Commenting on Blogs – Growing Your Network
With so much repetitive content online, it’s really important to add the human or personal element.
One way to do that, as well as demonstrate your expertise, grow your reputation online (your personal brand) AND get useful backlinks to your website or blog is through commenting on other blogs.
Blogs have evolved. They are no longer about a one-way distribution of content but are an opportunity to encourage one-to-many dialogues.
As a blog owner, comments are invaluable because they inform you as to what your readership is actually thinking (& feeling), allowing you laser-like focus in delivering only the best, most relevant, content back to your readership. So it’s a win-win.
BUT there is an art to what constitutes best practise when commenting on other blogs. Let me explain in 5 simple steps:
Got something to say?! 
1. Signup at Gravatar [upload your picture].
Not only will your face now show up on your own blog but also on every blog that is Gravatar enabled. How’s that for personal branding?!
2. Add your name and title
Instead of just writing your real name in the first box (as most do), think about who you are known as (or want to be known as)
or what your most relevant keywords are. Enter that as well.
For example, sometimes I put “Noel Lyons – The Exercise At Home Coach“ or “Noel Lyons – Fitness Business Coach“ etc depending on the content of the blog I am commenting on.
This way you now have “keyword rich anchor text” linking back to your website or blog. Plus you have just branded yourself.
3. Add Specific Blog Post URLs [versus your homepage url]
Instead of entering your home URL eg www.yourdomain.com attract deep links by entering where you can specific blog post URLS relevant to the content you are commenting on. eg www.yourdomain.com/blog/readmyposttoo [This ties in with step 4].
4. ADD VALUE!
If you are truly looking to grow your reputation online and attract followers, try to add to the conversation.
Redirect readers to a relevant blog post you have written on the same subject, another resource or a comment you feel is an valuable addition.
Brief comments like “great” + “nice one” can easily be mistaken for comment link spam (with the sole intention of getting backlinks to your site)!
[This ties in with step 5]
5. Target High Traffic or High PR Blogs
It’s often not worth commenting from a SE rankings perspective on blogs with a zero or low PR rating.
Indeed, certain associations can see you get the cold shoulder from Google too!
So use automated blog commenting software which helps use locate high Google PR blogs and blogs which actually link back to you (eg “dofollow” blogs like mine versus “nofollow”). See my free blog commenting software which comes with my free bronze membership at PTO.
It’s not just about PR though; certain blogs can still be highly targeted or high traffic and yet have a low or non-existent PR rating.
These are worth targeting too!
Plus if you can, be one of the first three to comment on a high traffic blog
Because when you read a post, these are the comments you tend to read too, as we all like to know what other people thought about it as well.
Here software like Comment Sniper is especially useful as it alerts you straightaway when a new post is published.
Bonus Step: It’s one thing to know something; it’s another to do it. Put this into practise straightaway.
Please leave your valuable comments below, in the manner I have just explained. What better way to see how this all works!
Some say blog commenting is not an effective use of time. I say it depends how well you do it (see steps 1-5).
PLUS if you have taken the time to read a post, and got something from it; then it’s worth the time to comment.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
Related posts:
- 7 Steps For Coaches For Improving The Quality of Their List For many, listbuilding has to be their #1 priority when...
- Digging For Extra Website Traffic Now and again I use OnlyWire as a social bookmarking...
- Branding Me – Branding You! Ok as you read through this article, I want you...
{ 18 comments… read them below or add one }
Very true Noel,
since you have pointed me in the right direction I have been making a habit out of doing this at least once a day on a different blog and it’s also powerful I’ve found to post on non fitness blogs that target your ideal client. I’ve had a few comments back on my blog because of this.
thanks for some more great info!
Daniel Munday – Sydneys Fat Loss Expert’s last blog post..Bootcamp Sydney For Weight Loss Workouts
You have covered good details over one of the most talked topic- commenting. Most of the information you covered were new to me. I am experimenting here with what you have suggested. Thanks for the details
John Samuel – Experimenting with New Technologies’s last blog post..Twimailer: For a better Twitter Notification
Great feedback Dan. It’s also a great way to strengthen your network with fellow bloggers. See the commentluv link back to your latest blog post below your comment? This is what blogs (and web 2.0) are all about – cross “platform” conversations all sharing and growing total web traffic!
Thanks for commenting John; ALWAYS test + tweak everything you read or hear. We are all pioneers in this web 2.0 world …
Hey Noel, Latest update on how powerful blog commenting is – was interviewed on a Canberra radio station this morning because I left a post on an annoucers blog who started following me on twitter.
Look outside your industry too!
Daniel Munday – Sydneys Fat Loss Expert’s last blog post..Low GI Sugar Madness – Healthy Eating Lies
Hey Noel! Great Post! Thanks for the tips. It is definately one of those things you wonder if it’s worth the effort and time.
But hey, if you never try!!!
Judith Kennedy. Personal Coaching to help you release the YOU inside.’s last blog post..Fat Loss Action Blueprint Data
Networks are key Judith – puts you on the map plus you have a chance to show real expertise by adding to the “conversation”. See how you go!
Noel,
great point. Never thought of adding the brand in the name box. Brilliant point.
~Dave
Dave Soucy – Your Body Transformation Coach’s last blog post..Tom Brady is Fat, Again.
I have found typing commentluv enabled into google gives you a list of blogs to comment on. These are the best to post two as you get a site plus you latest blog article linked very quick.. Hope this helps.. Nice blog
.-= graham from promotional pens´s last blog ..Promotional Gifts are the perfect sales tools =-.
That’s a great tip Graham – will try it myself!
[WORDPRESS HASHCASH] The poster sent us ’0 which is not a hashcash value.
Wow, I have to thank you for this post.
I never thought about trying to brand myself. I have always known google loves high PR. Might have to try out Comment Sniper as well. Thanks Noel
.-= Matt @ Free Work Out Plans´s last blog ..Free Tricep Work Out Plans =-.
Hi,
Thanks for this helpful information. You mention some things I didn’t follow that consequent as I should have done – time to change!
.-= Sarah´s last blog ..Hypothekenrechner =-.
Hi,
thanks f or your hints. I experienced that lots of Blog owners do not like to have a keyword in the name field (for sure as addition t o a name!)
.-= Frank – Online Geld Sparen ´s last blog ..Sparen mit Ersatzzahnbürsten =-.
Maybe – maybe not Frank. I hear you. Similar to those who keep Twitter totally personal or totally marketing orientated. But the smart bloggers also know the more comments the better, because Google loves comments (RSS). Personally I like to see a little personality which is why I have no problem with it. Noel.
Great post.eminded me to get a Gravatar. I have a great tip to share also. When you are replying on comments on your blog, try to put in a post some related keywords. SE’s will rank you higher if you do. This one’s free
For other tips you’ll have to visit Eneeo.com 
trackback Hi,
thanks f or your hints. I experienced that lots of Blog owners do not like to have a keyword in the name field (for sure as addition t o a name!)
.-= Frank – Online Geld Sparen ´s last blog .
I think you’re right, Frank, that is 90% of the case nowadays. This is an older post now and blog comments count less from an SEO view (Google has clamped down). So far more important are the relationships you are building with other blog owners and the traffic it pulls back to your own site. Thanks for bringing this up! Noel.
Nice Blog and attractive comments.
{ 1 trackback }