Blog Commenting For SEO: 3 Tips
Did you know commenting on blogs can improve your blog’s SEO? Getting clicks through authority, relevant blogs can improve your placement in search engines and bolster your SEO campaign.
Blog commenting as a marketing strategy requires a few things:
- Mindfulness
- Careful attention to detail
- A willingness to let go attachment to outcomes
Avoid posting “Drive By”, one-line comments. Stop trying to *get* traffic. *Give* of your knowledge to add value each time you comment and blog traffic should flow your way steadily.
Why are blog comments so darn important?
Many authority bloggers build their reputation heavily on commenting.
Readers may trawl the comments section of authority blogs to spot expert insight.
If you can be the person who offers real value through comments your blog and brand will become memorable in the eyes of targeted, hungry readers.
Google places a strong emphasis on links pointing to your blog from authority, relevant sites. This is where the SEO part enters the picture.
Post comments in well-known, relevant, reputable neighborhoods (authority blogs) and your positioning in search engines will gradually improve.
Create Comments like Content
Imagine creating a mini guest post each time you leave your thoughts in the comments field. Blog commenting for SEO requires this level of attention to detail.
Creating comments like content draws in interested readers and boosts clicks on your link. The secret is to be as thorough as possible.
Each comment can add immense value to a blog post. Remember that comments are content; helpful insight shared through comments helps to build bonds with fellow bloggers and improves their SEO too as Google loves helpful content.
For your SEO goals, posting helpful comments inspires people to click on either your latest blog post if the blogger is using ComLuv or your name. Each click improves your blog’s SEO and plays a part in improving your blog’s placement in search engines.
Link to Your Name
Link to your name to see the greatest benefit on the SEO front. This makes sense for a few reasons. You’d like search queries to connect your name with your blog, since your blog is content central.
By “content central” I mean:
- Articles
- Reviews
- Podcasts
- Videos
- Free giveaways
….and tons of other forms of valuable content can be posted to your blog. Link in to your blog to establish authority through search engines.
Many potential readers or customers Google your name to learn more about you. Make sure your blog pops up #1 on Google by using your name – and not keywords – in the comments “Name” field.
Using keywords is seen as spam by most bloggers. I can connect with “Catherine Holt” but have a tough time forming an emotional bond with “SEO Sydney.” Build keyword traffic through phrases peppered throughout your blog posts, not by linking to a keyword through comments published on blogs other than your own.
Comment only on Relevant Authority Blogs
Post comments on authority blogs to maximize your exposure. Increase your visibility and build bonds with blogging leaders in your niche.
Posting comments on less than exceptional blogs hurts your reputation and brand.
Commenting on low ranking blogs also hurts your SEO, as Google likes to gauge the cyber company you’re hanging with to determine your blog’s positioning in their rankings.
Share your thoughts on relevant blogs. If you blog about blogging tips comment only on blogs covering the same “blogging tips” subject matter. Leverage your time intelligently.
Why would you comment on blogs outside of your niche? This is a time drain and also sends a confused message to Google and other search engines on the SEO side of things. Remember, they want you linking to relevant, authority blogs.
Summary
Create comments like content, link to your name and comment only on relevant, authority blogs.
Do you generate traffic through blog commenting?
How do you use offsite SEO to target blog traffic?
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Written by Catherine Holt
Catherine Holt is the founder of Blogging Tips 101. She has been an internet marketer since 2012. Connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, Google and Pinterest.
Hi Catherine,
By being a bit mindful and linking up to authority, relevant blogs you can make a big impact commenting. Fab tips here. I’ve built much of my blog traffic through commenting and promoting other bloggers freely.
What you put out there returns multiplied. This is such a simple to embrace and use law of blogging, and of life for that matter.
So chat in the right spots and over deliver. The length of your comments doesn’t necessarily mean they’re valuable but if you put great thought into your comments you can build a nice little 5 or 6 sentence masterpiece, to stand out from the crowd.
Many dismiss blog commenting as a traffic generation strategy but it’s worked quite nicely for me. Just make your point in a helpful, thorough manner on the right blog and you’ll reap the benefits of your patient sowing.
Thanks for the share Catherine.
I’ll tweet this through Triberr.
Ryan
Blog commenting should definitely be a main focus, and your right….you definitely get out what you put in. If you spend the time connecting, and leaving meaningful comments, people are going to be naturally intrigued by you. It’ something many bloggers overlook and comments like “great post”, just don’t cut it!
Thanks once again for the meaningful comment you leave on this blog Ryan
Hi Catherine,
Blog commenting is definitely a viable option for growing a blog’s audience. It’s not an approach I take now because it requires a lot of time, but I did use this approach several years ago with my first blog and it did help. I’m glad that you mentioned using your name rather than an SEO optimized name. When I see a keyword stuffed name on a blog comment it makes the comment look a lot more like spam to me. Part of the goal with commenting is developing relationships with other bloggers and readers, and that is a lot harder to do as “SEO Sydney”.
The downfall of blog commenting is the amount of time it takes. If you are using it as an SEO strategy, it does take commitment, it’s not just a case of commenting on a blog here and there. It requires getting ‘out there’ and making your mark.
It is however best to avoid those keywords being stuffed into comments. It’s nice to receive ‘real’ comments on a blog, and not feel like you are being used for an SEO technique. Using your own name is an absolute must, otherwise how can you build connections with people.
Appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment here Marc
Hi Catherine
Very informative and most relevant post in this age of blogging where blog commenting has gotten an important place to boost traffic and create an authority.
You said right that in this new era of blogging where quality rules the quantity simply commenting for the sake of commenting will not serve any of your commenting purpose.
So comenting with a purpose should be the basic objective of a blogger.
Recently I read somewhere the most awesome way to expand your community without social media is obviously blog commenting.
Many bloggers include it as part of their overall blogging strategy. It shows its worth and significance in blogging era of today.
Thanks a lot for sharing this well researched and very skillfully developed post on blog commenting.
Thanks Mi. Your right about the quality of the blog comments. I simply wont publish the comments that say “great post” or “love these ideas”. Even if these comments are not technically ‘spam’, it does not show any thought in the comment and does not leave any value for the post or for future readers.
Blog commenting should be about a connection and not just leaving a comment for the sake of it. If taken seriously, it can be great for your overall blogging strategy, but if you are going into it with a lack of enthusiasm, then you might actually build a name for yourself as the ‘slap happy commentor’….lol. This certainly wouldn’t apply to you though Mi
Thanks for stopping by and sharing with us
Hey Catherine,
I also feel that treating comments like mini guest post we take your comments to a whole new level.
You absolutely get SEO benefits from commenting on blogs but I do it mainly for the relationship. I know that by default I will get some SEO benefits from it.
Blog commenting should be taken seriously! Think about our blogs, what do we want? Traffic, relationships, to rank well on search engines and so on. When you look back at commenting you get all the same benefits but on a smaller scale.
So after commenting continuously, all those benefits that are on a smaller scale will begin to add up big time for us!
I enjoyed this Catherine! Have a good rest of the week!
I like you thinking Steven! Bloggers that take commenting seriously are definitely going to reap the benefits. Aside from SEO there are so many other huge benefits, that it’s really foolish to ignore it. Having said that, it means making comments of value and not one or two sentence comments just for the sake of it. Relationship building is incredibly important in the blogging world and commenting on blogs is one of the best ways to develop those relationships.
Thanks for sharing your ideas with us!
Definitely, Blog Commenting is the best way to make you active in the blogging community, making you known. Especially when you’re still starting. Leaving a good impression is always good. When you want to link to a blog, you better not make it look spammy. The owner of the blog might think that you’re just here to leave a footprint and not help the community/readers and give additional information.
Well said Edith. Blog commenting is awesome, but it should always be done at the contribution for the author. The comments should be an extension of the post and not just a place to link drop. I love the type of comments where readers can continue reading and increase their learning, rather than this stop at the end of the post.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us
blog commenting is very useful and helpful.I already follow and some were great new ideas.
blog commenting is the best way to generate the organic search.
Thank you for the encouragement, Catherine! It’s nerve-racking sometimes deciding if I should comment on someone’s post or not. I completed the clickminded seo training class, so I’m more sensitive to how comments can affect a site and appreciate your positive guidance on commenting!
Don’t be nervous Jennifer. Blog commenting is purely like having a conversation and I’m sure that pretty much most blog owners would more than welcome many comments. You don’t even have to agree with the content to reply. Sometimes the best conversations start when someone has questioned something that has been written. Think of blog commenting as an opportunity to connect with the blogger and build those valuable relationships.
I appreciate you taking the courage to comment here. Hope to hear more from you soon
Thank you for helping!
Awesome post Catherine
I have found some new ideas from your post that might help me to increase blog commenting
That’s great to hear Sia. Blog commenting is an important (and fun) part of blogging, so it is definitely something to build into your blogging schedule. Hope to hear more from you soon
Thanks for stopping by.
oh’ this wonderful article and Thank you for the guidelines. it’s very useful for me.thank you.
That’s great to hear Behsa
Hey Catherine!
I am totally agree with you about “Content Central” once your content is highly organized than you need not to worry about traffic and secondly i suggest my all other friend that they must reads all the comments because it is the part where individual share their thoughts and sometimes response to these thoughts by blogger have make great sense.
Thanks Jenifer
I agree that the comments section is incredibly important. As such it is also important to respond to everyone, to help build relationships, but also to expand on conversation. I am still surprised when I see lots of bloggers missing this simple point. They want the comments, but they don’t seem to want to reply to them. It confuses me!
The comment section can often have some very “meaty” content and can often be just as beneficial as reading the blog post itself.
Thanks for sharing with us today
Splendid post. When I were reading your post I found some of informative point That will help me to improve my blog traffic. Thanks Catherine shout up this such an useful post.
That’s awesome to hear
Nice Your site is extremely helpful for beginners to advance blogger.Back-link is one of the most important for blog or website.
Hey Catherine!
I have read your blog…….Its helpful for me to increase my knowledge about SEO and blog commenting. Its really very useful post.
That’s great that you found this useful. Both blog commenting and SEO are important for bloggers, but also fun trying out new tricks and tips too