This is something that most of bloggers don’t know, and probably a lot of them think that blog comments has no value for search engines optimization, maybe because no body can control comments when it goes off topic, or maybe because they think that comments are separate from content, but you know what? I think most of bloggers just didn’t notice how Google respect WordPress comment system! And while bloggers are looking for ways and techniques to increase comments on their blogs, they probably don’t realize most of it’s benefits, especially when we talk about comments and SEO, I see a lot of debate without providing any approve, and this is why I decided to publish this post and give approve to you that comment not only can increase traffic by following the concept of article marketing that Kristi Hines showed to us, but it also can increase blog organic traffic and give your content several and different ways to be found through search engines.
I personally believe that we must know all the possible benefits of WordPress comment system, and realize that we don’t need to replace this system or host comment a way from content, although bloggers has different goals of blogging, why not having different goals of blogging comments, and why not getting to know more benefits of blogging comments, and setup new goals and plans for the future of our blogs? so.. now I think we need to know why we actually need blog comments?!
Yes! Seriously!
Why you need more comments on your blog?
- You want to show others that your blog has life?
- Is it because you love conversation?
- Do you get inspiration from comments to generate new “content” ideas?
- Or for generating the “content” itself?
- Dose comments add value to your blog SEO?
Yes! Comments can do all what I mentioned above and probably much more than that!
And this is what you are going to discover while reading this post, because I have talked before about generating content from blog comments in a different way than others think about it, OK.. Let me tell you how I learned and I could even teach this tip!
Lessons from Discussion Forums
I had a full time job for 3 years in a major discussion forums as an editor and moderator, my job was just the normal boring tasks like answering questions, add replies to discussion if I have something useful to say, moderate the forum members, and do some editorial work like fixing typos, and publish some news!
One day I discovered that I can simply turn on the discussion by giving the opposite opinion, or open a new discussion by asking a simple question that people already know, probably I will get the answer from several people, and it will work better than asking complicated questions that needs an expert to actually answer them! And that was the time to bring the fun to the “work”.. Yes!.. It was having a lot of fun while playing the conversation game without members actually notice that you are playing it!
That was the first time I thought about why not generating content from real people comments and replies to a topic, that was the real art of creating content, and yes I am proud to say that I was teaching my other workmates the art of generating content from simple comments!
I have shared this with you as introduction to what I really want to talk about in this post, as it’s very important to understand the power of comments in generating content and also in optimizing your blog for search engines.
Most of the people who will add a comment on a blog post, they will write something relative to the main topic, and because I believe that comments are part of content, I never thought once that comments are separated from the body and the bones of the article, it actually increase keywords on the page, and I am going to show you how your blog comments are separated at all from content, and how Google respect blog comments, also how blog comments can drive organic traffic to your blog, all this by example and I will approve it.
But first, I must say that I don’t agree with those who are using commenting systems like Disqus or intense debate, of any other system that bloggers prefer it rather than WordPress default comment system, I mean why you will host your blog comments a way from your blog?! you are losing some free SEO optimization and some organic traffic?!
This is a message for those who are using a different comment system than WordPress default commenting system: I feel sorry for you guys!
Comment for SEO by Example
Now! Let me show you examples of searches made by readers and found my blog because comments made by someone on my blog, and even the SERPs display the results from the comment, has nothing to do with the content it self, even Google SERPs has updated it self and got parts of the comments display in the search results page!
Example 1
This search was made using these terms “aweber pop over problems with wordpress”, and the results came up with the comment on the first page of Google search, as you can see here!
Notice the bold text, the first part of the SERP is from content, and the second part is actually from the comment section, they work together to bring the results from Google search!
Example 2
Ok, I will give you a better example, someone searched using these terms “is tweepi safe to use”, and guess what?! All the SERPs comes from a comment and our about us page, I have no idea how!!
Example 3
Ok, the same results over and over, someone made a search by these terms “add disclosure to your blog”, and when I read the SERP I remembers even the person who actually add that comment! He was my friend DiTesco of IblogZone.com, and I was right!
I have got several examples that show that comments are great benefit for SEO, I just don’t remember the terms, but for sure if you put your eyes on your WordPress stats and check out the terms that people find your blog by typing it in Google search, then you will probably find out how important comments are for your blog SEO!
Now, do you see the value of comments for search engine optimization? it’s kind of random optimization when you get non relevant comments or a “thank you so much” kind of comments from people who has nothing to share or to add to a blog post!
It’s a Huge Win Win Situation
Now! And finally we all know that blog commenting and comment exchange, experiences, opinions, thoughts, and being helpful to each other is a huge win win situation indeed, and I must mention that one of the goals of our blogging contest was to educate readers and bloggers, and teach them how to comment well! comment good! and add value! and I believe that more than 500 bloggers and readers has learned something useful from this contest!
Who don’t like something that actually bring extra and unexpected organic blog traffic?
Work hard to add value to comments, this help you and the blog you are commenting on at the same time!