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To Comment, or Not To Comment; That is the Question.
To read is human, to comment divine! Ok, ok, ok, maybe that’s going a little too far…
Do links in blog comments have value for search engine optimisation (SEO)?
I started writing this post to discuss the value of adding comments to blog posts, including the fact that by adding your website address to the comment, you are building inbound links to your website, which helps your search engine ranking. This is what I always believed to be true. Then I started researching the facts.
I found that, like many topics related to search engine optimisation, there are many different views on the link value of adding comments to a blog.
Here’s one view that while it is true that not all inbound links are created equal, any link has some value for improving your search engine ranking, including comments on blogs. Read this article for more information on the link value of blog comments. And then here’s another opinion that blog comments have no SEO value.
So now I’m undecided. My gut feel is that it can’t hurt, as it gets your link out there and builds your citizenship of the web-iverse.
I’m interested to read more articles on whether or not adding your website address to blog comments has value as an inbound link. Know of any good articles that are based on facts?
There is other value to be gained by commenting on blogs.
If you’re a Facebook user, think about when you skim through the status updates of your Facebook friends. Why do you some of the updates make you stop and take a moment to either “like” the update or add a comment?
Because you appreciate what the person said in their update? Because it made you smile? Because you want the person to know you read their update? All of these reasons and more?
And why do you take the time to add your comments?
Because you want to and because it’s easy.
In many respects I find commenting on blogs similar, except that you probably don’t know the blogger personally. Reading blog posts that I subscribe to via email or find via links that are tweeted is one of the ways I stay educated about the SEO world. When I read something I find valuable, I want to let the author know that I read it and appreciate the he/she took the time to write it. So I add a comment.
Because I want to and because it’s easy.
You might also add a comment if you disagree with the author, or have a different opinion to theirs.
Blog comments have the bonus value in that you can include a link to your website, so aim to write something that adds value to the article you’re commenting on and motivates people to click on your link to find out more about you. This drives traffic to your website. At a minimum the owner of the blog has added comments because they want to engage with readers, so he/she should be checking out your link.
If you’ve never commented before, start thinking that adding comments to a blog is as easy as adding comments to Facebook. Add comments to build relationships with bloggers, share your opinions in the web world and interact with the online community.
Because you can.
For me, comments rule! Any comments? hehe
Search-Mel
Discover 3 great reasons why your website needs a blog
Melinda, generally known as Mel, is half of the Grassroots team. She is a Google Qualified Advertising Professional and a SEO Web Copywriter. Mel's aim is to make the web world a better place.
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I am not a blog-comment virgin so I will start this comment stream. I make comments because a)I do get people linking back to my site, b) because I want to encourage the writer and c)because I love getting comments on my writing and karma(or maybe it is the bible)would suggest that you reap what you sow.
I have met some wonderful people online and reading their postings and replying to them lets them know I am interested in what they have to say.
What is next on the agenda Serena & Melinda?
Definitely blog comments help on search engine optimization and they can drive traffic if they are insightful. Blog comments are a key part of my strategy to build traffic and I can see the good quality traffic coming in from specific sites I’ve left comments on. Readers who not only read the article but also read the comments are readers who stick around on a site for a long time. They are likely to do the same when they visit your site from the link under your name with the comment.
I’ve proven to myself that deep linking using blog comments also works well. For example I am linking this comment, not to my homepage, but to a short post on blogging as a passive income strategy. That should help this early post that went up before anyone noticed my blog to get a little traffic mainly by helping it rank high on Google, but also from anyone that visits after seeing this comment.
Building relationships with other bloggers through commenting can also be very helpful. My top visited page (after the homepage) is an interview with Pat Flynn of Smart Passive Income blog. The interview came out of me reading and commenting on his blog. He noticed me, agreed to do the interview, and is now responsible for a nice chunk of high quality targeted ongoing traffic. We operate in the same niche with different focuses so I know his readers visiting me are interested in the topics I cover.
What is a capta code? Can anyone provide me plug in for this one.Thanks in advance
I’d like to comment that I appreciate your comments on commenting – thanks!
Hi, Awesome post about Twitter. I think Twitter is going to be one of the better networks because of the fact that it is supported by so many industries. I also think when Twitter shows some of it’s new functions, returning traffic will increase to show the real growth of the network. Keep up the great work!