Are you struggling with blog comments?
If you think you’re wasting time because your comments don’t get approved and there’s no spike in your traffic, take a few moment to assess your blog commenting strategy.
You might be doing something wrong.
Commenting on blogs is one great way to increase traffic for your website. It delivers instant results and allows you to connect with people who matter: your readers and bloggers who influence you.
In a previous post I talked about how you can get instant traffic with blog commenting. I was pleasantly surprised of the positive feedback it got from those who’ve read it. This time I’ll talk about how to make sure your comments get approved.
The problem with blog comments…
Is that you are not guaranteed they’re approved. When you submit a comment you’ll usually see a notification that says “your comment is awaiting moderation.” That means the blog owner will review and see if it’s worth posting.
Most of the time, it never gets posted because of one prevalent issue on the web: spam comments.
If you own a blog then you can identify with other bloggers who have to deal with thousands of spam comments. For a time I had more than 40,000 spam comments. That’s awful. And since there are bloggers who don’t have Akismet and other related plugins, they have to manually check the comments on their posts.
That’s a very huge undertaking. And if your blog comments aren’t done right, they won’t think twice about marking them as spam or clicking Trash.
If you want to increase your blog comments’ approval rate, I suggest you do the following:
Use your name and not keywords
The name field is strictly for names. Don’t use keywords in an attempt to get backlinks because that will only get you in trouble. If I own the blog you’ve commented on, I’ll delete it right away.
Using keywords as your name is the first sign of spam comments.
If you’re going to start with “great post!” make sure to follow it up
You’re awesome!
This is a really great post.
You’ve done a wonderful job writing this post.
These are all no-nos. Avoid these. Don’t think that using these will flatter the writer because it won’t. What these’ll do instead is scream “spam!”
The golden rule in crafting blog comments is to add value. These things won’t.
If you really want to say the writer created an “awesome post” then make sure to follow it up. Add meat to your comments. Highlight the points that appealed to you the most. Say why you think the post was awesome. Talk about the things you learned and how you plan to apply what you’ve just read to your life.
Don’t include a link to your own site in the comment
Blog comments must not be self-serving. Don’t be tempted to add an anchor text or link back to your site (unless it’s really necessary). Self-promotion is unattractive.
If you really want to promote yourself, then wait until you have several comments posted already. Establish some sort of relationship with the blog owner and the other readers before you put your link. And find a really good reason to do it, like sharing a similar post that can further explain the topics covered in the post.
Write in first person
This is a no-brainer. Don’t you think it’s weird if you comment using the third person?
Plus, writing in first person will make readers more comfortable with you. First, it’ll prove that you’re human. Second, you will appear friendly and approachable.
Add something that other readers may find useful
The comment section is where readers can find additional information because other readers like to share stuff here. Before you hit the Submit Comment button check if you’ve added something useful like:
- a resource that the others can check out (a similar post, perhaps?)
- additional point that you think the writer missed
- an anecdote that proves some items covered by the post
It always boils down to adding value to the readers.
Ask questions
Questions are great because they initiate conversation. These involve both the writer and other readers and when that happens more information is shared. Aside from that, you will also get to know the others better.
Relationships like these are extremely helpful in networking and promoting your site.
Disagree without being offensive
Surely there will be times when you feel that the post has inaccurate data or claims that you don’t agree with. It’s alright to address those things as long as you remain respectful.
Don’t be rude and condescending. Be polite when pointing out inaccuracies to the writer. Don’t shove your beliefs to others’ throats. If you don’t agree with something, say it and state the reasons why. Be open to have your opinions challenged. Seek out the others’ opinions.
Don’t be a jerk and know-it-all.
Your turn: how do you comment on blogs? Do you encounter problems getting approved? Share your thoughts below.
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The post How to Get Your Blog Comments Approved So You Can Get More Backlinks appeared first on Blogging Tips.
Source: Blogging Tips
How to Get Your Blog Comments Approved So You Can Get More Backlinks
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