21 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}
21 {{ upvoteCount | shortNum }}

Should I keep comment open for my blog?

by kevin2018
18 replies
Hi, all Warriors,

I just started to build my blog and I am wondering whether I should keep my post comment open? The reason I ask is I got tons of spams, or unrelated comments to my post. I takes me too much time to go through all of them to delete or approve. So I want to set "close comment" as default for my post. But will that affect SEO search result? Is it better to keep comment open so Google consider your site is more active because it sees those comments coming? :confused:

Thanks.
Kevin.
#blog #comment #open
  • Profile picture of the author webapex
    A post here yesterday? reported an adsense account being shut don after getting porn comments, violating Google terms. At least setting comments to be moderated protects you from that circumstance.

    You should be able to automate the filtration of robot spam to a large extent with one of the plugins likes Askimet.

    Some believe search engines like to see the additional content contributed in comments, those some bloggers orchestrate their comments.
    Signature

    “An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field” Niels Bohr

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4421243].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Kezz
    Yes, you should keep comments open but set your blog up with as high level of spam defence as you can.

    I have personally found on my own sites that the articles with the highest number of (legitimate) comments are also those with the highest traffic. It may be a bit of a chicken and egg thing, but I do tend to think healthy conversation helps a site.

    There's also the natural factor of people coming back to your site over and over to keep taking part in conversations, just like at a forum.

    So activating the Akismet plugin, which is installed by default, is a must to begin with. I also recommend the PC Robots.txt plugin which blacklists a huge number of known spambots. And if you also install Spam Free WordPress then you should be all set to open up comments without issue.

    WordPress › PC Robots.txt « WordPress Plugins
    WordPress › Spam Free WordPress « WordPress Plugins
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4421452].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author bizopp71
    Good answer kezz!
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4421485].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Logicb0x
    You should open it, but install anti spam plugin ...
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4421515].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author kevin2018
    Glad to know that. Thank you all for your inputs.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4421541].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Targeted Traffic
    Comment spam is a fact of life if you have a blog. The blog will seem to attract inane, exploitative, and occasionally insidious commentators who want to use your comment section as a means to drive traffic towards another website or to be mischievous, but remember, it's the community that develops around your blog that will make it successful. Without a community reading and interacting through comments, your blog will be completely one-sided and boring for visitors.

    What you can do is enable comment moderation, most blogging software has the option of forcing comments into a comment moderation mode. Also use Akismet. Akismet works just like comment moderation, but more often than not it allows non-spammy comments to appear on your blog without problems.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4423067].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author efurnitureshowroom
    relevant comments should be welcomed and some one need to scan all comments to find out relevant comments
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4423101].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author visimedia
    I think you can allow comment to be open but instal akismet plugin to filter spam. That will be helpful.
    Signature

    For best hostel in malang https://bedpackers.com & mold inspectors orlando : https://waterdamagerestorationorland...d-inspections/

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4423109].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author laurencewins
    I agree with the others. It is good to have positive comments as long as you can moderate them before they appear. I moderate and so no spam ever appears.
    Signature

    Cheers, Laurence.
    Writer/Editor/Proofreader.

    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4423188].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author tformsopti8
    I think you should leave it open. Generating a dialogue might even show google that people are interested in your page. However, you would to either moderate it or install plugin that block spam.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4423202].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author alantay
    A blog should have commenting. Should not close that. However, all comments should be moderated as everyone said. But those spam is going to bother you as well since you will have lots of comments to moderate after that. Akismet is one of the solution. Alternatively, you can also use captcha before commenting or change the comment system to Disqus comment.
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4423334].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author varsha2010
    Yahh i agree with logicbox..
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4423686].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author jeffster
    I use a captcha to try and cut down on spam but if I'm not going to moderate the comments I just turn them off.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4426063].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author medlence
    I definitely think you should keep it open, thats what people do they try to socialize ....
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4427410].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author joeseomiller
    Banned
    [DELETED]
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4427499].message }}
    • Profile picture of the author JOleng
      Comments can start conversations between your visitors and you or other visitors, and if there is a conversation, participants will want to come back to continue it, what is a good thing for you.

      Before enabling comments you should install few anti spam plugins, which will keep most spammers away, some will still get to post their comments and sometimes genuine comments ,which are not spam ,will get deleted. Or you can moderate them yourself.
      {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4427560].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author H.Miller
    I allow commenting on my blog but I only post them after I approve them. I also use a spam plugin to help me filter out all the spam.
    Signature
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4427589].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
    Hi Kevin,

    It all depends what the main purpose of your blog is. If you are looking at it as part of your overall SEO strategy, and the blog itself is only a "feeder" page, then you don't need to worry as much about any small SEO boost you may get from leaving comments open.

    On the other hand, if your blog is going to be your main site, and you want to build a community of active participants, then your best bet is to use some method of reducing spam, but leaving the comments open.

    You should also be able to set trusted people to auto-approve so their comments go live right away. (You can unapprove them if you have to)

    Again, it really depends on what you want your blog to do; there is no "single best answer".

    All the best,
    Michael
    Signature

    "Ich bin en fuego!"
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4427607].message }}
  • Profile picture of the author Mike Hill
    Here is another thread with some useful advice on this very topic

    http://www.warriorforum.com/main-int...eir-blogs.html

    It's worth the read... Here's what I wrote earlier on the subject....

    Not having comments on a blog activated is like standing in the bathroom and talking in the mirror. At least that's the correlation I perceive, after all blogs are for interaction with like minded people in your market.

    Spit balling ideas through the comments section of your posts is a great way to generate repeat visitors to your blog. A lot of people visit blogs to read the content but to also get the joy out of reading the comments.

    People who leave comments will generally come back later and see if anyone responded to their comments. It's human nature to be curious as to what others think of our own ideas. So this generates more traffic and interest.

    It also provides social proof to others visiting your blog for the first time. It demonstrates that your blog is much like a community of people who all enjoy talking about the things you do. They also like to share their opinions which is equal to value in my opinion.

    So allowing comments completely outweighs the fact of putting up with and cleaning out the spam catchers on your blogs. It's only a few clicks...

    Mike Hill
    {{ DiscussionBoard.errors[4427644].message }}

Trending Topics