When it comes to blogs, we tend to judge a book by the cover. Having an attractive design is the first step to build trust and acceptance with your visitors. However, the battle for authority in the eyes of your readers doesn't end there.

Blog comments are an extremely visible and simple way to gauge the popularity of a blog. Those who are more internet savvy may check your Google PageRank or Alexa ranking, but that is unlikely in most niches. In order to impress visitors and appear...