Just about everyone’s blog is optimized so that readers can leave comments and suggestions on your content. In fact, there is really no point in blogging if you don’t allow for commenting and interaction with the public. The feedback you get can be invaluable in determining whether or not you are providing information that is of value, and if you’re lucky you can also earn an inbound link out of the deal. Inbound links help to build authority for your website – and hence more recognition from search engines – because if others are engaged by your content and sharing it around you become acknowledged as a purveyor of quality information that others want to know.
Since inbound linking is becoming more and more important for good SEO, Calgary business owners are becoming increasingly aware of what is being posted to their pages, and what they are posting on others. It’s good to be able to recognize the general types of comments you can expect to see, and also know what to do about them.
Who Said That?
Although comments are a good thing overall, unfortunately there are those out there who essentially operate as inbound link spammers. In order to improve their own website’s SEO, they will place comments on numerous other sites all over the Internet that may be those of their direct competition, a feeder business or even just strong sites that have already developed a robust web presence of their own. These comments are usually just a few words and a link, and don’t make mention of the actual article on the page. For example, something like, “Best deals on carpet in Calgary” followed by a URL below a blog on home insurance is almost assuredly spam. You want to delete these as soon as possible because spamming is inherently uncool, and also because it could adversely affect your own SEO results.
Of course, if a comment is rude, crude, or just plain mean, it should certainly be removed as well. And don’t allow anyone to get you riled up by attempting to start an argument. Some people do this just because they find it amusing for themselves, and if you can’t help but react you may end up wasting a lot of your time on a tête-à-tête that doesn’t actually help anyone, and may actually even annoy your readers.
Constructive criticism is allowed, though, so even though you may not completely agree with a comment, if it makes a good point, leave it. You may feel free to comment back if you feel that there is an issue or misunderstanding that can be clarified, but always be as respectful to others as you would like them to be to you. Remember, this is your opportunity to show how you intend to interact with people, and potential customers may be turned off if they feel they are being demeaned.
Also, comments in other languages are super fun and exciting to get, but it’s a good idea to run them through an online translator of some sort to ensure they are not offensive to anyone.
Another circumstance in which you may consider removing comments is if the link they have provided does not offer further use to the reader. Proper inbound linking etiquette dictates that if you plan on leaving a link with your comment, it should lead somewhere that can enhance and regenerate the current discussion on the page, and should also be something that readers may not have been able to find on their own. A link to a company’s home or sales page certainly does not offer anyone anything exceptional, and can also be considered to have come from a spammer.
