Commenting on blogs is often cited as being important for any website's link-building efforts. However, the benefits of blog commenting vary depending on how you approach the process. Most people who are doing it solely to build links and drive traffic to their site leave quick, relatively thoughtless comments on blogs that do not have no-follow turned off. While this may bring your blog instant traffic and links, the long-term benefits of leaving thoughtful comments and building relationships with bloggers is far more valuable.
Blog Commenting for Relationship-Building
When you comment on a blog not just to drop links but to actually interact with the blogger and his/her readers, you build an ongoing relationship that will give you far more benefits in the long run. When you comment on blogs to actually start a valuable conversation, the blogger will be more inclined to take you seriously. Self-serving blog comments may give you visibility, traffic, and links but what about building relationships with other people online that will bring you long-term benefits? If a popular blogger endorses one of your sites or services in the future, it could provide you with far more value than a self-serving link.
The Way Most Marketers Approach Blog Commenting
Most blog commentators that are trying to build links will scan the article in question and leave a comment that is vaguely relevant to the topic at hand. Bloggers love comments and typically read every single one when moderating them. Bloggers will probably remember your company name and the content of your blog comments so in essence, leaving blog comments is an aspect of brand-building. Your blog comment will be seen by hundreds if not thousands of people over the life of the blog and if you are leaving comments that are borderline spam, what does that say about you and your brand image?
The best way to approach blog commenting is by treating it as if it were a part of your marketing campaign. Don't just leave comments on blogs for the sake of link-building. You can reap far more benefit with thoughtful blog comments because you will be able to network with others and form valuable relationships that will assist you in expanding your business. Furthermore, your blog comments are like advertising for your company and spammy blog comments are only going to hurt your company's image in the eyes of the hundreds of blog readers who come across them.
It's obvious to bloggers when you leave generic comments that are there for the sake of driving traffic to your site or building links. Bloggers respect commentators who are actually trying to develop a personal connection and rapport with them. Consider altering your mindset about blog commenting because the benefits of putting more thought into your comments and connecting with bloggers will pay off in the future.
In conclusion, blog commenting should be considered a networking tactic rather than a link-building tactic. The long-term benefits of forging mutually valuable relationships with bloggers are far more promising than the immediate benefits link dropping may offer you. Link dropping may bring you some traffic but the people who read your thoughtless blog comments aren't going to hold you in very high regard. Building a powerful reputation is an essential component of your success online.
