to link to the blogger's blog.
- Too many automatic links: Only leave relevant links, not in every post you write.
- A one or two word comment – you can show your appreciation and say “great article” – but it's most helpful to the blogger if you tell them WHY you think it's a great article. added value
- Don't read posts before commenting - that's pretty self-explanatory. I would also recommend reading the other comments already left!
- A fiery and personal attack is bad form. If you disagree, be constructive.
- 'Anonymous' Flaming - If you have something to say, give your name.
- Always Comment First : I've seen quite a few people over the years get annoyed with bloggers and other commenters. It's not a good way to say something all the time... it's also about giving others a chance to speak.
- Dominant Comment Threads – Similar to #7: Listen, let others contribute, and let your comments reflect some of their comments.
- Keyword Names – I know this is controversial, but personally, I prefer to know the name of the person I'm talking to rather than their company name.
- Don't add value to the comments - after all, that's the point. When you add value, you return value. If you don't add value, you can hurt your brand.
The last thing to avoid is don't comment just for the sake of commenting.
While there are many benefits to giving feedback, I think most people find it hard to give feedback when they give feedback as a "strategy" because they really want to be involved.
What did I miss? (your choice for practice)
I would like your opinion on this matter.
What commenting practices have you used or seen others use that were effective or annoying?
I look forward to some great comments on this post!
To learn more about comments, getting readers, and other ways to get your blog up and running, check out my 31 Days to a Better Blog course.
This article was originally published on November 20, 2013 and was updated on September 29, 2022.
The last blog post about commenting on the guide appeared on ProBlogger.