The Benefits of Blog Commenting
Lately Entrecard has showed strong encouragement for commenting on other people’s blogs. With the addition fo SezWho, and the posts on commenting lessons, I think people should start getting the idea that blog commenting is beneficial. Here are just a few of the many reasons why you should comment on blogs:
Links
Some blogs have do-follow enabled comments, which means that if you comment with a link to your site, search engine spiders like Google, will follow through to your site, giving your site a linkback. The more you comment on these types of blogs, well, they could contribute to your Google PageRank. That is, if you care about that.
Traffic
When you comment on a blog post, you should enter your website URL in the URL field. A quality comment will make readers wanting to see your blog. Make it to the Top Commentators list, if they have one, and you’ll probably receive traffic from that as well. You won’t be getting an enourmous ammount of traffic, but you will get some.
Branding
It’s about people remembering the name. Use the name of your blog or website when you comment. The more comments you make, the more people are going to start remembering you. If you don’t get them to check out your website through your comment the first time, eventually they will be too curious and won’t be able to resist.
Reputation
This kind of goes with branding. If you are leaving really good comments, people will remember you even more. It’s easier to do this with guest posting, but it can still work with blog commenting. If you make a SezWho profile, people can see how your comments on other blogs are rating. If you have SezWho installed on your own blog, and you are commenting on your own blog, (which you should be, it’s important to interact with your readers/commenters) they’ll want to check it out.
Community Feel
I mentioned this in the last section, but you should be commenting on your own blog. You should respond to people that take the time to read and share their thoughts on a post. This will benefit you, but make an impression on them. Responding to comments adds to your reputation. It helps make the relationship between the reader and the writer closer. It’s hard to see the impact from a writer’s perspective, but as a reader and the writer comments back, you’ll see what I mean.
And there you have it. There are a ton of benefits to commenting on blogs. If for some reason you aren’t doing so yet, try it out. Read a post, and share your thoughts. Like this post for example. What’s your view on blog commenting? Do you do it?
Posted in Guides
There is no debate here at all. Receiving comments is the lifeblood of an active blog. However, it’s incumbent on the poster (I’m not going to say writer, because I have a photo blog that I never write anything beyond a title for the photo and get lots of comments on them) to create content that is worthy of being commented about.
So very many of the blogs I visit every day just don’t encourage commentary. Either they are poorly written (no back up for facts stated in the posts, poorly spelled words that confuse the meaning of the post) or written in such a manner as to not invite commentary.
Saphrym wrote a very good post on writing to draw comments from people. He showed you how to draw people into your writing and pull that comment from them. If you don’t read his blog, you might want to check it out as he has some very insightful things to say about writing in general. (www.saphrym.com).
Commenting is an art in and of itself. The truly great commentator will write comments that will by themselves invite others to write in response to.
I agree. I leave comments on most blogs I visit. I don’t find that others do the same on mine. I wish they would. I think it may be because my blog is specific to my jewelry business.
@ Margaret – Yes, I agree. But, believe it or not, there are still people that don’t really understand what commenting is all about. They read a few blogs daily, but don’t voice their opinions. This is for those who might want to get a little more into the commenting game.
Additionally, commenters might not know exactly how they are benefiting by commenting. They know they are getting traffic, but do they know the 4 or 5 other ways it’s helping them out?
@ designsbyreese – Read the Entrecard blog. Graham has been writing helpful post on increasing comments, and encouraging comments. Try provoking your readers to comment by leaving them questions to respond to.
Commenting is over-rated. I don’t care what Graham said. The most important thing is content. If the content is good, then there will be (a few) comments. Otherwise, there isn’t a secret formula (content and patience… to build a REAL community rather than merely giving the impression of having a community).
Wow… Beside the simple and easy contest, All of article on this blog is a great resources for me. Thanks for sharing many great tips EntreBlast. Is this blog use do follow??? *LOL*
I strongly agree with this, but many bloggers comment right back at you on their own sites, and do not bother to stop in and find out what you are all about.
I do comment back from time to time on my site, if I know they are loyal readers, they will check in, but when I get new comments, I make sure I try and stop in, say thanks and give my two cents on their topics as well.
Thanks a lot, this helps. I try to comment as much as I can and hopefully I will start reaping the benefits soon. Not much yet haha, but I’m a very new blogger.
A feel like a lot of people out there don’t really care about anyone else’s blog but their own. Kinda self obsessed eh? Isn’t blogging about sharing ideas with your readers and getting ideas from other bloggers (most likely your readers?)
I look forward to reading more from this blog in the future!
http://ilikeimike.blogspot.com/
iLikeiMike
Blog commenting is an effective tool of social networking in such an impersonal world of blogging and the ink juice from dofollow blogs is a bonus.
Interesting points.
Yan
I always follow all my commenters over to their own blogs, and leave a comment or two on their blog. But I never thought of responding to their comments in *my* comments. I’ll have to do that. Thanks.