There are many reasons why site owners are encouraged to have a site comment section. They are a great way to build relationships with visitors, clarify information, direct visitors to resources, and improve SEO.
In recent times however many experienced bloggers have disabled site comments due to poor comments that were harming their sites.
Since this is not the ideal situation it is important for visitors to understand what is expected of them so they will be able to write better comments.
Understand how to write great comments is not only for site visitors either. It is also important that site owners understand what makes a great site comment so that they can also do a better job responding to visitors.
Note Well
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Definition Of Site Comments
According to Rank Watch, “blog commenting is defined as a relationship between blogs, bloggers and blog readers. It is a great way to exchange ideas, thoughts, or opinions about what people feel for a particular topic or a blog post.”
Blog commenting is more than just letting the writer know what a great job he has done or how much you like his post. In fact, if this is all you have to say it is not much of a comment and doesn’t add value at all.
Any comment that doesn’t in some way add value to a post should be kept to yourself.
Comments should add information, ask questions, or for clarifications. Good comments can even come in the form of a controversial comment from someone with a different opinion.
So the next time you decide to comment on a website the following contains 13 things you should remember.
Related Article: The Benefits Of Good Site Comment
10 Things That You Can Do To Leave Better Site Comments
1. Read The Content Carefully First
Comments should be based on the contents of the website. Nothing is more disappointing than encountering comments that have no bearing on the contents of the post.
Some are outright span hoping to leave a link to their own posts while others are so far off-topic it is clear they did not take the time to read the contents at all.
If the information you are looking for is in the post and you do not understand it, it is better to ask for clarifications than to ask the question again.
Bloggers are humans too and we will not know if you have a problem with comprehending the content unless you are clear in your inquiry.
So first rule of thumb, before you comment, read.
2. Respond Directly To The Information In The Post
If you want to know if you are commenting the right way then ask yourself, does my comment address the information given in the post?
If it does not then it is not a good comment unless of course, it is requesting more information from the blog writer.
3. Be Helpful
In responding you ought to always consider your motive. Comments ought to be helpful or a way to seek help.
This means that if the commenter is not seeking further information he ought to seek to add information to what has already been provided in the original article.
Even information that does not agree with what is in the post can be relevant.
4. Be Polite
I simply cannot stress this enough. Whether you have a good point or not how you choose to relay your point is just as important as the information you wish to convey.
Be polite and professional in your response even if the information you are conveying contradicts that given in the original post.
Inflammatory statements are to be avoided at all costs. In fact, this is likely to cause your comment to be rejected even if you have valuable information. This type of commenter is called a troll and no one likes those.
As a commenter, if you wish to establish yourself as an authority on the internet this also affects your business. So choose your words wisely.
5. Pay Attention To The Call To Action In The Post
Many bloggers today have a call to action within their posts. This is usually an action they wish their users to perform after reading their posts. It is usually expressed in the form of a question or request.
This can sometimes require you to give some predefined information in the comment section of the post. This can be a good kick-off point for the information you will give in your comment.
6. Get Your Fact Right
If you are an online business owner everything you put out in this space matters. It costs you nothing but time to check your fact before you comment on another person’s site.
Bear in mind that bad information affects your business negatively.
Proofreading the information you wish to put out there is also a must.
This may seem obvious but many people today in their hurry, do not take time to read the information once they have typed it up.
Unfortunately, once a comment is posted you cannot take it back. So take time to proofread.
7. Keep It Short And On Point
Try not to ramble in your comment. Keep it short and informative.
All of our time is valuable and readers have short attention spans. So get your point across quickly and clearly before you lose them.
8. Only Relevant Links Allowed
Bloggers are wary of links. Many people often look at comments that contain links as spam.
However, experienced bloggers would often allow them if they lead to relevant information that enhances the point being made in your comments. So don’t spam. Link wisely.
9. Before You Comment Check To See What Is Already There
As a blogger responding to the same comment over and over can be exhausting. When a question is being repeated often in the comment section this tells the content creator that you have not stopped to read the comments.
Remember we seek to add value and repeating what has already been said adds no value at all.
10. Leave Your Contact Information
Typically the comment section contains a place for both URL and email. Fill out both. If your comment is of great value then some users are going to try to make contact with you directly or on your blog.
This is great for your web presence and business. However, to make this happen you need to leave your contact information.
Additionally, it is a good business practice to use your full name and a picture of yourself since this is part of your brand.
You may not think much of this but your digital footprint is part of the reputation you are building. You are the face of your business.
As with any business, visitors are building a relationship with you. All this type of information humanizes you while building your reputation.
Conclusion
While comments are quite valuable to bloggers and visitors alike, it only adds value when done correctly.
In fact visitors have sometimes criticized bloggers for not allowing their comments on their site.
However a comment may sound pretty mundane to the average visitor but experienced bloggers understand that a good comment adds SEO value. On the other hand, bad comments can damage a site.
As such bloggers who allow comments ensure they moderate them thoroughly while many others in the aftermath of an onslaught of poor comments have taken the initiative to turn the comment section off.
This is not the best move for bloggers or visitors so lets change those comments.
Before You Go
Do you ever stop to comment on blogs that you visit? How has your experience been?
If you are a blogger please tell us your opinion of blog comments and why you feel that way.
Candy Benn