If you are passionate about blogging, then you may have read hundreds of articles, which suggest Commenting to increase blog traffic. Actually, commenting does help pull traffic to one's own blog. In addition it also brings quality back-links for your blog (but for that you have to comment on blogs with higher PR than yours).
All is good in this Commenting Wisdom; except that it fails to recognize the human element involved in commenting process. Failing to involve the Human Factor in the commenting wisdom, makes the bloggers walk the wisdom, in a wrong way. And very soon they are overwhelmed. First signs of this overwhelming, is that they stop focusing on content. Later stages include blogging waywardness; culminating in disillusion (from Blogging).
Commenting is Just a Side Tool To Blogging:
Commenting on other people's blogs, works well; when you have Good content on your own blog. In the absence of good content, commenting will be useless; as people who visit to your blog, will be bounces (means "Visit and Leave, and Never ever visit Again". Look for Bounce Rate for your site in its analytics page). So Commenting can never go beyond 10-15 percent percent of your Total blogging time. For instance if you sit 10 hours a day for your blog; then you should not spend more than 1 or 1 & 1/2 hour on commenting.
Comment, as a Reader:
Don't make commenting your objective. Instead, approach the other persons' blog as a reader. The main reason for bloggers getting overwhelmed with commenting, is that they approach other blogs as a blogger (with the aim to get back links and traffic). Approach the other's blog as a reader.
Comment only if you like Commenting:
Approaching any blog for the greed of traffic and back-links is not good. It will overwhelm you sooner than expected. So comment on only those blogs which you like to read. Here Reading part is important and must take 70 percent of your commenting Time. As if you don't read an article, you will not make a useful comment. That apart, if you don't like commenting even after reading an article, don't throw a careless or robotic comment such as "Valid point" or "Great Blog". Instead, just leave that page; and look for something better to read.
Make Useful Comments:
Now, if you are into blogging for some time now, you may also tell a difference between a Spammy comment and that done with the intent to value add the article. If you as ablogger know it; so do the other bloggers. Hence, the eternal rule of commenting is: Make Useful comments. Useful comments go beyond -- "Good", "Great", "Agree" etc. Useful Comments inform, criticise and rattle. Above all they are well grounded.
All is good in this Commenting Wisdom; except that it fails to recognize the human element involved in commenting process. Failing to involve the Human Factor in the commenting wisdom, makes the bloggers walk the wisdom, in a wrong way. And very soon they are overwhelmed. First signs of this overwhelming, is that they stop focusing on content. Later stages include blogging waywardness; culminating in disillusion (from Blogging).
The Right way to approach Commenting:
Commenting on other people's blogs, works well; when you have Good content on your own blog. In the absence of good content, commenting will be useless; as people who visit to your blog, will be bounces (means "Visit and Leave, and Never ever visit Again". Look for Bounce Rate for your site in its analytics page). So Commenting can never go beyond 10-15 percent percent of your Total blogging time. For instance if you sit 10 hours a day for your blog; then you should not spend more than 1 or 1 & 1/2 hour on commenting.
Comment, as a Reader:
Don't make commenting your objective. Instead, approach the other persons' blog as a reader. The main reason for bloggers getting overwhelmed with commenting, is that they approach other blogs as a blogger (with the aim to get back links and traffic). Approach the other's blog as a reader.
Comment only if you like Commenting:
Approaching any blog for the greed of traffic and back-links is not good. It will overwhelm you sooner than expected. So comment on only those blogs which you like to read. Here Reading part is important and must take 70 percent of your commenting Time. As if you don't read an article, you will not make a useful comment. That apart, if you don't like commenting even after reading an article, don't throw a careless or robotic comment such as "Valid point" or "Great Blog". Instead, just leave that page; and look for something better to read.
Make Useful Comments:
Now, if you are into blogging for some time now, you may also tell a difference between a Spammy comment and that done with the intent to value add the article. If you as ablogger know it; so do the other bloggers. Hence, the eternal rule of commenting is: Make Useful comments. Useful comments go beyond -- "Good", "Great", "Agree" etc. Useful Comments inform, criticise and rattle. Above all they are well grounded.
Summary:
Commenting is a good tool to pull traffic to one's blog and increase its reputation. But the primary area of blogging will always be the content. Only good content brings Reputation, Goodwill and eventually Money to a Blogger. Commenting must always be done keeping in view the Human limitations (there are only 24 hours in a day) and commenting should always be as honest (same honesty needed as practiced while creating content). Hence, comment for small duration of time daily, only on articles which you feel like reading, read then first and if like commenting -- offer a useful comment. ---------Commenting Helps Blog Traffic...But it also overwhelms
Anil Singh
Sunday, January 6, 2013