10 Tips for Making a Good Blog Comment
One of the main attractions of blogging, is the ability to make a blog comment on other blogs within your niche.
Leaving your comment on another blog is a main attraction in the blogging world. It allows you to participate in other conversations and debates, and also allows others to view your profile which raises your popularity. When people view your blog comment, they will often become a new reader of your blog.
While making blog comments are great for your blog, be careful not to get caught in the habit of just how they can benefit you. When you do this, the quality of your blog comments can become boring and monotonous, causing you to actually reduce your credibility rather than improve it. In this case, your blog comments can do more harm than good. You could also be seen as a spammy blog commenter.
Never Leave a Spammy Blog Comment!
You’ve seen them countless times… someone writes something like “nice post” etc., just to get their face or comment on your page. When I see a spammy blog comment like this, I never visit that persons blog… and many others feel the same way. Make sure that when you make a blog comment, you are reflecting well.
Here are some suggestions you should follow when leaving a blog comment.
1. How should you sign your name?
Many people use names that are very non-revealing as to who they are. I suppose that’s fine if you have no interest in branding yourself. After trying a few different methods, I prefer just using my full name. – Rosalind Green, and here’s why:
- Because I don’t leave spammy comments, I am happy to identify myself.
- When I do make a blog comment, there is no attempt to blatantly advertise my blog.
- Using my real name helps to develop personal branding. The more people see it, it will begin to spark a memory.
After deciding on which name to use, the best thing is to be consistent with it.
2. Should I use SEO keywords in my signature?
My recommendation is no.
- It looks a little (joking) a LOT obvious
- It undermines your credibility
- There’s no major SEO benefit in your signature. Maybe there is some for blogs who use Do-follow, but otherwise I feel you are definitely wasting your time.
3. Should I mention my blog or website?
If you are genuinely leaving a blog comment to give value and not just for self promotion, I don’t feel it’s necessary. If your comments are valuable, people will be interested enough to visit your blog. For me, it just feels better to use my name.
4. Should I aim for a top commentators spot?
If you do get in the top commentators spot on an extremely popular blog, there is definitely some benefit… but only if your blog is pertaining to the same topic. You’ll get a backlink from that popular blog’s home page and, I would assume, a lot of people clicking your link. If you use this tactic properly, you really can begin to establish your name in the niche of your chosen topic. But generally, I would not advise you to make a blog comment simply for this purpose.
Here’s why…
- Popular blogs will often remove the top commentators plugin once they hit it big. Thus, you will have wasted a lot of your time and effort.
- Serious bloggers will often get annoyed with spammy comments. Your reputation and credibility is more important.
5. What makes a good blog comment?
Offer something meaningful. Offer something that will add to the debate, or offer good advice.
- Make your blog comment clear
- Make your blog comment relevant
- Be sure to check your grammar and spelling
- And please… don’t just offer a spammy post like… ‘nice post’ or ‘thanks for the tip’
These types of comments offer nothing and will cause people to suspect you of just trying to get some free traffic. Even if this is your motivation, if you make a blog comment in the correct way, it will serve you well.
6. Avoid personally attacking people.
Constructive criticism is always good, but it is important to do it in a non-offensive way. You never want to hurt people’s feelings. Your blog comment will remain on that blog for a very long time and if it doesn’t show you in a favorable light, you’ll regret it later.
7. Does a Blog Comment Really Raise Your Blog’s Awareness?
If you make a blog comment on a popular blog, there is the possibility of getting traffic back to your blog. Keep in mind, the lower down the order of comments you fall, the traffic becomes considerably less… unless the blogger has set his comments to appear in reverse order. The traffic may not be enormous, but there is potential for you to gain additional readers to your blog. But be reminded… if your only motivation is getting traffic then using the blog comment strategy is not a good one for you.
8. Would my Comment not make a good blog post?
From time to time, I see a blog comment which on its own merit, would make good blog post. You don’t want to always give your best advice away on a blog comment. Simply share your thoughts, and leave the ‘juicy meat’ for your own blog. This doesn’t mean not to leave long, thoughtful posts. You will gain the respect of other bloggers if you do, but just focus on keeping your priorities right.
9. How Much Time Should I spend on a blog comment?
This is a personal preference. I would advise no more than 5% of your allotted work time be spent making blog comments. Remember, while you will receive some benefit with blog comments, you can’t build a successful blog around just doing that. The most important thing is to make sure that when you leave a blog comment, you have a good blog for people to visit in return.
10. How should I handle comments on my own blog?
A simple rule of thumb… “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Monitor your comments and see what others are saying on your blog. This will give you a better understanding of some of the things mentioned here.
Commenting can be both fun and profitable when done properly. Just keep in mind the “properly” part and never allow the strategy of using a blog comment become detrimental to your success!
