What's your take on approving blog comments?

[Dellco]

I run a DoFollow blog, but I often face a dilemma. Should I approve or disapprove comment X from my blog?

I don't have many links to my blog but in spite of that I have a decent PR and 90% of the comments I get are just nothing but:

1) keywords as the name
2) business sites (like real estate) totally unrelated to mine....
3) new sites
4) garbage sites
5) garbage comments
6) outsourced comments
7) sites in a language I don't know (they could be about illegal stuff)

It irks me, but I still try to approve some of them, but most of the time, I don't. Just imagine.... if I wanted to reply to these comments, what/how should I address them?

What do you guys normally do? Do you still approve them? Frankly, I've seen many DoFollow blogs that got their PR dropped simply because they allowed all comments through. Too much spam and link bleeding....If I were to be strict, almost none would be approved.

[bgmacaw]

My policy on my flagship blogs is that I approve comments as long as (a) the comment is on-topic, (b) the site anchored to isn't a 'bad neighborhood', (c) the comments are in English. "Great Post" generic, probably automated, comments are sent to Akismet along with the outright spam.

On my niche blogs, I heavily moderate comments and I'm much more strict and much slower about approving them.

[Ben-Jones]

Basicly with me if the reply is rellevent and the link doesn't lead to some spam site or chinese site i will accept it.

Dont know if im doin it right though so dont take my word on it

[Roca]

I agree with bgmacaw. No value-add, no approval.

[jdsonline]

I get a lot of those automated/short comments on my blog and I generally reject them all if it is the user's first comment. It makes your blog look much better when the comments are longer than a sentence and relate to the post. If the comment doesn't add real value I think it's fine to reject it right away.

[Ethan W.]

For some of my smaller blogs where traffic doesn't come often, you still need to hold the fort and moderate comments. If they have nothing related to the subject, don't approve them. You have to maintain a respectable blog that allows people you read a post and the thread of comments that are all ON - TOPIC.

[hotlinkz]

If you are looking to maintain quality content, you will have to sift the trash out. Your visitors are not going to frequent your blog if it's filled with trash comments.

If you have several quality-content blogs, you could outsource the "comment approval process". Blog submitters like most submitters make it very easy for people to attempt to post crap comments that are mostly self promotions with no regard to community or participation.

Calvin

[Raydal]

If there is evidence in the post that the article was read then
I generally approve the comment. Some comments are outright
SPAM and those get dumped. Simple.

-Ray Edwards

[Dellco]

Originally Posted by bgmacaw

My policy on my flagship blogs is that I approve comments as long as (a) the comment is on-topic, (b) the site anchored to isn't a 'bad neighborhood', (c) the comments are in English. "Great Post" generic, probably automated, comments are sent to Akismet along with the outright spam.

On my niche blogs, I heavily moderate comments and I'm much more strict and much slower about approving them.

It sometimes takes a while to determine whether a site is "bad" or not. I get many comments from new sites that just started up, and many times from pure business sites (where upon checking I find that the business is on some complaints board somewhere) so I'm really in a bind whether to approve them or not.

I know of one DoFollow blog where the owner made it clear that he didn't want keywords as names. So this is another dilemma for me - Keyword names.

It won't look so smart to me (and the commentator) if I were to approve the comment and then reply to the comment as "Hi Dog Collars, search engines are getting strict these days...."

I get many comments from stores selling used cars, local property, web design services, laptops, mobile phones...and the like, with keywords as their names. And totally irrelevant sites to mine as well.

If I approved them, won't it be like them getting totally free advertising? No need for them to buy links then...*Dilemma* All they need to do is go look for DoFollow blogs. I think TextLinkAds would run out of business (not that I ever used them)...

So, just asking for feedback, how would you handle these comments? Actually, many do take the trouble to write more than a line or two in their comments. The ones that go "Great post, thanks for the info..." I almost always delete.

Originally Posted by hotlinkz

If you are looking to maintain quality content, you will have to sift the trash out. Your visitors are not going to frequent your blog if it's filled with trash comments.

If you have several quality-content blogs, you could outsource the "comment approval process". Blog submitters like most submitters make it very easy for people to attempt to post crap comments that are mostly self promotions with no regard to community or participation.

Calvin

My problem is most of the time, it's not so clear cut...I really dunno what impression people would get if they land on my blog and read the comments...makes my head spin.

[Gabe77]

Comments should be relevant to the post. If it's pure promotion of any product that doesn't sit well with my site, I delete the comment. Moderating comments may be time-consuming but it's one way of keeping your site free from spammers and other unrelated content.

[Dellco]

Originally Posted by Gabe77

Comments should be relevant to the post. If it's pure promotion of any product that doesn't sit well with my site, I delete the comment. Moderating comments may be time-consuming but it's one way of keeping your site free from spammers and other unrelated content.

I think you can say its almost like "pure promotion"....lol

[bgmacaw]

Originally Posted by Dellco

It won't look so smart to me (and the commentator) if I were to approve the comment and then reply to the comment as "Hi Dog Collars, search engines are getting strict these days...."

I don't mind doing this at all on my flagship blogs. If somebody wants to call themselves 'dog collars' I'll play along. I'm more picky on my niche blogs but they're nofollow anyway.

As for bad neighborhood, I basically mean sites that are engaged in promoting adult, gambling, pharmaceuticals and a few other products that have ill repute. You can use plugins that turn off dofollow after a specified amount of time or check for broken links so that you can protect the integrity of your blog in the future.

You do have to watch out for generic, but well crafted, comments like these which are generated by comment spamming programs:

"I really enjoyed reading this blog I dont usually post but this time I will, have a very good day."

"I have to say that I am really impressed by it is to go through your blog and getting things rolling, this is an excellent site."

"It’s been quite sometime since I last visited this blog. Look like you have another great post entry again. When are you going to stop posting good stuffs?"

"I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future."

"Thanks for the good work guys,i am glad to see finally what you have been working on all these months"

"I have been following up on this blog for a while and i find it very impressive. I plan to add it to my rss feeds"

"Thanks for point that out. It is so difficult to get it nowadays."

"I have a few sites I go to, but the quality is always the best here!"

"You should post more often because this info is great."

"When are you going to learn, that is not something that will happen anytime soon."

"Hey, I’m running a blog myself too and I was wondering can you tell me what’s the template you’re using?"

[Smokey_Joe]

Good list, Bgmacaw, at least these are not "Great post, keep up the good job" or something. My standpoint is similar to that of the majority of the posters here: if the comment is thoughtful enough and fits good in the overall context, it stays. A whole lot of pointless and spammy posts would deliver a certain message as to the quality of the blog, and an unfavourable one.

[Dellco]

Yeah, good list bgmacaw

I get a lot of those..."Hey I'll add you to my RSS feed reader"....sounds flattering....

Do you ever agree to text link ad requests, I've gotten a few where they wanted permanent text links on some pages in exchange for a one time payment.

I've declined those so far, have I done the right thing?

[bgmacaw]

Originally Posted by Dellco

Do you ever agree to text link ad requests, I've gotten a few where they wanted permanent text links on some pages in exchange for a one time payment.

I get a lot of those requests, but, no. I don't do them.

[Dmitry]

It looks to me like the comments you're referring to are genuine spam. The solution is simple.

[Cosmo Demopoulos]

I make a few thousand $ last year selling text link ads.

I insist on checking out the link first, both the text and where it points to, and payment for a specified period of time.

If it's to a legit quality site, I'm glad to take a few bucks a month for a text link or image ad, although most people ask for text link ads.

I delete generic comments, and ususally don't let keyword names through, although a name like "Mary, Used Cars" is legit in my book.

[Bobb30]

I don't mind someone submitting a link if their comment is on subject and they have obviously read the material they are commenting on. We all are frustrated with the SPAM comments. I have had to put a captcha plug in on my WordPress blogs because they were just getting innundated with all kinds of junk links.

Would someone tell me what possible good it does to submit a comment into a blog that has nothing but 50 or 60 links to different sites or products? Many times the comment is in a language foreign to the my blog.

If I approved the comment and let it be published -- would it really help these people at all? I have never understood the logic. Sometimes I look at these crazy things and I wonder if it's not some sort of code message for Al Quaeda. . . they get that wierd.

[JohnMcCabe]

Akismet picks up most of the real garbage for me, leaving me with a fraction to deal with. I have two criteria:

1. Would the comment add value to the conversation if the links were not there? (I adapted this from Paul Myers' ideas on moderating forums - thanks, Paul.)

If it doesn't pass the first test, it never gets to the second test.

2. Is the link to a site I'm OK with tacitly endorsing by allowing a do-follow link?

If yes, comment approved. If no, comment deleted.

The rule I give people for commenting is simple - "Respect this House"...

[MarkWrites]

For me it basically comes down to the whole point of "comments". By clicking on the comment button you're wanting to comment on that post. If the information you leave does not fulfill that requirement... then it isn't a comment, it is spam.

[gentlerainman]

The junk will take away from the credibility of your site if you allow them.

[Warrior Globetrotter]

I simply dont approve if they dont add value to the conversation on my blog.

[Craig Fenton]

Hi Dellco:

Hope the weekend was great.

It is not always an easy call to approve a blog post but you certainly have a good handle on things.

Something to consider is there are times that something outside of the niche of a blog could still be beneficial for the reader.

Let's give a made up example. You have a sports blog. One of the legal and known music ticket agencies makes a comment about your latest entry on the opening of the baseball season. If the comments are not robotic and see natural approving them isn't the worst thing. While they are not a sports site per say, it is very possible many of the people that come to your blog for sports enjoy music. They now have a place they could purchase Paul McCartney, Grateful Dead, or Bruce Springsteen tickets.

Let's say the Massachusetts Board Of Tourism makes a comment on your blog. Again, it is not robotic and is sports related. Even though tourism isn't in the sports niche it would give your reader a direct place to go if they wanted to see a Boston Red Sox game this year or all the great minor league baseball played on Cape Cod.

Something to consider if you understand the language, the product is legal and ethical and the post at least made the effort it may be worth giving it the thumbs up.

Good luck.

[eagleeye]

Originally Posted by Dellco

I run a DoFollow blog, but I often face a dilemma. Should I approve or disapprove comment X from my blog?

I have a DoFollow blog also and yes it attracts more spam. Believe me, it only takes me a second to hit that spam button if the comment is not relevant to my post and above all it must add quality content to my blog or it doesn't get approved.

Later,
Jeff Sargent

[Tom Ryan]

If they aren't adding value to the post, delete it. It will keep the site clean for those who actually care about the post and the comments.

[patJ]

outbound links will not affect your PR.

[carlcholette]

I almost never approve comments on my blogs because like you said most comments are garbage and unrelated but sometimes I do when the commenter have a nice informal comment and their website looks good.

[sylviad]

Most likely this has already been stated, but I'm not up to reading all the posts made to date.

Basically, think about your own visitors - the people who actually come to your site to see valuable content. They will read comments as well. If the comments are blasphemous, blatant advertising, irrelevant blather or a ping-back that simply repeats a portion of that post - zap them. Nobody cares - not you, not your visitors. The only people who care are the people looking for back links and outright spammers.

Their comments add absolutely nothing to the quality of your site. There are much better ways of getting relevant back links.

But I have to ask...

Why would you approve a ton of posts that are unsuitable? Is this your way of being generous in helping other marketers? Do you think they care about you and your needs? You can bet not.

Sylvia