We all agree that commenting is one of the best of source of blog traffic. It is the cheapest form of advertising we could all capitalize on. It’s only by way of regular commenting, you can
1. Introduce yourself to the community,
2. Create more awareness of your blog,
3. Send new visitors your way,
4. Thus, an opportunity to turn them into loyal readers.
5. Lastly, to build your backlinks in the eyes of search engines Google.
We have also been schooled on the importance of commenting on sites as a legitimate way of link building. If you aren’t already in the know, commenting on a blog when NoFollow is in place will not be considered as inbound link, that is your link will not counted as a valid link pointing back to your site.
Matter of fact, the more popular the blog is, the higher the odds of it being “NoFollow”. So how do you build those backlinks when NoFollow is in place?
Be a Top Commentator
If there is one secret they don’t teach you about link building is to comment (not spam) regularly and aim to be listed in a Top Commentator spot whenever such plugin is available.
Think of it being in someone’s else blogroll without the need to beg as we sometimes do or a chance to advertise for free when usually the same spot may cost you a few dollars a month. How does that sound to you?
Benefits of being a Top Commentator
1. Cost-free advertising,
2. Better awareness of your blog, being on the top spot grabs everyone’s attention.
3. Site-wide inbound link which is good in the eyes of Google,
4. Increase your Technorati Rank & Authority
5. Opportunity to get rewarded for being in the top spot. (Slyvisions dot com)
Now I know, where I do I find those?
Now the question is how do you find those blogs with Top Commentator spot? Yes, not all blog will reward their regular commentators but finding those with Top Commentator in place is no longer that time-consuming.
Link Building Bible has released a tool DoFollow Diver, though not the first of it’s kind, that will help you easily search for blogs that you can comment on which give a link back to your site.
As an extension of its search tool, it has included blogs with CommentLuv, (which grabs your most recent blog post and puts it as a link in the comment) and the Top Commentator, (which gives a site-wide link on the blog to the top commentators of the blog).
Now when you comment on those blogs when DoFollow, CommentLuv and Top Commentator are available in the like of this blog, not only you get free advertising and site-wide link by being in the top commentator spot, more importantly you will get triple backlinks which translate into better search engine rankings. Just be sure that you are actually making an effort to contribute to the discussion and not spamming to be ahead of anyone else.
Bonus Tip: Since most the top commentator spot is reset every month, it’s best to grab the spot early in the month and maintain your consistency throughout.
So if you have not been a regular commentator here on this blog or in any other blogs, you’d better start commenting more and building that backlinks for better search engine rankings. After all, it doesn’t take too much of your time and you can also learn a great deal from others in the process.
I am all for rewarding my commentators, I mean legitimate ones, but moderation is needed from getting it out of hand. So if you have any valuable opinions on the need to be of a Top Commentator, leave your comment below and grab that spot now.
PS: If your blog has all the 3 plugins installed, don’t forget to submit yours to the list and let others find you as well,
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About Yan
Very good topic and some very well made points. After recently looking at my stats I realised that I’ve been getting some traffic coming from various comments I’ve made, I never really realised that that many people would click your links but people seem to do it which is encouraging.
liam’s last blog post..Portfolio: Grunge Style Web Design & Blog design for Wordpress-Designers.com
@liam: Encouraging indeed! If you check your stats I did sent you some traffic your way.
Thanks for the read and I hope you do grab that spot as well.
Oh ya, your blog design is one of the best I have seen in recent months. Probably I just love that grunge-look of it. Thumbs up!
@ Yan thanks for the kind words :) Do you have a twitter account?
liam’s last blog post..Portfolio: Grunge Style Web Design & Blog design for Wordpress-Designers.com
@liam: Oh yes, I do [/fayans] but I rarely ‘twit’ nowadays as much as I should have. Send me yours too.
BTW, where are you based in?
http://www.twitter.com/liamuk7 for me. I’m based in a small City in England called Coventry, not the most exciting of locations but it does me, for now at least :)
liam’s last blog post..Portfolio: Grunge Style Web Design & Blog design for Wordpress-Designers.com
I’ve never really paid attention to the Top Commentators before (although I have one installed on my blog myself)
Guess I better start building up my “rank” :)
Apa kabar, Michael? With that kind of stats you have there, I think I should be the one building that ‘rank’. Don’t run too fast, otherwise I would have a hard time trying to catch you, *wink*
But seriously you have done a good job. Keep it up and thanks for dropping by again.
this is why i love to read and comment :D
narendra.s.v’s last blog post..Windows xp gone. what vista got, Did you know?
I bet often a good topic discussion might arise as a result of these 3 improvement features whose I will install this weekend. Thank you for sharing.
Last time I sent comment on thoushallblog, about a week ago, I’ve noticed 2 more features; one was that I could edit my comment within some seconds (or minutes) while the clock was ticking (great for me at the time when using IE instead of Firefrog spell checker.) And second one; I received very nice courtesy email from you thanking me for sending the comment etc. What sort of plugins are these two, are they both plugins or you sent the email manually (which would then be a very nice gesture and effort from you.)
pizza paddle’s last blog post..Papaya Yogurt Dessert Recipe
Thanks for visiting my blog and make a comment.
I recently change my web host to a new one so maybe you could see old design and new design of my blog.
Sorry for the trouble but thanks for remind me. :)
Nice Blog BTW.
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@Rado: Thanks for being here again. The 2 plugins I use is WP Ajax Edit Comment for comment edit and Comment Relish to send out that ‘Thank You’ note automatically.
BTW, are you a cook or something? That papaya yogurt looks good and I’m sure it will taste as good.
@Indocontest: No problem. I think all the alignment just go wild on Mac Firefox.
You seems to be winning a bunch of prizes lately, huh?
Thanks for the tip. I have already implemented two of these things, I just still need to look into the top commenters bit.
sailor’s last blog post..Just where are we with regards to standards?
@Sailor: I’m sure you will see the benefit of having it on your blog. The other 2 plugins are great as well. Having it all 3 makes it thicker, doesn’t it?
Thanks for dropping by, Sailor..
@Yan: Thanks. Yes I enjoy cooking (more building with bricks though) can it be seen in articles? :) The blog is newly installed but already enjoys busy traffic. TO website is 5 years old PR4.
All 3 dofollow plugins, DoFollow, CommentLuv and Top Commentators, are now in place and functional. I couldn’t not to do it last night. We’ll see whether some comments pour in, however perhaps only from webmasters like me.
Now I am having a thought, perhaps if it’s raining today, to install the WP Ajax Edit Comment and Comment Relish. Will let you know about it.
I hadn’t heard of a number of these do follow websites so first thanks for pointing those out.
It’s true that a lot of blogs are nofollow (in fact I think some of mine still are default) but that shouldn’t put people off commenting because if you’re making valid and interesting comments people are still likely to click on through
@Rado: Oh yes, I can see them now. I’m sure you will do better in your niche. Let me know it helps make a difference.
You have a good day, pal.
its very well written … but i hv a Q for u …
while commenting what shall we use as our name ? should we use our real name or the keyword of our website in place of our name ?? so as to get better serp too
usually i use my real name for commenting till now … let me know wat do u think on it …
Good Luck frd
@Puneet: There isn’t a hard-rule to follow on what to use. It really depends on what you want SE to pick up when dofollow is in place or how you’d want to brand yourself when is not.
Personally I use my keyword “Blog for Beginners” whenever I comment on other blogs but it’s more of a personal branding than for SE.
Mind you, some blog owners don’t seem to like keyword-stuffing name so please do it in moderation.
hmm thanx for the suggestion frd .. i wanted to know wats ur opinion on this … Thanx again for the reply … and i use my name werever i comment. .. i liked the helpful posts on ur blog.
Thanks for Dofollow Diver, I had add it to my SEO tools bookmark. The reason for commentating on this blog was to get a backlink for my blog and Top Commentator was a great help. I’m sure I will use this plugins when I switching to WP in future.
Halim-Belajar SEO’s last blog post..Belajar SEO must win WangCyber SEO Contest!
@Halim: You are welcome to comment here often as this blog is dofollow and being on the top commentator list certainly help you to build your backlinks and increase your technorati rank.
What an excellent post. I have all 3 plugins and I knew they were important and guessed some real link building techniques behind each. I thought of most of what you have mentioned here but it’s the first time I see someone actually blog about them. Thanks for sharing and I now value these plugins even more.
Peter Lee
Hey Peter,
Thanks for your kind words and I hope you’d join us often here.
Yan
What I do is once I find a good blog I subscribe to it with Google Reader and that way i don’t miss a post… like I’ve done with your blog ;)
Internet Marketing’s last blog post..Wallpaper Society
Great resource you’ve got here. I’ve been blogging for a while now but still consider myself a novice since I’ve not gotten into how to really be effective yet.
Love the idea of commenting your way to a top commentator spot. Hadn’t thought of that one even though I knew it was a good idea to comment regularly.
Thanks for an eye-opening post!
Angie’s last blog post..Choosing Your Battles
Hey Angie
Thank you for the lovely commentary and I’m glad it does help you one way or another. We both are just learning from one another. If there is anything I could help, please do let me know.
Oh ya, thanks for dropping by, Angie. How did you get to know thoushallblog.com?
Very good post covering all aspects of link building. My site has all the three things you discussed.
Nihar’s last blog post..Kismat Konnection Movie Review
Awesome post, yet again!Your posts are simple that i love reading them again and again!:)
Well, sorry for not marking my presence here for a long time. I had been busy with my college work and my group blogging venture. the site’s almost ready!:)
@Ranjani - Glad you are back despite your busy schedule and as always, thanks for the great commentary.
Good stuff Yan, I agree….I have been doing this for a while, but, I just like peoples content, then I noticed I got a link for being there.
It also brings awareness of you and your blog to the owner, and other readers.
When they see you as a top commentator on a few of their favorite blogs, they may be more inclined to “check you out”.
Plus, it’s just good networking, reward the blogger by commenting on their blog, there’s nothing we love more than people commenting!
@Joe - It’s true being on the top commentator list certainly brings about the awareness to both the site owner plus the other readers. I suppose that’s one of the most effective strategy for blog promotion and online networking.
Hey… great post. I wanted to get more detail in “the approach of the comment.” 1st: I have read other blogs stating if you are not in the top 10 commentators, don’t bother. But according to pure link building, you still get the links, whether you are 1 or 100. Have you noticed a substantial difference whether you are 1 or 100?
2nd: To get to PR1, we must start building many links as fast as possible. Can you break down approximately how many blogs we would have to comment on to get somewhere substantive on a daily or weekly basis, and how many comments you do typically in a week? Thanks… Lee
@Lee - Good question, Lee. First of all, thanks for coming here again. To answer your question:
#1. Yes you need to be in the top ten of the list. However, some site owners will only display the top 5 commenters on the sidebar. In a situation like this, you have no other choice but to be in the top 5. How do you know if you have been given the site-wide link? Use Technorati, if you haven’t claimed your blog, you’d better do it now. For each link you get, your authority will increase by one and that will determine your Technorati ranking as well.
#2. Just in case you miss it, on my latest article, I have a table illustrating how many links you need, to get that PR. For example, apart from other SEO strategies, to get PR of 2 you need at least 3 links from PR 3 or one link from PR 4. Of course, you shouldn’t forget about internal linking as well.
Hope it helps and let me know if you need further clarification. Please do understand that commenting is not all about getting PR, it’s the most effective strategy for blog promotion and social networking with other bloggers. I wouldn’t have known you, if haven’t come and commented here, right?
Thanks for info on commenting. Maybe I do need a little clarification. Is being Top 5 or 10 commentator being the first 5 to 10 to comment on a post, or is it based on the total number times you comment on a blog, especially since I have noticed that once I get to a popular blog, 86 people have already commented on!
Thanks… Cheaplee
@Lee - It is the no. of times you have commented using the same email address. I suggest that in the beginning you go for less recognized blogs than to start with the popular ones. The trick is to start early in the month when the top list is reset.
Good luck and see you on the list, Lee.
Great tip about starting early in the month and being consistent. I have seen some tc lists that don’t reset, but those are pretty rare. Good luck in your efforts!
Hosted Property Management Software’s last blog post..Property Management Accounting Software
Yan, I can’t even remember how I stumbled across your blog today (it’s been a hectic day) but I’m so glad I did. Your advice is very good. In hours of reading other blogs and trying other tools, I haven’t found anything as useful as your DoFollow Diver recommendation.
Great stuff and I’ll be back often for more fantastic tips.
Tiki
@Tiki - I believe this is the first time you are here. I hope you have enjoyed your browsing & reading here.
About your great comment, I really do appreciate it. I’ll see you around.
being a top commentator, how many blogs allow that?. Onemansblog has mentioned that the comments would be deleted if found that the comments have been to get to the top commentors list.
Any idea?
Amarnath’s last blog post..Earn Money Blogging - New Series
@Amarnath - If your comment adds value to the conversation in a natural way, no one will delete your comments. I can speak much on onemansblog as each blog has its own comment policy.
Here I’m not advocating that you are doing it for the sake of getting backlinks but when you are active in one particular blog, it’s pretty natural that you will get your name on the list. I hope it does make sense to you.
I just did a check on who was linking to my website and stumbled on “Top Commentator” .
I was getting a ton of links from that site.
Looking for a “Top Commentator” blog is extremely useful for backlinks.
I think Top Commentators is a great plugin. Both sides benefit. You get comments and regular visitors on your blog and in return they get some link luvvin!
Of course one must make sure that the comments are not spammy. It is easy to tell if the commenter has not really put any effort in!
John
Wow, 50 comments and I was the first to stumble it.
Great post, I have been taking some notes. This will help me a lot.
yes, blog with top commentator plugin is a great blog to comment, you can gain backlink on that way.
Dilson Decano´s lastest post..Captivating Capiz Google Dance
Great info on link building. It’s been fun trying to find blogs in my niche that offer the comment luv. Kind of like an Easter egg hunt.
The Passive Dad´s lastest post..Free Creative Ideas to Help Friends Facing Foreclosure or Bankruptcy
Hi Yan,
I have added all three to my blog. I am hoping to have some commentators who can replace my non-blogging buddies on the list. (They are both IT guys that get bored at work, and visit my blog, so it might be hard.)
Anyhow, another great article. Still trying to make it through your archives, but I gotta get to bed now…
Cheers,
Jeremy
Jeremy Day´s lastest post..Best of Steve Pavlinas How To
Thanks for this informative post. I have often commented on dofollow blogs but never in the top position. I realize Google places a higher value on the first links within a page. Is there still some link value in commenting on a dofollow blog with over 30 comments ahead of you?
Hey Dean
Welcome! I think the myth about Google values the first link within a page is pretty much overrated. A link is a link as long as it’s dofollow, it is still considered an inbound link to you so go ahead, keep commenting even if there is 100 commenters ahead of you.
Besides, commenting isn’t all about backlinks. Building relationship with fellow bloggers is one of the many benefits of blog commenting.
Yan
thanks for these kinds of information! your blog is really helpful especially for those newbie bloggers out there..
i’ll surely come and visit this blog again and again..
jheLo´s lastest post..How to have a FREE Domain Name and a FREE Reliable Web Host.. . . .
Great post! I’m a new reader and subscriber and love the blog already. Unfortunately, there are so many people who don’t know how to leave a decent commment. I shut off Do_follow on our blog because it caused too many people to come by and post nothing but garbage comments in an effort to get some of our link juice. That said, I just added comment luv to give it a shot. Wish me luck!
Thanks for the information which is very useful.
Kamal.
http://burnyourfuel.com
Kamal´s lastest post..Bangalore International Auto Expo 2009
Thanks the DoFollow Driver website will be prove to be very useful.
I must say today I found an awesome tip I never cam across before. Now I see why my competition was commenting on nofollow blogs too. I was missing the link ;)
Best
Lucy How
Hey Lucy
Welcome to the community. I’m glad this article has kinda given you a different perspective of link building. Keep in mind that those links on dofollow blogs will remain while those on the top commentator list will not as the list will be reset each month. So a mixture of both is highly recommended.
Yan
Thank you, this is a pretty good idea.
I do comment on blogs, even if they aren’t do follow, just for the traffic. In fact, I don’t care that much about backlinks.
Franck
Franck Silvestre´s lastest post..Niche Case Study - Part 3 Ckecking Niche Profitablity!
I’m just starting out withg Blogs, started as a free website for my IT consulancy. Then paid for information like the stuff you are posting here. Thanks!
Daniel´s lastest post..A few Things on Internet Security
Very cool stuff! I never really knew the SEO stuff that you mention was available. Thanks so much for the free information!
bryan´s lastest post..Change Your Thinking To Change Yourself
What about the quality of link itself, making a good comment in is so frustating.. :((
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Just found your blog today. Really like it - keep up the good work.Domain info more important than you think :-)Domain information such as DNS, age of domain and even the expiration date are used to distinguish between illegitimate and legitimate domains.Why are google doing this? Simply to get all the factors they can to get an internal “trust score”.This “trust score” is used to eliminate “doorway” pages and spam in the search result.I’M not saying that it’s working perfectly - but they are doing a pretty good job.