Blog commenting for SEO - STOP IT!

[matt5409]

I see a lot of advice on this here forum about using blog commeting as part of an SEO strategy.

I don't believe it works - most blogs are nofollow - and unfortunately nearly every comment I receive on my blogs is spam because some idiot wants a quick backlink. Today, I got this ridiculous comment:

"Hey, I'm having bad luck attempting to rank high for the words "kokomo dentist"... Pls approve my comment!!"

At least the guy's honest right? It's such a shame that the communal aspect of the blog platform has been abused to such extents that I wake up every morning with comment spam.

I know people are going to jump and say "offer value in your comments" which is noble, but nobody ever does. Just stop doing it, and stop advising others do it - it's NOT an "SEO strategy" and you should feel dirty for doing it!

[rkcc4]

All the majors suggest it, but no much point doing it in any old blog like yours. Don't agree with "dirty" statement, everything is fair in love, war and internet marketing!

[cashcow]

It does work, but you have to do it right. Need proof? Google the keywords "make money online" and checkout some of the top 5 sites. There is one in particular who has gotten there with mostly blog comments.

But, here's the thing... in order for them to work, they have to be on high PR pages (not the main page of the site, the page of the comment) they have to be mostly dofollow and they have to be intelligent comments so that they actually get approved.

Lee

[hilaryaustin]

well at least that person who commented on was sincere and straight to the point. That's why we have the choice to either approve or disapprove a certain comment regardless of it's a nonsense or not.

And this people who are just acting completely useless leave them for they are the one wasting there time and effort.

[deanmoney]

Blog commenting for the time being is part of SEO. If people with blogs want to reduce spam they make comments nofollow or reject comments.

But leaving a good comment on a dofollow site that has a high PR helps your site. If the blog on the other hand is never updated and has 100's of dofollow comments then that page will lose whatever PR is had making those comments useless.

[wanna-succeed]

I do it, and it works just fine, because I make an effort to write actual, meaningful content, rather than "thank you for that great post, now scratch my back and gimme a backlink".

It only takes a couple of minuts, and then I can simply edit the post slightly and go on to the next blog\forum. Someimtes I get 10-20 backlinks in one sitting, raning from PR0-PR6. Most are PR1-2 to be honest, but I do get lucky at times.

[matt5409]

It might work for some of you, some of the time, but I don't see how it can be implemented into an actual long-term strategy. I never spend time doing it personally.

and @rkcc4 "any old blog like yours" - you have NO IDEA what blogs I run :O

[Fernando Veloso]

Matt,

It doesn't work for you, BUT it does not mean it can't (and it is) working for (many) others.

[wanna-succeed]

Originally Posted by matt5409

It might work for some of you, some of the time, but I don't see how it can be implemented into an actual long-term strategy. I never spend time doing it personally.

and @rkcc4 "any old blog like yours" - you have NO IDEA what blogs I run :O

There is software that tracks down and locates places for you to place links which will be relevant to your site & niche.
All you need to do is then click on the sites, post, and then poof! ---> A backlink appears

[Rich Lowe]

Hi Matt,

Good post. I hardly ever approve comments. I know the ones who are genuine and I check their site first.

Rich

[DogScout]

want a blog back-link? work for it!

[sandrina]

Let me say honestly that there are blogs out there I visit only to make a comment on. I don't like to read them, but I try to make meaningful comments just to get approved.

[matt5409]

this seems to be a split pack now - let me clarify

i'm sure blog commenting has worked for some of you, SOME of the time. but my point is that your prime reason for posting a comment should NOT be to get a backlink, which in my experience is the case 99% of the time.

why not spend that time adding some content to your site and then writing an article to promote it? oh yea - that's too much work. blog commenting is a scummy way of getting a backlink and it is a pain in the ass for anybody that runs a genuine blog.

[sbucciarel]

I just shut down comments on my blogs. I have way too many blogs to go around deleting all that crap. In fact, when the comments are open, ALL of the comments are spam. These aren't ProBlogger blogs where you want or need comments, so it really serves no purpose to allow commenting at all.

[Mike Hlatky]

Originally Posted by matt5409

this seems to be a split pack now - let me clarify

i'm sure blog commenting has worked for some of you, SOME of the time. but my point is that your prime reason for posting a comment should NOT be to get a backlink, which in my experience is the case 99% of the time.

why not spend that time adding some content to your site and then writing an article to promote it? oh yea - that's too much work. blog commenting is a scummy way of getting a backlink and it is a pain in the ass for anybody that runs a genuine blog.

Or I could spend 15-20 mintues each day commenting on auto-approve, do-follow, high PR blogs.

Seems to work for me

[matt5409]

Originally Posted by Mike Hlatky

Or I could spend 15-20 mintues each day commenting on auto-approve, do-follow, high PR blogs.

Seems to work for me

such a thing wont last. as i said, it's not a long-term strategy.

[Andyhenry]

Originally Posted by matt5409

but I don't see how it can be implemented into an actual long-term strategy. I never spend time doing it personally.

THAT is why you're only seeing this in black or white.

You haven't done it and seen how it can work well within your marketing mix and you've experienced the crap side of receiving it. No wonder you have the perspective you do.

BUT - that does not mean other people aren't using it to good effect.

Telling people to stop doing it, stop telling others to do it and to feel like crap if they do do it is quite frankly - stupid.

Sorry, but your position is so polarised you're not even aware that it's a solid strategy that is making a big difference for people.

Sure there are the normal spammers who will spew out crap onto any blog without regard - but that does not define the whole strategy.

You have the right to say what you think - but when you start ordering others to think the same way and attack anyone who does something you've pigeon-holed as completely bad - you're not likely to get much of a diverse set of responses from people.

When you draw a line in the sand like that it's easy for people to jump on one side or the other when in fact with just a little bit of common-sense blog commenting can be a positive (win-win for everyone) strategy.

Andy

[Autobot]

On one of my blogs it clearly states that you have to pay around 100 dollars if you comment.

Allthough I have to check it every few hours to delete the thousands of untracable comments

[Andyhenry]

Originally Posted by matt5409

such a thing wont last. as i said, it's not a long-term strategy.

You're wrong. Just because you don't see it like that doesn't make it so.

I delete almost every comment on my blogs for the same reason as you - but I still don't think the concept is wrong -just the people who don't understand how to do it properly.

[SirAlex]

Originally Posted by matt5409

this seems to be a split pack now - let me clarify

i'm sure blog commenting has worked for some of you, SOME of the time. but my point is that your prime reason for posting a comment should NOT be to get a backlink, which in my experience is the case 99% of the time.

why not spend that time adding some content to your site and then writing an article to promote it? oh yea - that's too much work. blog commenting is a scummy way of getting a backlink and it is a pain in the ass for anybody that runs a genuine blog.

You seem to have a serious case of bad attitude.

I write articles, syndicate them, submit my site to web directories, syndicate my RSS feeds etc and one part of my backlinking is to add comments and join the conversation in the blog.

We pretty much all do this and build a variety of links.

If comment spam bothers you - turn the comments off.

Or maybe generate targetted traffic to your blogs - then you will get valuable comments.

:-)

[Mike Hlatky]

Originally Posted by matt5409

such a thing wont last. as i said, it's not a long-term strategy.

And what claims do you have to back that up?

You were already provided an example of a long term strategy using blog comments that works. Search "make money online" and you will find this website:

Moola Days - Ways to Make Money Online (Fast & Free)

Check the backlinks and you will see that a lot are from blog comments:

Site Explorer - Search Results

[matt5409]

Originally Posted by Andyhenry

THAT is why you're only seeing this in black or white.

You haven't done it and seen how it can work well within your marketing mix and you've experienced the crap side of receiving it. No wonder you have the perspective you do.

BUT - that does not mean other people aren't using it to good effect.

Telling people to stop doing it, stop telling others to do it and to feel like crap if they do do it is quite frankly - stupid.

Sorry, but your position is so polarised you're not even aware that it's a solid strategy that is making a big difference for people.

Sure there are the normal spammers who will spew out crap onto any blog without regard - but that does not define the whole strategy.

You have the right to say what you think - but when you start ordering others to think the same way and attack anyone who does something you've pigeon-holed as completely bad - you're not likely to get much of a diverse set of responses from people.

When you draw a line in the sand like that it's easy for people to jump on one side or the other when in fact with just a little bit of common-sense blog commenting can be a positive (win-win for everyone) strategy.

Andy

it depends on your motivation - do you want to contribute or do you just want a backlink?

it really is that simple

i have no problem with people who link up their real name and offer a valuable comment, but my point is - it hardly ever happens.

and i stand by my statement that it's not a strategy. people who use auot software to find blogs to comment on may THINK this is a strategy but in actual fact they're just contributing to the vast amounts of spam that's already out there.

i'm not forcing anybody to think anything - my title is controversial (duh - it's a marketing forum). i'm not naive enough to think that this thread will make a bit of difference to this spam culture we have in IM.

[markament]

I personally have had some success with commenting on relevant blog pages that are "do follow." I only make comments that contribute to the conversation and have made some positive connections in so doing.

Now days I use some other strategies like Blog Blueprint to build backlinks without the hassle.

[matt5409]

Originally Posted by SirAlex

You seem to have a serious case of bad attitude.

I write articles, syndicate them, submit my site to web directories, syndicate my RSS feeds etc and one part of my backlinking is to add comments and join the conversation in the blog.

We pretty much all do this and build a variety of links.

If comment spam bothers you - turn the comments off.

Or maybe generate targetted traffic to your blogs - then you will get valuable comments.

:-)

well done, grab yourself a cookie.

if only we all thought like you and didn't go around setting up auto posting software to comment "thnx nice post" on 1000 blogs an hour.

[danoctav]

Blog commenting is just one of the link building methods. There are a lot of crap comments because are auto submitted by many softwares that appear over time.
But this not mean that it not work on autoapproval blogs.
Also many peoples allow comments because Google love interaction between authors and users. Many pages get high PR in this way!

[Lee Wilson]

Spam is spam. A blog is just one possible medium for spammers, but commenting purely for a backlink - there is nothing ethically wrong with that in the slightest. As a blogger, I'm doing you a simple trade for your backlink.

You provide me extra free content which helps my efforts in ranking the search engines, you make my blog look alive and interesting and help me build some followers and create a community. The more comments I have, the more people will stop and take notice of what I am trying to say (or sell).

The cost for your backlink is to simply say something that's relevant to the content. My cost is a bit of time and effort wading through and filtering out the crap.

Spamming a blog and commenting for backlinks are entirely unrelated.

[fred67]

YES!!!! Stop the spammers.
I'm now closing all my 'comment' options on my sites/blogs and replacing with a 'contact' form for people to leave comments.

So far it seems to be working

[matt5409]

Originally Posted by Lee Wilson

Spam is spam. A blog is just one possible medium for spammers, but commenting purely for a backlink - there is nothing ethically wrong with that in the slightest. As a blogger, I'm doing you a simple trade for your backlink.

You provide me extra free content which helps my efforts in ranking the search engines, you make my blog look alive and interesting and help me build some followers and create a community. The more comments I have, the more people will stop and take notice of what I am trying to say (or sell).

The cost for your backlink is to simply say something that's relevant to the content. My cost is a bit of time and effort wading through and filtering out the crap.

Spamming a blog and commenting for backlinks are entirely unrelated.

completely agree which is the point i've been trying to ram home.

[Andyhenry]

Originally Posted by matt5409

i have no problem with people who link up their real name and offer a valuable comment, but my point is - it hardly ever happens.

I think THAT is the reason for the difference in our opinions - I DO see it a lot and I DO it too. I know a lot of IMers who do it too.

The fact that YOU don't see it does NOT mean it's not happening.

You're massively generalising and attacking the masses - but you don't realise that there are a lot of people here who are doing what you say you think is good but you're assuming they don't.

So - your headline is overly drammatic and doesn't represent your real thoughts - Because this is a marketing forum?

I know some people think marketing and lying are the same thing but in order for people to be able to have rational discussions it helps NOT to blow your headline out of proportion just to get views.

[James Clark]

There is a plug-in called this:

"WordPress Bad Behavior" plug-in blocks legitimate bots.

Install this and your problems will go away.

Jimmy.

[virlus10]

Blog commenting goes fine with me. I think its one of the crucial tactics in SEO.

[la dominatrix]

I have got several sites to PLR4 by making relevant comments and that is the point. Also replying helphully to other people's comments helps as well.

[matt5409]

Originally Posted by Andyhenry

I think THAT is the reason for the difference in our opinions - I DO see it a lot and I DO it too. I know a lot of IMers who do it too.

The fact that YOU don't see it does NOT mean it's not happening.

You're massively generalising and attacking the masses - but you don't realise that there are a lot of people here who are doing what you say you think is good but you're assuming they don't.

So - your headline is overly drammatic and doesn't represent your real thoughts - Because this is a marketing forum?

I know some people think marketing and lying are the same thing but in order for people to be able to have rational discussions it helps NOT to blow your headline out of proportion just to get views.

oh come on. people use shocking headlines all the time to get the views, so don't give me that.

i'm not assuming anything about the people here - i'm sure there are those that incorporate it into their daily routines - this is a GOOD forum with generally GOOD people on it. what i'm referring to is the masses of people who blatently spam and you cannot tell me that these don't outweigh the people who do it properly. the reason this gets propagated so much is because it gets advised so often to newbies who want to get backlinks. things get lost in translation and too many folk take the easy approach of spamming.

a man's allowed to moan.

[rosetrees]

Originally Posted by rkcc4

Don't agree with "dirty" statement, everything is fair in love, war and internet marketing!

That's precisely the mentality that:
a) leads to most of us turning on anti-spam comment software and zapping your stupid comments into oblivion
b) gives IM a bad name, and
c) causes the FTC (US), the ASA (UK) and many others to create legislation to stop people like you!

[matt5409]

also it's hugely ironic that spam - what google is fighting against the most - for the main part exists because of their primary algorhythm to rank sites

[matt5409]

Originally Posted by rosetrees

That's precisely the mentality that:
a) leads to most of us turning on anti-spam comment software and zapping your stupid comments into oblivion
b) gives IM a bad name, and
c) causes the FTC (US), the ASA (UK) and many others to create legislation to stop people like you!

a good point. this scramble to get links by whatever means necessary doesnt do anybody any good.

[Fernando Veloso]

Originally Posted by matt5409

blog commenting is a scummy way of getting a backlink and it is a pain in the ass for anybody that runs a genuine blog.

Last time I check it wasn't illegal. And your words just me feel insulted. AM I scum cause I comment blogs?

Give me a break. Way to go insulting other members simply cause you don't like what others do, cause you can't work with it properly, or simply cause you don't agree with it.

Just a idea: Why don't you show us a blog of yours so we can analyze your backlink campaigns? I bet we would find out some other forms of SEO "scum" techniques... right? Probably article marketing? Probably Social Networks? I have time to do it, just drop an URL.

[matt5409]

Originally Posted by Fernando Veloso

Last time I check it wasn't illegal. And your words just me feel insulted. AM I scum cause I comment blogs? Give me a break. Way to go insulting other members simply cause you don't like what others do, cause you can't work with it properly, or simply cause you don't agree with it. Just a idea: Why don't you show us a blog of yours so we can analyze your backlink campaigns? I bet we would find out some other forms of SEO "scum" techniques... right? Probably article marketing? Probably Social Networks? I have time to do it, just drop an URL.

i'm sorry that you feel insulted. actually i'm not - because it wasn't a personal insult nor was it intend to those who comment properly, which is what you profess to do.

my methods are purely article marketing and i do my best to ensure that content is of a good standard. in short, if i wouldn't read it myself, i won't post it.

[Diane S]

Originally Posted by matt5409

this seems to be a split pack now - let me clarify

i'm sure blog commenting has worked for some of you, SOME of the time. but my point is that your prime reason for posting a comment should NOT be to get a backlink, which in my experience is the case 99% of the time.

why not spend that time adding some content to your site and then writing an article to promote it? oh yea - that's too much work. blog commenting is a scummy way of getting a backlink and it is a pain in the ass for anybody that runs a genuine blog.

I see you enjoy blogging. Is your blog designed to create income, or is it something you do for fun? Check your blog settings to see if you can find a setting that will allow only approved users to even leave a comment. There must be a compromise. Your demands for everyone at Warrior Forum to stop using blog commenting as an SEO strategy are not going to get the results you desire. Neither is calling blog commenting 'scummy.'

I find blog commenting to be one of the most productive uses of my time. I own two applications for finding blogs by niche. Once I find a post that is related to my website, I read the post, find something of value to add to the conversation, and I add it. Sometimes it is nearly as long as the post itself if I am really 'attached' to the topic. My comments get approved and also get replies from blog owners. I am the kind of person you WANT leaving a comment at your site. But you don't want my comments just because my motives are partially self-serving? If I get my backlink and you get VALUED content for free, is that not worth spending a few minutes moderating comments?

I tested blog commenting and it works very well as a backlinking technique. I saw a direct correlation between blog commenting and a rise in both PR and in the SERPS of my sites.

When I was a blogger writing tons of personal content, hoping a publisher would just happen to find my blog and offer me a book deal - yes, that is what I thought could happen - I always wanted lots of meaningful comments. Well you know I got lots of spam. Instead of getting angry, I got into action. Many spam comments got edited by me, the website URL stripped out, and the comment I crafted served to spur the conversation forward. Take the spam and use it to add content to your site. The search engines will see all those different IP addresses leaving content at your site. Sweet! Turn the bad into good. Set your emotions aside and turn this situation around. Sure, hit the spam button, but leave a few to edit and add value to your site with just the comments you had hoped for, plus a nice variety in the IP addresses leaving comments.

[thebarksmeow]

Wait a minute. Not a long term strategy huh? Why do I have meaningful comments on blogs from 2009 that are still alive? They've benefited my site's position for almost 2 years now.

[schttrj]

Originally Posted by matt5409

I see a lot of advice on this here forum about using blog commeting as part of an SEO strategy.

I don't believe it works - most blogs are nofollow - and unfortunately nearly every comment I receive on my blogs is spam because some idiot wants a quick backlink. Today, I got this ridiculous comment:

"Hey, I'm having bad luck attempting to rank high for the words "kokomo dentist"... Pls approve my comment!!"

At least the guy's honest right? It's such a shame that the communal aspect of the blog platform has been abused to such extents that I wake up every morning with comment spam.

I know people are going to jump and say "offer value in your comments" which is noble, but nobody ever does. Just stop doing it, and stop advising others do it - it's NOT an "SEO strategy" and you should feel dirty for doing it!

SEO is a big term...

When you say SEO, it means link relevance.

If you are commenting on a irrelevant blog, it doesn't help. But if you are commmenting on a relevant blog, your comment does offer value to the readers. Think about it!

[matt5409]

Originally Posted by schttrj

SEO is a big term...

When you say SEO, it means link relevance.

If you are commenting on a irrelevant blog, it doesn't help. But if you are commmenting on a relevant blog, your comment does offer value to the readers. Think about it!

tbh relevance is not as important as you might think.

[boghdady]

Not all blogs are no-follow, I still have my own list of 60 do-follow high quality blogs that I always post at. These blogs have definitely helped me achieve a good ranking for many keywords.
Although I'm with ya, spammers out there are ruining it. I sometimes wonder what it would have looked like if Google had never invented the nofollow tag!

[Sandor Verebi]

Originally Posted by Diane S

...I tested blog commenting and it works very well as a backlinking technique. I saw a direct correlation between blog commenting and a rise in both PR and in the SERPS of my sites.

When I was a blogger writing tons of personal content, hoping a publisher would just happen to find my blog and offer me a book deal - yes, that is what I thought could happen - I always wanted lots of meaningful comments. Well you know I got lots of spam. Instead of getting angry, I got into action. Many spam comments got edited by me, the website URL stripped out, and the comment I crafted served to spur the conversation forward. Take the spam and use it to add content to your site. The search engines will see all those different IP addresses leaving content at your site. Sweet! Turn the bad into good. Set your emotions aside and turn this situation around. Sure, hit the spam button, but leave a few to edit and add value to your site with just the comments you had hoped for, plus a nice variety in the IP addresses leaving comments.

Hi Diane,

Smart move. You are making limonade from lemons.

Congrats on your mentality.

All the best,

Sandor

[Wiggy0618]

I think blog commenting can certainly be useful, but it just doesn't have the ROI for me. Sure, it's just opportunity cost, but if I can do something else with that time, then that's what I consider.

However, if I'm trying to help establish my name/credibility/presence in a different niche, or a different portion of a niche that I'm already in, I think stuff like leaving valuable blog comments and forum posts are invaluable.

Not something I'd (necessarily) do for just SEO purposes, though. But that's just me. *shrug* To each their own.

[JohnMcCabe]

Originally Posted by matt5409

I see a lot of advice on this here forum about using blog commenting as part of an SEO strategy.

[snip]

I know people are going to jump and say "offer value in your comments" which is noble, but nobody ever does. Just stop doing it, and stop advising others do it - it's NOT an "SEO strategy" and you should feel dirty for doing it!

Matt, you're applying the same attitude to 'blog commenting' that many people apply to article marketing.

You're defining "blog commenting" as spamming blogs for backlinks, the same way people define "article marketing" as taking PLR or even stolen content, spinning it 1,000 times, and then blasting it out for backlinks.

Both groups are defining a legitimate tool by the worst abusers of that tool.

Personally, I don't use blog commenting as an SEO strategy. I use it as a targeted traffic strategy. I don't even bother checking PR or no-follow status.

If the blog is active with real users, and the comments make a relevant conversation, I'll contribute if I have something worthwhile to offer. Like another poster here, I'm still seeing benefits from comments made a couple of years ago.

Rail against the crap merchants all you want, but please don't paint legitimate users of legitimate tools with the same brush...

[matt5409]

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

Matt, you're applying the same attitude to 'blog commenting' that many people apply to article marketing.

You're defining "blog commenting" as spamming blogs for backlinks, the same way people define "article marketing" as taking PLR or even stolen content, spinning it 1,000 times, and then blasting it out for backlinks.

Both groups are defining a legitimate tool by the worst abusers of that tool.

Personally, I don't use blog commenting as an SEO strategy. I use it as a targeted traffic strategy. I don't even bother checking PR or no-follow status.

If the blog is active with real users, and the comments make a relevant conversation, I'll contribute if I have something worthwhile to offer. Like another poster here, I'm still seeing benefits from comments made a couple of years ago.

Rail against the crap merchants all you want, but please don't paint legitimate users of legitimate tools with the same brush...

i sort of agree with those that take a dim view on article marketing because it's so easy to go out there and hit a load of instant approval directories with 200 word spun articles that read like a drunk 6 year old wrote them.

thankfully this forum is full of useful information on how to make the best of article marketing, something that i admittedly was not taking full advantage of before i started reading this forum a few months back.

but there is not a lot of info on blog commenting except "do it". if people explained the reasons and best practices maybe we could help lower the ridiculous rate of this spam.

[Black Hat Cat]

Originally Posted by matt5409

I see a lot of advice on this here forum about using blog commeting as part of an SEO strategy.

I don't believe it works - most blogs are nofollow - and unfortunately nearly every comment I receive on my blogs is spam because some idiot wants a quick backlink. Today, I got this ridiculous comment:

It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not. Your belief isn't necessary for a technique to succeed. Do you KNOW it doesn't work? The answer to that is no, you don't, because the reality is it DOES work. And that's why I won't be stopping, just like I'm not giving up my car because some morons drive drunk.

As for the ethics of doing it, that's a different issue. Blog spammers suck. But I don't blog spam.

[Andrew Barton]

Sure, blog spam is terrible, but it is no different than any other kind of spam.

Do place blog comments solely for backlinks? Yes
Do I read the post first? Yes
Are the comments useful? Yes
Would I read the blog or leave the comment if I didn't get a backlink? No

Does that make it spam since I am only doing it for the backlink, even though the comment is useful and is meant to add value to the conversation?

[Rukshan]

Originally Posted by JohnMcCabe

Matt, you're applying the same attitude to 'blog commenting' that many people apply to article marketing.

You're defining "blog commenting" as spamming blogs for backlinks, the same way people define "article marketing" as taking PLR or even stolen content, spinning it 1,000 times, and then blasting it out for backlinks.

Both groups are defining a legitimate tool by the worst abusers of that tool.

Personally, I don't use blog commenting as an SEO strategy. I use it as a targeted traffic strategy. I don't even bother checking PR or no-follow status.

If the blog is active with real users, and the comments make a relevant conversation, I'll contribute if I have something worthwhile to offer. Like another poster here, I'm still seeing benefits from comments made a couple of years ago.

Rail against the crap merchants all you want, but please don't paint legitimate users of legitimate tools with the same brush...

+1, well said! Anything can be identified as a positive thing or not. This is the reality of the world. If we don't misuse it, I don't see a big problem. But I hate heavy spammers who post thousand links per comment.