Written on September 19th, 2009 at 12:09 am by Darren Rowse
I Came, I Saw, I Commented: Was It Worth It?
A Guest post by Josh Hanagarne – World’s Strongest Librarian
Two quotes:
From Jane Austen: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a blogger in possession of a good domain must be in want of some worthwhile comments.”
The second is the undisputed, best comment I ever received. It didn’t even matter that it was spam: “So so good. Your grd information blog is so wondrous and impotent. So so good.”
Of course, my first thought was, I’m not wondrous!
But seriously, it’s great to get comments. Don’t forget, though…someone out there has to do the commenting. So why do they do it?
Is it worthwhile to leave comments on other blogs?
I was a reader, but not a commenter
I’d never tried commenting as a traffic-building strategy, mainly because I’m not smart or patient enough to strategize. My brother once checkmated me in four moves during an unfortunate chess game I should have turned down.
For the record, I read a ton of blogs. It’s just rare that I comment.
But then in a recent interview someone asked me my opinion on blog commenting as a traffic builder. I froze and sputtered and dodged the question because I didn’t have an answer.
I knew that I might get this question again, so I tried an experiment to find out for myself.
The Experiment
I spent one week leaving as many comments as possible.
Now, a common question is “how do I find blogs to comment on?” First and foremost: I believe that real peace of mind comes from staying out of conversations you aren’t ready for. Meaning, if your idea of masterful penmanship is doodling with a crayon in your mouth, you might look out of place trying to jump into a conversation with a bunch of bloggers discussing calligraphy.
So where did I find blogs to comment on?
I had a perfect audience to test with. Smart, literate, blog-savvy people.
You, in other words.
After my most recent Problogger post, “I Heard Blogging Was Dead. I’m Glad I Didn’t Listen,” I spent a week commenting on as many blogs as possible.
Here was the criterion for the authors whose blogs I commented on:
- They had a blog (duh)
- They commented on my Problogger post with a “real” comment
- I could actually add something to the conversation. I only commented on blogs that I could engage with
- The blogs were in English
I left over 30 comments on other blogs that week.
The Measurable Results
Now, I can’t prove with scientific certainty that the comments led to these results. A guest post on Problogger leads to spikes across the board, so it’s possible that comments were not the primary cause. But after I left the comments, the numbers went up again, far beyond the typical spikes following a Problogger guest post.
The numbers after commenting:
- A 100% increase on RSS subscribers (160-320)
- Over 40 newsletter subscriptions
- A second traffic spike due to people returning to answer my comment on their own blogs
The Intangible Results
More important has been the goodwill and relationships generated by some simple, sincere comments. I was stunned at how many of responses I got that just said “thank you for the comment on my blog.”
The most rewarding thing has been that my comments led to me meeting some great people. I possibly never would have known them otherwise.
Real Relationships
Broken record time: my favorite part of blogging is meeting people. I reject the idea that you can’t form real and meaningful relationships online. Many of the people who commented on that Problogger post are now my friends.
Like me, like you (maybe it was you), they are real people with real ideas and emotions and our ability to interact is not diminished much by the fact that we may never meet in person.
There are people on the other side of the screen. They are more than links to click on. More than blog stats to crow about. More than usernames. More than traffic and numbers.
So – Is Commenting Worthwhile?
The answer is different for each blogger. In my case, the modest boost in my modest traffic has been worth it, because every little bit helps.
As we’ve been told again and again by the master bloggers:
- Good, substantial, conversational comments are worthwhile.
- Self-serving, spammy, falsely flattering comments are almost always going to be a dead end.
It would not be worth my time to leave this comment thirty times on thirty blogs:
Grt post. Love your blog. Love how good it looks. This came at the perfect time for me. I was just talking about this today on ToplessJoshHanagarneTellsAllSuperHot.com
I wouldn’t blame you for deleting that comment.
Bloggers, Not Blogs
Focus on interacting with bloggers as peers and friends, not interacting with blogs for profit and links.
I now comment because it’s proven to be a great way to meet people. And I will continue commenting because for me, relationships are the best part of life. The more the merrier, online or off.
And for the record, I’m not a Jane Austen fan and will never quote her again.
Whatever you do, and whatever your reasons are–keep it fun or you won’t keep it.
Josh Hanagarne writes World’s Strongest Librarian, a blog to help you get stronger, get smarter, and live better… every day. For bonus articles, videos, and original music, please subscribe to the Stronger, Smarter, Better Newsletter. If you know someone with Tourette’s Syndrome, please let them know about the blog. They need to know that someone out there “gets it.”
155 Responses to “I Came, I Saw, I Commented: Was It Worth It?” - Add Yours
Jason Drohn
September 19th, 2009 1:02 am
I agree with you Josh – I’ve made a ton of friends through blog comments. Sometimes it’s been on my sites and other times it’s been on theirs.
I wouldn’t discredit an occasional email either, saying “Hey, Great Job” to the author. That kind of simple interaction can go a LONG way when your trying to break into a niche and meet new people.
Kosmo @ The Casual Observer
September 19th, 2009 1:15 am
Broken record time for me … CommentLuv is a great way to encourage comments. CommenLuv allows the commenter to select one of their recent blog posts to link to. It’s a benefit to the commenter, and it allows me to quickly see what they write about. (I am not a paid endorser of CommentLuv, although I probably should be).
Spam can be incredibly funny at times. One that I get repeatedly is “I do not agree. My experience shows the opposite.” (paraphrased). Once, I got this comment on a post that detailed a change in my schedule. Hmm, so the commenter’s experience showed that the sports column should not be on Tuesday? :)
Commenting (and encouraging comments) can definitely introduce you to some interesting people. I comment on several blogs, but have formed actual friendships with a few folks.
Wow – that’s a nice boost in RSS subscribers – I wish I could claim that sort of an increase! I do peruse the “referrer” information in my stats – this allows me to see where the traffic is coming from. A fair amount of it does come from comments on other blogs.
Josh Hanagarne
September 19th, 2009 1:16 am
Hello Problogger readers. I’m not sure why the second half of the post is underlined. Rest assured that it was not some post-modern performance piece that is making a statement. Or that I underlined the entire second half because every single word deserves the extra emphasis:)
Kushagra Agarwal
September 19th, 2009 1:29 am
I never commented on any blog before, because I feel so lazy in commenting and I thought it is just a waste of time.
But after reading your post, I will do it. :)
Dan
September 19th, 2009 1:32 am
I have left what I hope is valued as real comments on this blog a number of times, and it almost always generates some traffic to my blog. Now, since I write a Christian blog, I have to be careful only to comment on the posts that I think I can make a true input on. Still, it helps a great deal.
There are a number of good Christian blogs that I do indeed enter into conversations on, with the author of the blog and with other readers. That system has helped a great deal, both in developing friendships and increasing traffic.
Surender Sharma
September 19th, 2009 1:32 am
Comments worth more and more for me.Few days back I started an experiment on comments and I received a lot with commenting on other blogs.In a month my blog reached on the heights.I broken the target of ranking on Alexa.You can’t imagine that my blog reached on 136000 from 1950000 in 30 days.All the result was due to commenting on other blogs.
So commenting worth a lot but depend upon blogger to blogger.
Joshua Elliot
September 19th, 2009 1:32 am
Ya, I have been commenting daily on Problogger, and has great result from commenting.
Of course I do not just say thank you etc etc etc… Instead like what Josh stated, write something valuable and share my thoughts.
And yes, if the blog post is relevant to any of your past post, instead of linking back to your home page, link it back to the post that has the most relevance.
This way, you will be able to convert the readers to your follower or even subscribe to your RSS.
I will take advise from Josh to comment on other related blogs and link it back to mine. 30 comments a week.
Brandon Oelling
September 19th, 2009 1:32 am
GREAT post … !
I firmly believe comments are the lifeblood of any post.
I’ve personally made numerous connections inside and outside our blog via comments.
Daniel
September 19th, 2009 1:33 am
I comment as much as possible, because at the end of the day, it’s my readers that I care most about. That modest boost in my traffic is a nice side effect, but real conversation is of the utmost importance. In order to stimulate comments at my blog, I decided recently to try the ‘nofollow’ free route. Currently evaluating how it’s working — so far comments are up a lot!
Dave Doolin
September 19th, 2009 1:37 am
I haven’t noticed any spikes in my traffic as a result of commenting. My traffic is slowly (linearly) increasing over time, and commenting may be changing the slope of that increase a little bit. Not sure yet, will know more in a few months. But the pros say leave good comments, so that’s what I’m doing, on faith.
kalyan
September 19th, 2009 1:37 am
one of the most useful ,informative and realistic post ihave ever read , a eye opener that comments are for people and not just meant to showoff in blog. thanks for a nice post.
Dave Doolin
September 19th, 2009 1:38 am
Mod/Darren: Please delete previous comment example URL for different post. Thanks!
I haven’t noticed any spikes in my traffic as a result of commenting. My traffic is slowly (linearly) increasing over time, and commenting may be changing the slope of that increase a little bit. Not sure yet, will know more in a few months. But the pros say leave good comments, so that’s what I’m doing, on faith.
Angela Mills
September 19th, 2009 1:38 am
I remember the first comment on my blog from someone I didn’t know…I was so excited. Someone was reading my blog and they had something to say!
I still don’t get very many comments, but I have grown to understand the value of commenting on others. For me, it has led to getting to know some other bloggers, and yes, I noticed when you leave a comment people often comment back at you. That is always cool, to connect with people. It reminds me why I blog in the first place.
Another thing is email comments, I get a few of these with personal stories, and no one else sees them, but they are very special. So now once in a while if I feel led, I will email a comment to someone instead of leaving it on their blog. I don’t think it does anything for their numbers, but it is nice :)
Jim Gaudet
September 19th, 2009 1:39 am
You are correct in pretty much all aspects. Since I started commenting on blogs, I have met many people who are now my “friends”. I mean, we help each other out (because we are in the same niche) and we like to talk because we are already interested in the same thing.
So it’s easy to find a blog to comment on. You can try for back links, but in reality the real traffic will come from making your own mark and meeting/chatting other bloggers..
PS now that this is your second guest post on PB, I guess I will go check out your blog
:~)
Lindy Abbott
September 19th, 2009 1:43 am
I regularly read blogs, and most often comment. I love people and love to communicate with them. I notice that some people comment to the world instead of the blogger. I take a much more personal tone. There is a great new blog that I read regularly, it is by a young man that is starting his college life. I love to see how much he is growing and all of his new insight to life. It is a wonderful way to encourage him. But oddly, when his parents comment on his blog they do not talk to him, they make a general editorial like comment about the subject matter he passionately speaks about.
I don’t guess there is a right or wrong way to comment, but I take commenting much more personal, and truly enjoy all the comments my blog gets. I have met many people on line through blogs that I probably will never meet in person. It is a wonderful way to open your small world, from the comfort of sitting on your bed at home typing on your laptop.
For me, blogging is all about the sharing of thoughts, ideas and information. I love to learn so almost any blog intrigues me. I also enjoy hearing different points of view; I like to know how people think that I don’t normally spend time with and blogs are a great way to do that.
The only thing that turns me off in blogs and comments is when someone’s underlining purpose is to sell themselves or a book, program, etc. I don’t want to enter a bait and switch situation. It is nice to have an exchange of ideas, thoughts and feelings without having to pay a price. It is kinda like getting to go hang out at the city gate or a coffee shop and spend time with people who like to think.
Thank you for your interesting, thoughtful insights on why people comment on blogs.
Dominikas
September 19th, 2009 1:44 am
I rarely comment, as I have problems with coming up with something worthwhile to add to post. I enjoy reading posts, but rarely feel inclined to comment. I’m not sure about making friends aspect, as I have a static website, so they cannot comment back. But I suppose it’s a good way to stay in touch with people or topics. I’ll try commenting more and see if I can observe any effects. Btw, congratulations, you managed to convince an avid lurker to leave a comment.
Elaine
September 19th, 2009 1:45 am
As a commentator on social media and marketing, I did make commenting on blogs a part of my daily ritual when I launched my blog 9 months ago. While this seemed to generate comments on my own blog, it didn’t appear to interest many to subscribe.
Eventually, I cut down my comments to one day a week. Now I make comments maybe once a month.
And guess what? Both comments and subscribership have fallen even though my analytics reveal visits have risen steadily.
I guess it depends on what is important to you. In general, I just want to get my message out. But sometimes, like today, I really am looking for feedback.
Stephen Rhodes
September 19th, 2009 1:46 am
Thanks for the advice. I too have avoided commenting.
Josh Hanagarne
September 19th, 2009 1:53 am
@Jim Gaudet: Hate to be a diva, my friend, but this is my fourth PB post. I’m still a nobody, but I’m now a four-time nobody:)
Chet Garrison
September 19th, 2009 1:53 am
I agree that leaving great comments are worthwhile but only if it adds something extra. Most people only care about getting traffic to their website through the backlink. Makes me think about how I’d feel if someone came to my site and left a spam comment. How would you feel? Great comments leave great first impressions.
Erika marie
September 19th, 2009 1:56 am
If the blog (or thread – whichever it may be) is good, I feel compelled to comment. This happened before I was ever a blogger of my own. Oddly enough, this is the first blog I’ve read on your site. I saw John Chow on TV somewhere and looked him up. From there, I found ShoeMoney, Bob Jones, and now you. So far, these are the 3 blogs referred to me by John Chow. I hope to read more from you.
Stan Schultz
September 19th, 2009 1:57 am
Great post. The most amusing thing to me is that comment that you loved that you mentioned at the very beginning.
“…Your grd information blog is so wondrous and impotent.”
Maybe they really meant to write impotent and not important? Truly snarky and ironic, but hitting a possible truth? Another way to say this: Blowing smoke dude, but beautiful smoke:)
Lindy Abbott
September 19th, 2009 1:58 am
I tried a little test with your commentors. I clicked on several of there links to check out there blog. Angela Mills was the only real person to person blog that had commented. Everyone else, forgive me if I missed someone, was trying to make money and do it in a catchy way with their blog. I see nothing wrong with making money doing what you love, but most are so gimmicky. There are no points to comment on when someone is just trying to reel me in!
Jean-Christophe
September 19th, 2009 2:04 am
I do not comment on others blogs very often as my first tries did not result in building any kind of relationship with bloggers. But reading your post means that I should try again, maybe find more specific blogs to comment on, I’ll think about it and thanks for letting us know :)
Mariano
September 19th, 2009 2:06 am
Really interesting post. I know that I probably don’t comment quite as often as I should on all posts, but I can say I’ve developed relationships with people based on comments I make on their sites.
The “Scary Mommy” blog (http://www.scarymommy.com) is one good example of a place I decided to comment because the blogger absolutely connects with her readers…and I can definitely see some people coming to check out my blog though the content is unrelated.
Another great blogger is Edward Boches at Creativity Unbound (http://edwardboches.com). He’s commented on my blog a couple of times now and I’ve done the same for him.
Though I don’t know either of these two people personally, I feel a connection because we’ve exchanged opinions and helped provide feedback to topics on each blog that were relevant to us. I enjoy the community having a blog creates, and I find comments particularly useful in shaping future content.
You’ve inspired me…maybe I’ll give commenting more often a shot; never know what kind of response I’ll get.
Thanks!
Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach
September 19th, 2009 2:10 am
Commenting is definitely a great way to build one’s network (especially if commentluv is enabled!). I’m astounded at how many people I’ve virtually met online due to me commenting at their blogs and them commenting at mine.
Kevin (strongandfit.net)
September 19th, 2009 2:16 am
Cool–I’ve never heard of anyone approaching this so scientifically. I do get visits from links left in comments, so I think there’s something to it. Not to mention the whole SEO benefit thing.
Jeffrey Tang
September 19th, 2009 2:19 am
I love comments. I love leaving them (I’m probably too opinionated for my own good) and I especially love getting them on my own blog.
I don’t know what it’s like for a huge blog like Problogger, but getting comments is a huge rush for me. I definitely notice every single person that leaves a comment – and I especially notice people who leave repeat comments or who follow up and start a conversation.
Great way to make an awesome impression on a fellow blogger.
Nicole/MadlabPost
September 19th, 2009 2:20 am
Commenting for the sake of building links, traffic, subscribers, fame or any other blogging goals that we are trying to achieve (as these goals are different for each blogger) is a waste of time and energy.
I read a few blogs on different topics from film to TV to music to blogging (e.g. Problogger) to living well but much like you, I rarely leave a comment on many of the posts. I mostly comment on posts that prompt me to respond and the posts of my blogging friends but then that’s it. Now that twitter has become popular, I send out many of my feedback or responses that way or I just don’t comment at all.
I have found that in my experience with commenting and blogging, the best traffic and other positive results come from leaving good comments on posts that I can relate to or at least have a strong opinion about the topic covered in the post.
There is no reason to leave a comment unless it has some kind of substance or can be helpful to the blogger OR other commenters on a particular post.
Lydia, Clueless Crafter
September 19th, 2009 2:26 am
Ha, call me a dork but I didn’t know about the traffic spikes that can come from commenting.
I love blogging because I love conversation and meeting people. On one of my favorite design sites, I just had a private email conversation with her about our passions. It was totally awesome and fulfilling.
Don’t see people as cash cows because they are so much more than a pawn in a get wealthy plan. You’ll lose and thew will hurt.
Thanks for the post!
Steven Rossi
September 19th, 2009 2:34 am
Josh, your posts have been very helpful to me. Keep up the guest posting!
As far as commenting goes, some of my most devoted readers have come from times I’ve left comments on blogs. On the other side of the coin, I’ve discovered blogs based on comments left on my posts, and I follow them pretty faithfully. So…you’re right on.
D. Travis North
September 19th, 2009 2:37 am
You know…I feel weird commenting on this post considering the topic. It’s almost like I’ve “seen the light”. Well, not really…I think I knew to some degree that commenting on posts would help to improve return to my own blog, but I sorta thought it was a coincidence. See, I have never been good at commenting regularly. I go in waves…one week 6 or 7 comments scattered about. Next week, nothing. I’ll be honest, I never really tried to track to see if there was a correlation thinking it would be minimal at best.
It just so happens this past week, I left several comments. So I loaded up Google Analytics to see where my traffic sources were from. And sure enough…I got at least a handful from blogs that I posted on – and not all of those blogs had any relation to my blog’s topic. So I learned two things:
1) People are reading my comments. I figure that no more than 20% (and that’s probably generous) of the people who read my comments are following my link. So More people see comments than I thought.
2) 20/20 hindsight – I have several interests, it’s fair to assume that many people do as well. I posted on a blog about running, and got a handful of visits from that (to my photography blog). So it’s fair to say that a portion of the people who read my post saw that I ran a photography site, and followed through. Just so happens that these people have two interests in common with me. Can’t believe I never thought of that.
So I guess I need to be more diligent about letting myself be heard. I’m opinionated, so I always have something to say…but I’ve reserved my thoughts thinking it wouldn’t matter. Guess it really does.
Thanks for the post (and thanks for making me revisit the concept).
Mahendra
September 19th, 2009 2:38 am
You just made me realize that I need to get out of the closed environment of reading great blog posts from within Google Reader and take the time to comment. Thank you.
Whenever I do comment, it usually leads to a fruitful relationship. I also don’t like bloggers who leave comments on their posts “orphaned”, with no response at all from the blogger. So the converse or reciprocal principle I adhere to is respecting and responding to comments on my blog.
Outsmarts
September 19th, 2009 2:51 am
There’s a common thread in the blog posts I am reading today and that is relationships. Commenting on blogs is a great way to drive traffic but its value in terms of connecting you with influential people in your industry and the resulting relationships can be even more valuable.
If time is of the essence, being highly focused on the comments you make is important. Not only should they add value, be relevant and consistent, your comments should also be focused on blogs from people you would like to meet or companies you would like to do business with; sites that get a lot of traffic/comments; as well as existing partners and customers.
Jim Gaudet
September 19th, 2009 2:58 am
@Josh Hanagarne : Nice, I have to admit I don’t get to read all the posts at PB, must have been a Title I wasn’t interested in :)
Carly
September 19th, 2009 3:01 am
I too am a reader and not a commenter, but reading this has inspired me to take your challenge and comment on as many blogs as I can this week. Good advice.
Darla Olson
September 19th, 2009 3:02 am
I have commented on a few blogs (probably 5 or less) and while I am not 100% sure how to interpret Google Analytics, it does appear that visits to my blog spike each time I leave a comment. (If only we could have technology without the technology! lol!)
Brian Heys
September 19th, 2009 3:09 am
I just wanted to say I absolutely love the Jane Austen reference at the start of this post … and for the record, I *AM* a Jane Austen fan, and will quote her ever and anon.
;-)
Chase Sagum
September 19th, 2009 3:18 am
I think another thing to point out here as well was the process of testing that you did to figure this out. That’s actually one of the best things I have learned from your post on this. If you want to try a new “traffic building” strategy for your blog, do some serious testing first. Track exactly what it is you did and what specific results you get in return.
Steve
September 19th, 2009 3:50 am
So your impotency is now known by everyone. Ha!
Building links is the big reason many people comment, I must admit.
LVI56
September 19th, 2009 3:59 am
I realized this a few months ago, and have been leaving more and more comments. I also have been increasing forum interaction on a few sites I love.
With my blog having low traffic, any comment that comes though is just great. Unless it’s spam, then it’s just annoying. But something as simple as a thank you goes a long way to keeping my blog and writing alive. Just knowing that someone took the time to read something I took the time the write about is a huge boost.
William Womack
September 19th, 2009 4:00 am
spam spam spam spam…..
Just kidding!
I agree with the comment-traffic building strategy 100%. It all comes down to the more you contribute and expose yourself to people, the more good honest traffic you will get in return.
We could all pay money to get traffic to our blogs, but organic traffic is best because it is done through natural means. Because you have built a name for yourself and people have come to trust you.
Great post, I loved it!
MillionDollarBlogger
September 19th, 2009 4:17 am
I’ve been waiting for a post like this.
I just started commenting on other blogs. Actually, the only two blogs I comment on are ProBlogger and Copyblogging. I thought I could get a decent increase in traffic from these two sites because they have a big readership. In fact, other than tweeting my posts, this is the only marketing I do for my blog.
But your experience is making me think that maybe its a good idea for me to do what you did. Take a week and comment to as many blogs as I can get my hands on. As you can see I don’t have writer’s block, so it wouldn’t be anything harder than clicking through to a few people’s sites, signing up and leaving a comment.
Its not really about building links, either. Like you said the real key is getting people to want to come to your blog to see the new content daily, either because they like your writing style or whatever. That type of organic traffic or, “popularity” can be as powerful as ranking #1 in Google.
Well, maybe not, but if you’re in a crowded niche then its the second best thing.
Currently, the only site I update regularly is a site on internet marketing. Because I’m new, I use it to track my progress in terms of traffic, earnings, stuff I learn, etc. In fact, because of this post I’m going to do a 30 day experiment where I comment to 10 different blogs per day and track the results. And fortunately for me, I haven’t written any guest posts on ProBlogger to color the results. Thanks for the idea!
http://www.vipinternetmarketing.com
chris
September 19th, 2009 4:23 am
Hey Josh,
I too read a lot of blog, but find it hard to comment on it. It also adds up to the additional work of following those comments. I actually never looked at the traffic booster. (Honestly, the true commenting on some interesting post takes more time that one thinks, or at least I take more time.)
I may try a week experiment like yours and see its effects.
DJ
September 19th, 2009 4:27 am
Commenting on blogs has helped the traffic for my blog. I comment to be apart of the blog and leave my sincere imput. I bought Darren’s book and found that it is really helpful for bloggers who are just starting out. That is the reason why I come here to try and join the conversation. Thanks for all the useful information.
TheDebtHawk.com
September 19th, 2009 4:29 am
Participating in the discussion on other blogs is a great way to get noticed within your niche. After all, these bloggers are the people you want to encourage to link to you articles. I can’t think of a better way to get a blogger’s attention than to leave a few great comments on his blog.
Janíce
September 19th, 2009 4:43 am
Thank you for pointing out the obvious: that there is a real, living, breathing person on the other side of the screen, one who is hopefully soaking up what you write. The obvious has to be mentioned sometimes.
I was told by a person whom I consider a great blogger and friend that a blogger should write for that ONE person – the one who is completely receptive to your blog. The person you write for can even be fictional, but I prefer to think of real human beings. This has helped my writing and my commenting…and hopefully both will improve!
Akila
September 19th, 2009 4:49 am
Josh, I think this is a great point. I have found a great deal of readers by commenting on others’ blogs. In fact, last month, I had 150 uniqe visitors come from one other food blog after I left a comment on a particular recipe. That’s a lot of new people coming from just 1 comment!
More importantly, though, I don’t comment because I want to find new visitors; I comment only when I can add to the conversation. It irritates me to no end when I see people leaving self-seving comments such as “Great recipe – you should check out mine at . . . . ” If I see a substantive comment, I normally check out their blog.
I also echo Kosmo’s comment and love the use of CommentLuv. In fact, Darren, I’m kind of surprised that you don’t use it on this site. It really is a great way to get people interested and involved in other readers’ blogs.
Momma @ 3pm
September 19th, 2009 4:52 am
While leaving and receiving comments is great, I don’t actually see it as a big traffic draw. I get most of my traffic from search engines. I comment because I feel like I have something to add to the conversation, or I simply want to connect to the writer because their words resonated with me.
I think that the niche audience you’re reaching has more to do with it than just about anything.
Tiffany
September 19th, 2009 4:52 am
I was one of the bloggers who recieved a comment from you, and it’s one of my favorite comments of all time. I felt like I’d been visited by someone famous {or a 4-time nobody:-) }
I’ve never noticed a traffic spike from comments, but I do notice that sometimes the number of comments on my blog goes up as a result of me commenting on other blogs. Isn’t that why you visited me – because I left a comment for you? See, it works!
Laurel Ann (Austenprose)
September 19th, 2009 5:17 am
Josh – Great post. Love your writing. Love your humor. This came at the perfect time for me. I was just talking about this today with my co-blogger Vic of Jane Austen Today.
Thanks for sharing your experience with me. I am going to try this out and see what happens. I often get so wrapped up in writing and producing a blog, that I have little time to develop relationships online.
And for the record, I’m not a Jane Austen fan and will never quote her again.
And for the record, I am a Jane Austen fan and your quote brought me to this great post. Sorry to hear that she was just a quickie quote grabber for you. To date, I’ve never met a Librarian who would admit they didn’t like JA. I would love to be given the chance to change your mind.
One cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty. P& P
Cheers, Laurel Ann (who thinks Jane Austn is a hoot)
Jeff
September 19th, 2009 5:19 am
Josh, thanks for the post. I have been one of those that read but rarely ever comment. I have been hesitant because of the fear of appearance of self-promotion.
I had not seen it from the angle of relationship. That makes the whole commenting thing much more appealing to me. Thanks
MLDina
September 19th, 2009 5:19 am
Relevant commenting is like great customer service for a blog. You know the blogger is out there, listening to your feedback and considering it- even if they disagree. I find a lot of value in commenting on blogs where I have something to say. I also appreciate it when the blogger takes the time to respond or acknowledge my comments. Commenting is definitely a great relationship builder.
Blake @ Props Blog
September 19th, 2009 5:25 am
@ outsmarts – I agree completely. I’ve found that I build more relationships with bloggers I would like to meet or do business with.
The biggest thing I’ve noticed with comments, like you mentioned, is the difference between insightful and pointless. It is nice to hear that your post is appreciated, but at the end of the day, that doesn’t tell me anything about the commenter. I would take 1 insightful comment over 5 “nice post” comments every time!
Mitch
September 19th, 2009 5:32 am
Commenting without a doubt is the easiest, fastest and most accessible way to gain recognition for yourself and your site. Anyone can do it, it just takes the work of actually doing it.
When I first started my site, I said I would do at least 5 comments a day, every day until i got at least 1,000 hits day. It took a few months and implementing other methods but I have to say just seeing those almost instant result gave me the drive to go on with it. Thanks Josh for your insightful post.
Brandon Cox
September 19th, 2009 5:38 am
Josh, thanks for the reminder. I used to do this faithfully, then got into reading and not commenting, just skipping to the next thing. I really think the traffic you get from comments winds up creating more personal connections since someone sought you out.
Karen McAllister
September 19th, 2009 5:42 am
Great piece, will be sure to share with others. It’s truly all about building community, so naturally more traffic will follow.
And, I too love your scientific method here:)
Joshua
September 19th, 2009 5:49 am
Well Here a bit of a rant i have on commenting.
You have to be number 1 or your not going to see alot of traffic although dont deture that from adding a comment their is still some traffic at the end of the comment.
You also need to add the best and most uniqe comment this way i look at it 80% of people will say nothing interesting and 20% of people will say somthing that is really intresting or will shock the reader. Who is going to get the most clicks on their links?
Comment on High Traffic Blogs like Problogger. Commenting on blogs that are low traffic isnt worth it. Why comment on a blog that gets 1000 visitors a week your not going to get much out of it right? Just make sure you work hard to find top rankings blogs others one i like are Nicks traffic tricks.
Dont Be Lazy. If you have to comment 100 times a day make them worth while. Remember you cant slack off by 1 comment or there will be no traffic coming from that comment.
Last Make your comments like an essay dont comment 2 sentences like most people make your comment the one that takes a while to scroll down the page to see the next comment. If your not the first to comment then you will see traffic because there always that guys who writes a novel like me
Keep this in mind and you will be getting more traffic
http://dailycashsaver.blogspot.com/
Living with Balls
September 19th, 2009 5:51 am
I can say first hand that this strategy worked. You commented on my blog once. I would have never known your blog existed if you hadn’t. Now I visit your site frequently.
Good Post!
Dayo Nurudeen
September 19th, 2009 6:59 am
Comment, Comment, Commenting is a good way to increase your traffik, I just do it always.
Robby G
September 19th, 2009 7:30 am
Josh, love this post. Apart from getting traffic, you make actual friends and that’s a part of blogging I love as well. If not for commenting or guest posting I would have never actually found your blog and got to know you. In fact now I read your blog almost daily and not only have subscribed to your RSS but was able to be given the opportunity to guest post. Commenting has given me the opportunity to make a lot of friends on a variety of blogs and the traffic boost was just the sugar-coating. I enjoy your blog, constantly read ProBlogger, and I’ve been able to grow my empire (as I mentioned in one of my guest posts on ProBlogger). The blogging community overall is a great community and commenting just makes it easier to interact and show that you’re a part of it all. Cheers!
grokcode
September 19th, 2009 7:39 am
Great post. I would be interested in seeing some actual numbers though. If you use google analytics or a similar analytics package, you would be able to see how many people clicked through on each of your comments, and also see if (for example) most of the traffic was coming from one or two sites, or if each of the blogs drove equal amounts of traffic.
Ingrid
September 19th, 2009 7:39 am
I do comment quite a bit on other blogs, and I’ve noticed traffic coming from from those sites. But, only one blogger has reciprocated with a comment on my blog. The other day I recieved a thank you email from one of the blogs I commented, it surprised me, and I thought that was a wonderful gesture that I surely will adopt. I understand that if your blog recieves a substantial amount of comments it might not be possible, but for someone just starting out in the world of blogging I think it can make a difference.
Ryan Biddulph
September 19th, 2009 7:44 am
Solid advice Josh, particularly stating to focus on bloggers and not blogs. I’ve been guilty of focusing on blogs in the past but I’ve learned that business is about making relationships with PEOPLE, not with THINGS.
RB
Jas
September 19th, 2009 7:45 am
Great post, Josh. Glad that I came, I saw, and I commented. Time well spent.
We Fly Spitfires
September 19th, 2009 8:16 am
I’d agree that commenting on other people’s blogs is a vital part of growing your own blog. It’s a way to get yourself know and build relationships with other bloggers. If someone never comments on blogs, it’s going to be very difficult for them to ask to do guest posts or referral links etc for instance.
Plus it’s just downright fun to engage with other people!
David Turnbull
September 19th, 2009 10:00 am
Commenting has definitely been a big part of my blog traffic strategy although I should definitely do it more. Thanks for the motivation. :)
Ronblogger
September 19th, 2009 11:10 am
Thanks for good motivation there.I do leave a comment to show my appreciation
jen
September 19th, 2009 12:47 pm
I’m new to blogging, but I’m very interested in blogging well. Not just delivering good writing on my own blog, but enjoying the community of bloggers on the web. I can spend a lot of time reading, but I have to be engaged by the article to want to comment. I do try and comment everyday, sometimes though it feels forced and I don’t want to force my comments, so I accept it and search for more good reads…then I find something like this! I have found a lot of doo dad blogs that are just a lot of smoke, no fire. I’m looking for content, and I hope that people will find content with my work. Thanks for writing, I’ll keep reading!
vga-kabel
September 19th, 2009 3:18 pm
Thank you, Josh, for writing this. You are such a talent. That’s why I read your blog all the time! You have such a positive outlook on life – I hope it continues to rub off on me!
Sierra
September 19th, 2009 3:35 pm
I really enjoyed this post. I’ve found commenting on other blogs to be one of the most helpful things I can do for my fledgling blog, as well as incredibly fun. I’ve built relationships with a number of prominent bloggers and authors in my field (parenting), and had several invite me to guest post for them.
As you say, the key is to stick with what you love. I comment on the blogs I read, that are interesting enough to keep me reading right through the comments because I want more.
I’ve been thinking recently about how to get juicy conversations going in the comments on my own blog. I’d love to have more people talking to each other, and following up on comments. Like the proverbial town square. I’m thinking of using Disqus for comments to help nudge that along. Do you have other suggestions?
Jonny
September 19th, 2009 6:42 pm
Commenting on relevant blogs as a way of showing another blog’s audience how much they know how interesting they are. So this new audience will click on the link back to their blog. This is another method of driving traffic to your site and entices people to write really well thought out comments.
Film izle
September 19th, 2009 7:03 pm
Thanks for good motivation there.I do leave a comment to show my appreciation
Victoria Hart
September 19th, 2009 7:34 pm
Thank you for this article. I am a new blogger and have often found that sincere comments lead to a return comment or visit. I find this also to be true with “following” or google friend. Thanks again for the work here.
V
Lee
September 19th, 2009 8:06 pm
I’ve tried commenting on other blogs in the past and occassionally the owners will reply on their sites.
For some reason though they very rarely reciprocate by commenting on my blog.
Is that typical or do I just need to persevere and build better relationships before it becomes a two-way street?
Mike from Drop Ship
September 19th, 2009 9:42 pm
Once a repo is built the commenting process becomes two way, I think. Commenting is a sure way of gaining friends as well as some good suggestions.
ITrush
September 19th, 2009 10:50 pm
I was just like you in my early months of blogging, I was just a reader but after a while, I’ve learned a lot.. now I started seeing results at the same time having fun.
Jane
September 19th, 2009 10:59 pm
In this single post you’ve managed to allay many of my comment-leaving fears. I’ve recently been trying this myself by commenting on other pet-related blogs (mine is a blog for pet-lovers) and I’ve definitely wondered whether the effort is worth the time.
Many of the blogs I comment on are ones that receive a lot of comments already. Did you happen to notice any difference in increased traffic from high-comment blogs versus ones where your comment will remain at the top of the comments section?
@Kosmo- I guess I have to try CommentLuv! :-)
Pat Steer (Gaelen)
September 19th, 2009 11:10 pm
I read more blogs than I comment on, but I do comment when the blogger writes something that moves me, or asks a question in the blog that I want to answer. And I agree, that moment when I realize someone who isn’t related to me is reading and subscribing is very cool. Yes, commenting on other blogs does bring me referred traffic, which is great, but commenting elsewhere and comments on my own blogs also add new dimensions to my blogs. Comments give me new ideas.
Do comments help you make friends? They can. My best ‘comment’ experience so far has been having a comment I’d made on Kairol Rosenthal’s ‘Everything Changes’ blog quoted by Tara Parker-Pope in her New York Times ‘Well’ blog on 10 Sept 09. Parker-Pope quoted Kairol’s blog, and included my comment in her discussion of how readers had reacted. Kairol emailed me, then visited my blog, and it’s been a big personal validation that what I’m writing about is meaningful to more than just me.
One problem with commenting on others’ blogs — some blogging platforms and some sites make it very tough to comment. Typepad and Blogger can be a PITA to comment on. I’m have to have a pretty compelling reason to comment on a blog or site that requires me to register or login first. I’m already registered on NPR and DogStarDaily, so I can comment on those blogs — but in an effort to simplify some parts of my life, I’m trying not to register at new sites right now. If a commentor has to register and/or log in, type in a web ID, AND do an anti-spam image capture just to log a comment, that comment probably won’t happen. Having to do all of those things is several extra steps, it slows the flow of conversation unnecessarily and it’s just annoying. Moderate comments, have a spam filter, put up a ‘no anonymous comments’ post of your own. Enough with registering to comment on the site!
Marland D. Miller
September 19th, 2009 11:13 pm
I really enjoyed your blog today! The main comments I get on my photoblog are from my friends. The main intent of the blog is to update my friends on what I am doing in South Asia. I would suspect if there are people who enjoy photos of South Asia they would also enjoy the blog! Thanks for all your tips.
Have a great day.
Laura - The Journal of Cultural Conversation
September 19th, 2009 11:23 pm
Hey Josh – as always, good to see you around the web. When I started blogging, I subscribed to every blog that interested me. Mostly for the content, for learning about blogging, but also to leave comments as I got started – since it was one of the first ways to get oneself out there and get more readers than just my mom and dad. During the year, as I learn more and seem to have less time, I have a short list of blogs that I subscribe to – some because the content is interesting and others are authors with which I’ve built meaningful – yes, online – relationships and always take time to leave a thoughtful comment. (as you said, I don’t reject those relationships either).
Always love hearing your thoughts – and see you over on WSL.
- Laura
Switchmac
September 19th, 2009 11:34 pm
My own blog attracts a few comments, for which I’m greatful! Had been wondering if there was a way of increasing interest in the site, look like I need to stop being a reader & become a commented more often :0)
Thanks for the inspiration – I’d actually clicked away from this post (back to Twitter, where I’d spotted a link) before I realised “hey! I should leave a comment :0)
Thanks again.
jodi
September 19th, 2009 11:51 pm
I actually did my own little test several months ago. I kept track of every blog I commented on. I found a site that listed blogs with content similar to my own. I spent a couple of hours clicking the links on that list. If I found an interesting post or a blog I liked, I commented. Within 24 hours I was astounded at the amount of new followers/subscribers I had and comments left on my own blog! Over half of the blogs I’d kept track of, replied or visited. I don’t comment unless I truly have an opinion, I like the post, or the blog as a whole. I have met some truly amazing people just by leaving a comment. I know several bloggers that have gotten so “big” they don’t comment anymore. I think they’re going to be sorry for not taking a bit of time here and there and seeking out like minded blogs and commenting. OR replying to the comments left on their blog. There’s something about the “hey thanks for coming by” (I’ve acknowledged you) that can go a long way.
Kim Kasch
September 19th, 2009 11:53 pm
It’s so true. Commenting is like carrying on a conversation – it’s the only way to build relationships. Sure I can walk around and look at people – but that isn’t going to help form any friendships – at least not REAL friendships. We can all admire each other but if we don’t talk, we don’t get to know each other. Commenting is talking in cyberspace.
Jimmy Jose
September 19th, 2009 11:59 pm
I totally agree with Josh here. There’s no negative points in commenting. Commenting can lead to debates and debates can certainly lead to fame . Even if you don’t get fame, you get to meet a lot of people. At the end of the day you are enjoying yourself.
Isnt that the most important thing in life?
Steve
September 20th, 2009 12:08 am
Hey Josh,
“great post, you should check out my blog!!!!” Those are the comments that drive me absolutely bonkers. I won’t even approve them, because I know that the person who sent it is just fishing for traffic.
When leaving comments, take the time to only contribute something positive, and do it for the right reasons. Just worry about giving, giving, giving. If you get something back, that’s great. If not, you still made the blog world a better place.
Steve
Jenny
September 20th, 2009 12:19 am
I am so happy I became an RSS subscriber of your blog. Your posts are always spot on about topics that I’ve been wondering about. I think the issue that I have is that I love writing posts, I love sharing them.. but the more involved process of creating and maintaining relationships with other bloggers is so time consuming – especially when your blog is something you work on after your 9-5. But this post gives good reasoning to break out the list of blogs I enjoy and make it a daily activity to interact with the content I love so much. Thanks!
Gunnar Engblom
September 20th, 2009 12:51 am
Thanks for this post, Josh. I read a lot of blogs on my by Blackberry with Free Range reader (recommended!!), but to leave comments I need to open the browser and then the text is awfully small. I still have not gotten acustomed to carryreading glasses always as I don’t need them for most reading,but will try to always bring them from now on.What better time to send off occassional short comments as when killing time somewhere with the BB?
I will try to be more active this way. I am a good sharer and a good reader, but as you I have not really gotten very active in commenting.
Gunnar
PS: Second time in week I’ve heard of Tourette’s syndrome, which was unknown to me before. I looked it up. Here is the wikipedia page:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tourette_syndrome
Gunnar Engblom
September 20th, 2009 1:00 am
Just for the record, Josh…the email provided in the last post was not correct…Nobody sees it anyway, but wanted to clarify this just in case.
As others say, a “great post” is not totally useless, especially if it comes from someone who regularily comments more extensively. It is sort of a confirmation your regular reader has seen your post..
Gunnar
Mommy Reporter
September 20th, 2009 1:28 am
I don’t know, but for me, leaving comments has not shown an increase in others commenting on my blog. I comment, comment, comment, and I very rarely get comments back… It is so frustrating because I really take the time to leave thoughtful and engaging comments. From my experience, this strategy for building traffic has not worked for me…
Josh Hanagarne
September 20th, 2009 1:52 am
I didn’t mean to discount the pleasure I get out of receiving “great post” comments. Everyone likes compliments. I’m certainly no exception. All I meant was that if you make a goal to leave 10 comments a night or whatever–I haven’t had as much luck leaving 10 “good post” comments as far as a traffic builder.
Lori
September 20th, 2009 2:38 am
I might be the a-typical blogger here, but I almost enjoy commenting to others’ blogs more than I like blogging itself!
I enjoy finding new/fledgling blogs and leaving comments to help support new bloggers. There’s nothing worse, when you’re first starting out, than having post after post publish without comments.
I value the connection to others more than just about anything else in regards to blogging.
Great post, Josh!
Karen
September 20th, 2009 2:55 am
I have been trying to leave comments on several blogs a week. Sometimes I get more visitors. I keep at it. Thank you for the post.
Dawn
September 20th, 2009 6:21 am
I too think that comments are wonderful. The human connection is wonderful. It’s fun to make connections.
InsiderAffiliates
September 20th, 2009 7:05 am
I comment on your blog for only one reason: You have the most subscribers out of all the other blogs I comment on. Just kidding! Well just kidding about the only reason part. I enjoy problogger.net posts because they have substance, I will keep commenting.
Thanks,
Kathy Andrew
September 20th, 2009 8:09 am
I never comment. Do not have a blog.
But everytime I read your newsletter I read something useful for life as well as for blogging. I am a school librarian and am deciding whether to fight all the beaurocratic gumph to get a blog started for the kids. You are so positive and so cheerful that I just might.
Ian David Chapman
September 20th, 2009 9:03 am
I comment on blogs because as a blogger I know how much I appreciate the feedback people give me. Since the majority of my blog posts get fed into Facebook as notes I often have more comments there than on my actual blog.
As far as a traffic strategy goes I tend to comment more often when I have just written a great post. This is partly due to actually feeling more sociable and partly because I know that the trail I leave will bring a steady stream of visitors long into the future.
Renewable Ray
September 20th, 2009 9:19 am
If you are just commenting for traffic don’t lose sight of the quality of conversation, people pick up on it quick. Commenting is definitely worth the time invested. I must admit that we focus on blogs with the highest Alexa ratings in each category we work in. Can be as simple as Googling for them.
Another great post!
Internet Strategist @GrowMap
September 20th, 2009 9:47 am
I have actually measure the results of strategic commenting and published the results in the blog post attached to this comment. My strategy is to comment and then to share the posts on my favorite Social Networking sites after my comment is visible. I imagine if Josh had done that he would have seen an even greater increase.
One thing I do know is he chose an excellent list of blogs to use: those who comment here. If you want to test either of these strategies yourself I highly recommend you do the same. Select the blogs from either DoFollow or CommentLuv lists (see Recently Popular post in my blog for those) or from commentators on a popular blog like this one.
You already know those who comment here are active so they are far more likely to return the favor and comment in your blog too!
David Stillwagon
September 20th, 2009 9:57 am
I comment on a lot of blogs, sometimes it helps drive traffic sometimes it doesn’t. Even if doesn’t it is still worthwhile to read the blogs.
Paul Hassing
September 20th, 2009 10:56 am
Nice one, Josh! It’s so cool when writers illustrate their stories with their own data. It really brings the message home. I appreciate the sharing and the learning. Best regards, P. :)
FunnyFidos
September 20th, 2009 12:49 pm
I don’t get many comments on my blog due to the nature of my blog. It’s more of a humor site than a blog. But I do get excited when I get comments. I visit numerous blogs, and read many posts, but I only comment on posts that I feel I can add to the conversation. I believe you learn from posting and other people learn from your posts. The sharing of knowledge (among other things) is what makes blogging so much fun.
Todd Morris
September 20th, 2009 2:39 pm
Hi Josh,
I really like the message behind this post … that commenting is ultimately about People, and connections.
It seems like these days, most people who comment on blogs are merely chasing links. They search out “dofollow” blogs, then copy/paste some unintelligible gibberish, all hope of geting a single followed link to their “money” site.
Unfortunately, they’re missing the forest for the trees.
Good comments will bring real people, to your real site. And if you have good, interesting content at the site they arrive on, the connections that you might make can end up being much more “profitable” than simply getting a couple of followed links.
Todd
hokya
September 20th, 2009 4:48 pm
i think giving comments gives benefit to the author and the reader itself, i just have small amount of comments in my site.
To be honest, i expect there will be a lot of comments so i can evaluate on my own posts
Eric (Oahu)
September 20th, 2009 6:09 pm
Great post. This was the first advice I received about successful blogging when I started – to participate on other people’s blogs – not that I’ve exactly been successful with any of my blogs. I’m not consistent enough. I have, however, like the author points out, established some relationships with people I otherwise wouldn’t have.
giselediaz
September 21st, 2009 2:15 am
Useful article Josh and Darren. Thanks so much! I’m reblogging.
jennifer888
September 21st, 2009 5:00 am
I have carefully avoided the blogging world for years. Friends and families blogs have gone unread in my effort not to get sucked in!
Despite my previous efforts, I have dived right into the blogging world and I am now learning what I should have know years ago.
Since I have now started blogging myself, the information I have gleaned from your experience is invaluable. Thank you!
Chris Agro
September 21st, 2009 9:10 am
Thanks for doing the research and posting this article. I have been a Graphic Designer for more than 23 years, with the last 7 or so more focused on website design and now Internet marketing. I am doing research on how to promote my business by offering advice on blogging and e-newsletters to the marketing mix for my customers. I found problogger offers great info, including your article. I am adding your RSS feed to my list. Keep sending out good advice and I look forward to reading your other posts.
Jaypee
September 21st, 2009 9:52 am
Great post. I can say that this is true because the times that I do leave comments on people’s blogs just to join the conversation or to say thank you for commenting on my post, I do get more people visiting my blog. Unfortunately, I don’t do it on a regular basis. Leaving comments is something I need to work on more as a blogger and this post is a good reminder for me.
Matt Keegan
September 21st, 2009 11:13 am
Blog commenting is, indeed, worth it.
First, its signifies to the writer of the article that you value that person’s input;
Second, it allows the commenter to engage in a conversation, one that will hopefully add value to the thread;
Third, it means everything that you said — more traffic and visibility to your own site.
With blog commenting, especially those comments which are serious, everyone is a winner.
BloggerDaily
September 21st, 2009 12:43 pm
Nice. I got the idea. Sometimes we just tend to deal with the blogs, not the bloggers themselves and now I realized that it’s a really terrible mistake.
Nice article. Thanks for the info.
Reza Winandar
September 21st, 2009 1:01 pm
Great comment builds authority, and a lot of great comments means a lot of high quality traffic, isn’t it?
Carolyn @walkingthetalk
September 21st, 2009 1:55 pm
I’m embarassed that you would need to point out to me that there is a person behind the blog, but when you said it that clearly it hit me between the eyes, Apologies to all the bloggers I have not responded to and shopkeepers I did not strike up a conversation with, and other task oriented stuff which disconnects me from people. Great reminder, Josh
Graham
September 21st, 2009 4:33 pm
Hi Josh, I must say that after I read this post I have to totally agree. I initially started commenting on blogs that I read – only the ones that interest me and I found that my search engine results positioning really did improve.
Now I make the extra effort to leave a comment, especially if I have something useful to add. It is well worth it.
SeoNext
September 21st, 2009 6:52 pm
Really a great post.I am totally agree with this post.Commenting is really a great way to build one’s network.Amazing comments as well.Nice post.Thanks a lot for sharing this post with us.
tantan
September 21st, 2009 7:40 pm
Totally agree with you ~ I just learn to comment too XD
Allen MacCannell @ SenderOK
September 21st, 2009 10:33 pm
I generally don’t comment to get traffic spikes, but because I assume the blogger and readers might be the type of people whom I’d like to be in a discussion with.
Are these blog comments NoFollow in terms of the robot txt file for the page? If you get a rep for allowing spiders to follow your blog comments, smart people will read what you write more closely and comment more often. :-)
Jessica Wolbert
September 21st, 2009 11:58 pm
can’t say I’ve ever heard Jane Austen quoting about a blog. that’s news to me!
Mike McEvoy
September 22nd, 2009 12:40 am
I agree that leaving blog comments is worthwhile and enjoyable. The value really depends on your objective. The benefits of commenting can also depend on the nature or focus of the blog. And of course the level of traffic the blog receives.
For some people the value is sharing thoughts and interacting with the writer and the audience. For others it is acknowledging a well written blog or post. For some commenting is a great method of link building and authority development. The best is when you can do all three at once.
Ankit
September 22nd, 2009 12:40 am
Although we all knew this but we never take such things for granted and feel like dropping a comment due to busy schedule and lazy nature. I’m surely going to implement what all you’ve written in this post and the first step to move forward is here that I’m commenting on this post.
Santosh Puthran
September 22nd, 2009 1:11 am
I think tools like disqus or backtype are useful way for the reader to know how an individual has been commenting. A person who provides balanced views and opinions will be able to build his own network. May be on twitter or on disqus.
MakeMoney4Life
September 22nd, 2009 1:47 am
Interesting. I am the same. I never commented on blog posts. This is maybe the 5th out of thousands I’ve read. Maybe I should start, with worthwhile comments of course. Thanks for the post – it’s helped.
Phil Dunn
September 22nd, 2009 2:05 am
Must comment…. like kryptonite around my neck.. this post demands a comment… 119 comments already!… must think of something useful to say…
Commenting is getting easier. Used to be you had to jump through lots of hoops and captchas (still do to some extent – jeez Facebook needs to find a way to validate people so you don’t have to captcha every time you want to comment there). Strange that technology gets in the way of simple conversation. All in the name of eliminating spam.
Mike Collins
September 22nd, 2009 4:57 am
I have to agree that commenting on other blogs is a great way to bring in new traffic. The problem is it can be very time consuming! I’ve noticed on my own blogs that if I go an extended period without commenting on other blogs I see a dramatic drop in traffic and comments on my own blog.
But as you said the key is to actually leave worthwhile comments that engage the reader and not just a pile of garbage like “great post!” You won’t get much traffic with garbage comments like that.
Matt Dunlap
September 22nd, 2009 5:05 am
I recently started to focus on relationships more then blog promotion and the results are amazing. Leaving comments on blogs, answering questions on forums and linkedin, has starting my social presence rock rolling.
MiaHysteria
September 22nd, 2009 6:13 am
Very true. I have struggled with readers that comment on my blog. Much of this, I attribute to the content; it’s pretty serious many times with some hard content to swallow….
But, besides the side where I’m lightening things up, I’ve noticed when I am able to get through my RSS feeds and leave worthwhile comments, the comments on my blog in turn increase…and our relationships bloom.
EQ Plat
September 22nd, 2009 4:04 pm
Every time I will think deeply after reading you blog, However I’m poor in English and I can’t understand totally. But I think I have gotten so many tips from you, I will work hard and come here to get knowledge frequently.
Nardeeisms
September 22nd, 2009 10:59 pm
Although I don’t allow comments on my blog, I comment frequently. Over the last year and a half, I have been honored with approximately 6 solid friendships; no link builders or money makers. Was it worth it? You bet. Not looking for quantity…quality reigns! ~Nards
Beth L. Gainer
September 23rd, 2009 5:39 am
I’m one of those people who met Josh after reading his guest post on Problogger. I agree that meaningful content is essential in any blog, as well as any comment. The blogging community, I find, is filled with people who can have intelligent discourse about various topics.
Thanks, Josh, for another insightful posting. BTW, I love Jane Austen…..
Debbie
September 23rd, 2009 6:06 am
I’m getting better at leaving comments (like now), but for a long time I wasn’t sure what to say. Now I really have to work at getting comments on my blog. I even ran a contest offering a free book (not such a big deal) in a drawing for commenting on a certain post. I STILL only got 15 comments! Not much in PBlogger-terms, but a record for me.
BTW-how did you get a guest post on PB?? I love this blog…it’s like my blogging reference manual . Your post was great, too….thanks.
Mangjaya
September 23rd, 2009 9:27 am
Yeah, i think commenting is a traffic building, also relation building. Because every blogger wait for comment on they post, so who comment = who care and my friend : )
Tristen Royal
September 23rd, 2009 11:02 am
“And for the record, I’m not a Jane Austen fan and will never quote her again.”
Ahah!
-Thank you!
(P.s- this comment is purely for increased traffic)
p.s.s -That was a lie. I read your blog everyday. First time commenter though.
Josh Hanagarne
September 23rd, 2009 11:36 am
@Tristen, well played, my friend! Very crafty.
Jan Ole Peek
September 23rd, 2009 12:56 pm
Hmm, good food for thought. I always wanted to increase comments on the few blog posts I manage to post these days. I used to think that I would only generate those comments if I posted more but frankly, I don’t have that much to say, nor am I that good of a writer. Perhaps I should try leaving more comments around the many other blogs I read. I’ll give that a try and see if there’s any noticeable benefit.
Kenya S.
September 24th, 2009 2:56 am
Thank you for putting a real face on this concept. I have always commented on blogs that I read that make an impression on me as I pass by, but little did I notice the importance of what I was doing until I read this article. Yes, I have made many connections just by commenting on blogs. This shows the owner that you are paying attention, and that you have a true interest in what they have to say; if it is done right.
Just posting comments in order to gain attention to your site does way more harm than good, because you are ruining your reputation in the marketing world by spamming others.
Allie
September 24th, 2009 3:11 am
Wow!
Thank you so much for your insight into how to get people to look at your blog. All this time I was doing exactly the things that you strongly urge your readers not to do. Oops!
I’ll try your suggestions now about leaving thoughtful and meaningful comments instead of just writing the crap that I’ve normally been writing, like “Wow! That was a cool blog!”
Okay, hopefully my comments haven’t been that bad.
Thanks again for the advice.
MichaelR@VoIP and Tech Blog
September 24th, 2009 8:41 am
Great post, just what I need, terrific stuff really :)
Seriously I also found commenting really worthwhile and addciting of some sort. I do go back to most of my comments to answer back a reply from the blog owner or from the commenters.
Looks like comments are getting mroe valuable these days.
OCMomActivities - Katie
September 24th, 2009 9:54 am
Great post! I always make a point of tracking down the blogs of people who comment on my blog (if they have one) and comment back. Blogging truly is about building relationships with your readers (something that is missing at times from mainstream media). I rarely find a blog that I can’t find something to add/comment on… but maybe that’s because I just have a lot to say – hence the blogging! :)
Thanks again for affirming how important comments really are!
giselediaz
September 24th, 2009 4:55 pm
The prove that this experiment can works for any of us its the amount of comments that’s getting. I enjoy receiving them in my mail. I’m sharing this tip with everybody.
Thanks again Josh, Darren and the collaborators.
Gisele
Caracas, Venezuela
Reel Advice
September 24th, 2009 6:41 pm
I actually do this practice already and not only does commenting help build traffic per se via the author of the blog but other people who are reading the post might also click the link to your blog.
I like when you said “every little bit helps” because it truly does!
Seo services
September 24th, 2009 8:33 pm
For a good blog all you need to do is write great content on a blog for it to get readers and introduced the idea of ’seeding’ content rather than ‘forcing’ it upon readers.
dave
September 25th, 2009 7:31 am
While creating comments on another blog can bring some interest to your blog keep in mind a couple of things.
Your blog MUST contain CONTENT!!!.
If someone leaves a comment with a link to their blog I will check out their blog and leave a comment for them as well. This can be mutually beneficial. Now if there is nothing worth commenting on, then I can not.
Leave comments on blogs that are related to yours. I would not think of leaving a comment on a blog about cats for instance because my blog is about internet marketing scams.
When leaving comments on another blog think of it as submitting a new post. Grammar and spelling must be correct. Writing style must be interesting and to the point. If your comments are badly written you will not generate interest in your blog.
Scott-TheBrewClub
September 29th, 2009 1:27 am
Wow, talk about comments! Anyone get down here yet? Anyway, I enjoy commenting on related blogs – talking about beer can be fun! I’ve gotten to know many bloggers initially through comments.
Pete | The Tango Notebook
September 29th, 2009 1:40 am
My latest spam comment is:
I have a crush you on, my Adonis!
I never post it as a real comment. It doesn’t make sense. Although, I do wonder, am I ignoring my possible soulmate? :)
Josh Hanagarne
September 29th, 2009 8:33 am
@Pete, you’re probably missing out. I think the two of you owe it to each other to see what happens. “My Adonis.” Too awesome.
webmarketing
September 29th, 2009 4:50 pm
I always get something to learn from this blog. The basic aim of SEO is to divert as more online traffic to a website as possible. when you place your banner or link on these sites it will divert traffic to your website. Thus you will get a number of interested visitors, which will ultimately increase your website ranking as well as your business outputs. So finding some relevant sites are necessary to get effective web traffic diverted to your website.
Business Consultant
October 2nd, 2009 4:24 pm
This is a nice article. Why I am a regualr visitor of this blog? Becasue it give something good to learn everytime I visit here.
Casey Brazeal(North and Clark)
October 3rd, 2009 12:29 am
Not a Jane Austin fan? What gives?
“I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable blog” (Pride and Prejudice Kind of) But I am surprised to hear that Josh.
You’re dead right about commenting back to your commenters it is part of the reason that I follow your writing and read so much of what you write.
Josh Hanagarne
October 3rd, 2009 12:50 am
@Casey B: I blame Mark Twain. Besides Kurt Vonnegut, he’s my co-favorite author. After reading something of Austen’s, Mark said something to the effect of, “It made me want to dig up her skeleton and beat her over the head with one of her bones.”
I’ve never been the same since. Not fair to Ms. Austen, surely, but I’m a lost cause.
Business Management
October 6th, 2009 2:35 pm
The article is nice. My comment is that Strategies exist at several levels in any organisation – ranging from the overall business (or group of businesses) through to individuals working in it.
Corporate Strategy – is concerned with the overall purpose and scope of the business to meet stakeholder expectations. This is a crucial level since it is heavily influenced by investors in the business and acts to guide strategic decision-making throughout the business. Corporate strategy is often stated explicitly in a “mission statement”.
Business Unit Strategy – is concerned more with how a business competes successfully in a particular market. It concerns strategic decisions about choice of products, meeting needs of customers, gaining advantage over competitors, exploiting or creating new opportunities etc.
Operational Strategy – is concerned with how each part of the business is organised to deliver the corporate and business-unit level strategic direction. Operational strategy therefore focuses on issues of resources, processes, people etc.
web graphic design
October 9th, 2009 7:48 pm
SEO is an effective way to optimize your website. The tips that are explained in this articles are awesome. I am very regular visitor og bing.com. SEARCH ENGINE OTIMIZATION CAN REALLY BOOST YOUR SALES UP. social bookmarking is an effective way to advetise your business to an unlimited number of people online.
umar
October 11th, 2009 8:09 am
I get indexed by google in just 2-3 days by commenting on high ranking websites
keyboards
October 27th, 2009 10:06 pm
I’m sure many of your readers will find it sad, that when surrounded by such beauty, you choose death… and to write about wanton killing as something fun.Let this great game of Golf teach us all about respecting Nature!
Oleg Mokhov
November 2nd, 2009 11:16 am
Hey Josh,
Effective comments are a triple-win situation:
1) Provide value with remarkable mini-articles that also add to the discussion
2) Drive quality readers to your site (they’re coming from a relevant blog, and they got a taste of your writing)
3) Form relationships and have meaningful discussions
I strive to do #1, and that has paid off with #2 for my few-week old blog Lifebeat. But, just like you mentioned, #3 was a pleasant surprise. I wasn’t expecting it, but it now pumps me up to comment even more, since I get into the discussion and relationship-forming aspect with people so much (I don’t even notice that I end up getting traffic from it too).
Great article, great title. A helpful reminder that effective comments are very beneficial in more ways than one.
Best,
Oleg
Nita
November 14th, 2009 8:39 pm
Well, commenting is a great way of interacting with people, I agree but when it comes to comments, it is more important to reply to comments on your own blog. I mean when someone asks you a genuine question, why not reply? It’s a different thing if you have no time, but if you have time to comment on other blogs, then you have time to answer genuine questions on your own blog. I agree, you get a lot of comments and one is not asking that you reply to every one of them.
And by the way, replying to people also helps you retain readers, if that is really the reason. I try and reply to comments on my blog (not the one I have linked to here because I hardly get comments there, as it is a new blog, but no I am not spamming) and believe me it has helped me retain my readers. However I reply to them because I am grateful they come to my blog and comment, and I am happy that they have contributed, make me think in another way, and well it’s polite to do so if they have asked a question. I never replied so that I retain them, but well that happens because a reader wrote and told me so.
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