Make your comment stand out... and then some
When leaving a comment on a high trafficked blog with dozens or maybe even hundreds of post comments, standing out is very tricky.
However, it’s a very important traffic generation strategy to increase your blog traffic and should not be missed.
Here are some not-the-same-old blog commenting tips to help you with that:
1. Format Your Comments
You do that on your blog (hopefully), so why not do it for your comments?
If you can make your comments attractive to the eye of a reader (or skimmer I should say; very few people will actually read comments, but many of them will at least skim them).
This is your golden opportunity to stand out and make someone read your very insightful and thought-provoking comment.
What do I mean by “formatting”, by the way?
Make some sentences bold or italic, use quotes, make lists, things like that.
Most comment systems will let you use basic HTML tags to do that.
Here’s a short list of suggested tags to use:
1. <strong>Makes a sentence bold</strong>
2. <em>Makes a sentence italic</em>
3. <blockquote>Add a quote</blockquote>
4. <ul>
<li>Make a list – point 1</li>
<li>Make a list – point 2</li>
<li>Make a list – point 3</li>
</ul>
Side note: I’ve read it somewhere that using HTML in your comments can send them straight to a spam folder. While it’s true with HTML code for links, I haven’t seen any proof of that fact with other HTML tags. As a matter of fact, I do use them and love it.
2. Make a REALLY long comment
This blog commenting strategy works great for catching attention of both readers and bloggers.
One caveat: you need to actually know what you are talking about. Make sure your comment adds a great insight, another solution to the problem stated in the post, a few more points to the post list, an alternative point of view. You can even start a debate, just make sure you can back it up.
3. Reply To The First Commenter
This one is great for posts with too many comments to count.
Simply reply to the first commenter (or the second one, if the first one had nothing intelligent to say) and your comment will be just as visible to the readers as the first one. Make sure to make a good point though!
4. Start a Thread
Try to start a dialog with one of the commenters (preferably, the first one).
Readers are much more likely to stop and read a thread or even jump in to share their own opinion. Remain in control of the thread though and your payoff can be great – targeted traffic back to your site.
5. Choose To Be Notified Of Replies
This tactic goes hand in hand with the previous one.
Most comment system will have a check mark box to request to be notified of any follow-up comments.
This is a great way to get engaged with the host blogger, as well as get in touch with some of the readers.
The following are some other miscellaneous tips on blog commenting the right way.
6. Ping Your Comments
I am sure you know what pinging is, but here’s a refresher just in case:
Pinging is a way to notify your server that your blog content has been updated. The server in turn will notify different pinging services about the update, which in turn will trigger search engine bots to come and check out your new content.
You can (and should) also ping your new blog posts by hand, using services like Pingler.net, Pingoat.net, and Pingomatic.com (there are many others, of course, but these are the ones I use).
So what does it have to do with your comments?
Well, pinging your comments using services mentioned above will increase the chance that a search engine bot crawls your comment MUCH sooner than it would otherwise, thus discovering your link and attributing it to your site.
7. Use Blogger’s Name
ALWAYS, always, always use the blogger’s name when commenting.
First of all, it shows respect and attention to details.
Secondly, it might be the very thing that will help your comment to emerge from the spam folder should it end up there.
When checking my spam folder, I will always take a special look at the comments with my name in them, since they are more likely to not be spam.
8. Use Twitter ID for Website (bonus)
If you are working on taking over the first page of Google for your name, using your Twitter or Facebook link instead of your blog URL just might be the thing to do.
Marketing Takeaway:
It goes without saying that none of these techniques will do you any good if you fail to provide any value with your comment. Remember, commenting is not just for one way link building (although it’s certainly a great strategy), but also to connect, network, and yes, bring more traffic to your site.
Question:
Will these tips help you to become a better commenter or are they more likely to deem you as a spammer?
Love it or hate it? Comment to show me that you’ve alive!
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{ 145 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Ana.
These are some great tips. I often wonder, is it a good practice to use our keywords in the name field? DO you think in spite of a very useful comment, the moderator might not approve it just because of the anchor text in the name field?
How do u personally treat such kind of comments which are useful but have a KW in the Name field.
Thanks!!
I use KeywordLuv on my blog, Anil, which is meant to encourage my commentators to leave their keywords in the name field, so of course I’d approve those comments.
If you try to do it on a blog that doesn’t use KL, then it’s a hit or miss.
Hi Ana,
it is a nice idea to format the comments which definitely attracts the other readers to read your comment and to visit your site. However, when we started really interacting with other readers through comments, it benefits more than just link building (i mean towards getting networked with co-bloggers).
Thanks.
Networking definitely SHOULD be the goal of blog commenting and the links are the icing on the cake, Ven.
As usually great tips from you.
Tip 2 is something I agree with totally. I have read from some posts that commenters should keep comment short because people scan content. And I don’t agree. I think it’s like posting on your own blog. Write as much as you have to say.
As for formatting, well I see the point to do that. But I doubt I’ll be bothering myself with that. It’s just added time. Commenting alone eats up so much time, though it sometimes give blog ideas, so it can be said to be time well spent.
I hope people wouldn’t start abusing the bold and list tag just to get noticed.
I remember reading about branding one’s name sometime ago. And I wonder why I will want to try to rank for my name. It’s my name, I should already rank for it. I’ll quickly try it now and come back to complete this comment… Just hold please…
Okay just confirmed it. No one is trying to rank for my name yet. All the pages in the search result for my name are all my profiles in different social networks, including my free ebook and website. So I’m covered!
I think people who would have competitors for their names are people who have common English names.
It certainly pays to have a unique name like yours, Karo!
I do agree: commenting is a lot of work as it is, and I personally don’t use any formatting when commenting.
Also, even though this is one of my most popular blog posts, I haven’t noticed anyone abusing the formatting. I noticed my commentators use it quite sparingly, which is great to see.
My first name plus the surname equals unique. But minus the the surname it’s not unique. In my country here (Nigeria) a lot of people (male and female) from my tribe uses the name. Anyway, I agree I am lucky
You’re right, I didn’t notice many people using the tag in their comments either and I haven’t noticed it on other peoples blog comments too. I guess everyone is tight on time to care about that.
Ana I really admire how you respond quickly to messages including comments. That must really be eating up some of your time. Well, I guess that’s why we stick around – You offer value as other successful bloggers that I know, but you go a step further by paying attention to your audience. That’s really great and in the long run that’s what will make you long-term income.
Karo Itoje invites you to read: Blog Commenting Marketing Strategy – Best Practices That Guaranty Best Results
Thank you for the compliment, Karo.
I strongly believe that relationships are what will eventually propel our businesses, and I cherish each and every one of them.
Ana, Thank you for posting these tips! I can’t wait to try formatting comments (bold, etc.). I already leave my html blog link, which was a great tip I found out somewhere. Take care.
You are welcome, Dawn.
I’d strongly caution you against adding html links in the body of the comment. Most bloggers will just send such comments into spam.
I almost did that with your comment, but then realized you weren’t trying to spam, just got bad advice.
Ana,
It’s not tenough to just say a well chosen gravatar. There are some who still don’t know where to get a gravatar. They can go to https://en.gravatar.com/ sign up using an email just for commenting and your golden. Whenever you comment on a blog that uses gravatar and you use that email address, it automatically pulls your gravatar.
I’ve been reading a lot about commenting lately and that has me thinking and writing. My next post will be my twist on what to do with those spam comments you get and hwo to use them to your advantage:^)
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Would love to read that post, Rob.
I am actually thinking of implementing a new comment policy, under which I don’t approve any comments without a gravatar…
Thanks for the +1!
Ana,
I just posted that article. I’d love to hear your thoughts. I was a bit horrified when I read my comment in your email. It wasn’t that late when I posted it. I can’t believe there were that many typos. :O
Rob Calhoun invites you to read: Trackback Or “Trickback” A New Breed Of Comment Spam
Just left you a comment, Rob, and don’t worry about the typos!
Hey Ana,
*Implementing part of that strategy now* (Smile)
I digress…what I found interesting about your post is that you mentioned that comments that use the blogger’s name are less likely to be seen as SPAM. That’s a good point, but I think that spammers have since caught on to that trick. They aren’t very good at it though.
I almost hate to mention it because I think it may prompt spammers to refine their technique. However, on most every blog post I write, I use my full name (including my middle initial). Recently, I’ve seen some comments slip through the SPAM filter because they included my name. However, it was my full name (and middle initial). I think they are hoping that most people will use their first name only as the writer for the post (if I used Elise, for example). However, when I use my full name (Elise L. Connors) and you say Elise L. Connors, I think that was good advice, you are clearly a spammer.
I think that any and all of these strategies could potentially result in being flagged as a spammer, but we shouldn’t be focused on that at all. We should be focused on making relevant comments and making sure they stand out so that others will read them.
My rule of thumb is — would I post this comment if there were no link going back to my blog? If so, it’s probably a quality comment. Your strategies can be used to help others see what we have written.
Thanks for the tips!
You are very welcome, Elise, and you are so right.
Spammers are getting very tricky.
They use “real” names now and even use very trustworthy gravatars, but for a discerning eye, they can still be spotted.
For instance, most of the times their email address looks entirely made-up and doesn’t match any other info.
This is just lovely I feel like I have been let on a top secret, thanks for this Ana.
LOL, Veehcirra – glad you are using it already.
Well, it’s good to know that I’ve been following at least some of the guidelines. ; )
Honestly I’ve never understood people who comment on posts and really have nothing to say. There’s nothing wrong with “Nice post.” but come on, add a little something to it. It isn’t that much work.
My blog has only been up for a couple weeks, and I’ve had some weird spam. Everything from the automated “pharmacy” messages, all the way to one person who wouldn’t have gotten tossed into spam if they hadn’t basically said “Nice post – now let me post this long rambling sales pitch that sounds like a bad TV spot.”
What I did NOT know about was pinging! I’d heard about it, but had never followed up to learn more. I certainly didn’t know I could ping comments on other blogs. That’s awesome!
Of course, now that means I have to go learn about all those pinging sites/services you mentioned. One more thing on my to-do list. ; )
Lindsey Rainwater invites you to read: Genie Syndrome
I love your comments, Lindsey – it hasn’t been that long that you first came to my blog, but I know you already from your to-the-point comments.
Comments do work!
I’d recommend you install GASP plugin on your blog to control spam better, if you haven’t already. Akismet just won’t do it.
I will definitely have to look into GASP. I haven’t had droves of spam – yet. I’m sure it’s coming, and I figure the longer the blog is there, the more spam there will be.
Yeah, I just discovered your blog recently and it became a new favorite. You have the same open honesty as I do (but with seemingly less cynicism
.)
I’m glad commenting works because I enjoy it. When my parents found out I was going into business online, my Mom’s response was “Well, you’ll have tough competition. But you have a knack for getting attention when you want it, and people never seem to forget you. Even if they want to.” (Aww. Thanks Mom. *laughs*)
It is also fun looking through other comments, because some people really have great insight and can give new angles that may have never crossed your mind otherwise. (Just don’t get lost in the comments! You’ll wander back out after a couple hours and wonder why you’re so hungry. I’ve done it countless times!)
Thanks again, Ana!
Lindsey Rainwater invites you to read: Genie Syndrome
I am trying to hold my horses, Lindsey, and not turn away my readers. LOL
By the way, how about getting a gravatar to go with your email?
*haha!* I’m merciless on my readers. (Of which I don’t think I have any yet.)
Honestly, I don’t know how to get a gravatar. I’ll set up a picture with my email, but I don’t know if that will work. I’ll see what I can do. Thanks for the reminder.
Lindsey Rainwater invites you to read: Genie Syndrome
Nevermind . . . Figured it out. ; )
Lindsey Rainwater invites you to read: Genie Syndrome
You did it!
Now I can put a face to your name…
And I thought I was the only one pinging my own comments LoL!
Caleb invites you to read: Why You Should Try eMail Marketing
Good point about PingFarm, Caleb – I didn’t know about it back when I wrote the post, but now I use it all the time.
Hi Ana,
I like to think that I need to learn something new each and every day, and today, this is no exception. I’ve been commenting on various blogs for quite a while, and this is the first time I have heard about pinging my comments. I think that I have pinged just about everything else I have done, and I will start doing so immediately.
Thanks as well to Caleb for the Ping Farm suggestion as that will save a lot of time. Thanks again for the valuable tips and please keep them coming.
Gustav invites you to read: Tax Preparation
Pingfarm is definitely great, Gustav, and it makes my day to know that my posts are adding knowledge.
Thanks for the tips Ana, and useful for someone like myself who is relatively new to blog commenting. I learn something new from every one of your posts that I read.
What do you think of link indexing services for getting your links discovered by the search engines?
I think I’d keep my money, Thomas – it’s very easy to get your links indexed by pinging them or sharing them via social media.
Thomas, I echo your sentiments. I am fairly new to this whole blogging world and learning lots as I go along. Ana’s post highlights for me just how much there is to take on board yet it is all doable, if we take our tiem and ask questions. How are you getting on with your blog..I noticed you are in the health industry…lots of useful tips there on your twitter stream. Anyways, take care,, keep writing and sharing.
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Hi Ana,
I am back!
I wanted to ask in connection with the point 5, the rumor here is that Google has or is going to stop displaying the PR in its toolbar. Can you possibly give me the exact picture? And implications, if any?
Thanks!
They did get rid of displaying PR in their toolbar, Nikhil.
I think they are trying to de-emphasize its importance, that’s all. They are not doing away with it though.
Hi Ana, Great blog post by the way!
And Nikhil,
You asked an AWESOME question that I’ve been wondering about myself. I use a great firefox plugin toolbar called “Link Extend” that gives me all sorts of information about the website I’m visiting (Its deemed very useful over the past 5 years using it), however I’ve noticed the Google PR hasn’t been showing up on it either.
Ana, Since Google PR is still in existence and at least “somewhat” important, what do you recommend is the best way of checking up on and keeping tabs of a website’s Google PR?
Thank you for your response. I love following your stuff!
God bless,
Curt Bizelli
Curt Bizelli invites you to read: More Exposure, The Power of Tribe Syndication
I personally use SEOQuake to keep track of PR, Curt, and if it acts up (which happens sometimes), I use google-pagerank.net.
Hey Anna,
This is my second comment on your blog and I must admit that your tips are very useful and your blog is worth visiting back.
About using the HTML tags it might be unusual for the first time, but after a while they surely can make a difference. Until I got used with them I used an HTML tag editor, which helped me familiarize myself with them.
I would also make a suggestion for your blog: it would be nice to see at the bottom of the comment box which tags are allowed, otherwise someone might end up using the wrong tags and get a comment which looks like a scrambled egg, ehhm, text.
Thank you, Chris for the comment and the suggestion. I will consider it.
I`m agree with you Chris. Ana it`s very well documented.
As you can see Ana I have read your post
.
Honestly (of corse I`m honest…I`m a christian) …its the most useful post I have read in the last week.
The only thing that sometimes its better to not do: Subscribe to comments…if its post with many comments its probably not good to subscribe…or better not do your personal email address
I like your titles: “7 titles” , “How to”…its getting your attention
Filmari Nunti invites you to read: Filmare botez Bucuresti
I think that you have everything regarding blog commenting nailed in this post. I have never thought of pinging my links as I just thought they would be indexed, but every little helps!
Your advice is good enough, but what if a blog uses a simple comment box and have no facilitas format?
I am more concerned at the ethics of comments:
1. Using real names (not keyword)
2. Write a comment in accordance with the contents of the article (not spam)
3. Does not include links and anchor text in comment box
It is so confusing, then what are the benefits blogs commenting if no anchor text?
You will see that I encourage people to use real names. KeywordLuv enables you to use yourname@yourkeyword. Your comment won’t be approved if it is spam and therefore it should indeed be relevant.
There is much benefit to commenting, even if you don’t use anchor text in the comment box, especially if there is CommentLuv on the site.
I just realized it was necessary PING comment,
but what is not considered SPAM by Spider Bot if too often to ping?
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Well, it’s not your blog you are pinging all the time, Velli – you are pinging separate comments on separate blogs, so it shouldn’t have any effect on being “pinged” as a spammer.
Thank-you, Ana, for another great tips of yours,
Comments……comments……comments……
Come to blogs to give awesome comments,
Make it memorable and interesting,
Can’t think of terrific comments on the spot,
Give it much thought, come back tomorrow ?
Is that how some of you do it ?
sooreneccs invites you to read: Lilo, log in, log out
I sometimes do, Sooreneccs.
Ana | Traffic Generation invites you to read: White Hat Google Traffic Hack – How to Build Massive Back Links Without Appearing as a Spammer
Ana, looking through your site I’m impressed at your comprehensive approach and articles that leave no stone unturned, such as this one on how to make a comment stand out like a sore thumb!
As you say, “Very few people will actually read comments, but many of them will at least skim them.” I especially appreciated your lavishing detail on how to do that, including
Using bold
“Quotation marks”
and Lists!
Couldn’t resist trying some of your suggestions to see whether this comment would stick out. I hope if anyone notices it, they will reply to this comment and mention that your strategies work!
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Thank you so much.
Your comment sticks out indeed!
Thanks again, Ana – I’ve got quite a few ping services listed in my WordPress blog, under Settings, Writing, Update Services.
I wonder if this is too much, or does more equate to better?
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Take a look at this post for the answer to your question, Steve.
Hi Ana,
As always another great post.
These are great ideas for people to use
Just one of the many advantages of leaving comments, is it
drops your Alexa score too. Of course, it depends on the site
you are posting on.
If I were to add anything it would be sure to have a professional looking
picture of yourself. Even though most who post here already have one, I have had the best results with high contrast ones, hence the black shirt with a white back ground. You can do this by creating a gravatar. Pictures say a lot about personal branding
I do have one question Ana, when you are talking about pinging the comment, do you mean the post I commented on?
Thank you for your contribution, you’re the best
Jeff Faldalen
Jeff Faldalen invites you to read: 7 Secret Network Marketing Business tips
I love your gravatar, Jeff – definitely captures the attention.
Pinging: I mean the comment itself. When you leave a comment on a blog, it gives you a URL of the comment after it was submitted. For instance, teh URL for your comment I am responding to is http://www.trafficgenerationcafe.com/blog-commenting-tips/#comment-31582
That’s the best way to ensure that YOUR link will be indexed.
Now, is it really necessary? Depends on the blog you are commenting on. If it gets healthy amount of traffic and is crawled on a daily basis, then probably not.
However, I still do it – just for the peace of mind.
Ana | Traffic Generation invites you to read: Is CommentLuv the Plugin of the Past?
Hi Ana…I really had never thought about doing some of these things in blog comments but it makes a lot of sense.
As I was scrolling through over 100 comments, the ones that had some bold text in them definitely stood out and I actually stopped to read them.
Another helpful post, thanks
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You’re right, Dan. And thanks for commenting.
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Can you give me a more detailed explanation of pinging and how I can do it on my blog?
Chukwuka Okwukwe Chukwuka invites you to read: How To Achieve Success: The 9 Tips For Success
Chukwuka, I’ve done several posts on the topic. Search above for “ping” to access those tutorials.
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Thanks, Ana.
I’ll do just that.
Chukwuka Okwukwe Chukwuka invites you to read: Making Money: 15 Money-Making Rules To Know
Hi Chukwuka,
There are a number of different ping plugins, but the one I use is MaxBlogPress Ping Optimizer
A great site to use for pinging your social media is
Ping.fm and hooking it up with
Hootsuite
Hope this helps,
Jeff Faldalen
Thanks Jeff.
I’ll try both.
Chukwuka Okwukwe Chukwuka invites you to read: Abraham Lincoln’s Letter To His Son’s Teacher
Hi Ana
Great post If each and every apply these following tips they can reach that point has decided. Thanks for sharing this wonderful article.
You’re welcome, Ken. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Ana,
There are definitely some great ways to make comments stand out…
* USE CAPITALISATION (although this can be seen as shouting so use very sparingly)
* Embolden your text so it stands out
* Underline key points
* Wayne Lambert says to italicise quotes
* * * * * *
I hope you enjoyed the comment.
Wayne
P.S. I don’t think blog comments accept full HTML though like you can create in Kompozer or Dreamweaver. Unless you install something like HTML for comments plugin which I found a bit cumbersome when I tested it on my blog.
You are right, Wayne – it only accepts the basics, but that should still be plenty to stand out since so few commentators ever use it to begin with.
I am all for using as few plugins on blogs as possible – keeping the speed up is more important, IMHO.
Ana | Traffic Generation invites you to read: WPSubscribers Review: How to Get Your Subscription Rates Soar Through the Roof with Facebook Connect
Hi Ana
and something I need to get better at.
After wandering around a few of your posts with your brilliant use of interlinking, kept me within your pages which is very smart,
I thought before I left I would leave you a message to say thankyou very much, I thouroughly enjoyed reading and I managed to pick up quite a few tips, and be reminded of some things I should be doing,
I recently started a new blog and have been amazed at the quick results I have had, wish I had known all the inside tips and tricks when I first started out.
I digress, anyway, you mentioned a few, unknowingly, as I like to keep things simple, I have always used the name LisaAuch no matter where I have signed up, and yes its no 1 google and my twitter profile! But more importantly people have followed me on places like Digg etc, and said hey found you here. It frustrates me when folk say hi to you and they have a different profile user name etc…
I have taken away some great points….
just wondering, as a blogger and like commenting on blogs I find…what about using their keywords in your comment? is this good practice, or just commenting ettiquite?
glad I found this
LisaAuch
Hello Lisa
I agree – it’s easier when a person uses a name (preferably their real name) when commenting and following you. It is a bit silly to change names all the time, because if you want to follow them, you don’t know who they are from one day / site to the next.
To answer your last comment, it’s basically etiquette.
Thankyou ana for your prompt reply to my comments, appreciated.
I look forward to reading more
Lisa
You’re welcome, Lisa!
Hi Ana!
Great post as always! We enjoy reading from you everyday!
I think it’s probably the second time we “hear” you talk about pinging your comments. It sounds easy but when we went to the 2 sites you use, they ask for additional info, like website url, title, category…. what should we write in those fields, about our own website or the one where we are commenting. We googled it but didn’t find any answers. Would appreciate some guidance there.
Thanks so much again for keeping your blog so interesting!!
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You are very welcome!
The only info you really need is URL of your comment and your keyword that comment relates to – that goes in the title field. Don’t worry about categories.
Hope this helps!
Ana | Traffic Generation invites you to read: Improve Google Rankings- First Priority Link
Thanks Ana! We’ll give it a try again.
Tim & Sole | Online & Offline Marketing invites you to read: How To Turn Your Customer Database Into a Living- Responsive Buyer List
Always a pleasure!
Ana | Traffic Generation invites you to read: Blog Commenting Flops- Do These to Lose Traffic and Links
Hey, Ana. I asked this question in another comment, but I think this post answers it; however, I’m not sure.
When you say ping your comments, do you mean the permalink to your actual comment? Or, is it just the post page for the comment you made?
Great strategies, as always. I’d just caveat people to not consistently reply to the first or second comment on a specific blog. Some bloggers don’t like it when you comment squat like this, and they could start marking you as spam.
Hey, Brad – answered the first portion in your other comment.
I do agree about your remark on answering the first comment – needs to be used with caution and when really warranted.
Ana | Traffic Generation invites you to read: Free SEO Report- Much Ado About Nothing
I bet you have seen your name more than ever in the comments on this particular post… it would almost be silly not to do so, sense the post actually calls for it! But getting to the point, I think Roy has an excellent point on comments. I see comments as a way to build upon the blogs content with my own thoughts and opinions, which overall adds to the quality of the post in general. I mean, people read comments just as they do blog posts, so you never know when someone might pick up what you mention in a comment and actually benefit from it. Every blogger should strive to continue adding quality to the end of a blog post… people will only get better for it!
Great post Ana (thought I’d forget, huh?), I really enjoyed it.
Take care,
Chris
Great comment, Chris. Yes, people do read comments too and not only the post.
Ana
Ja, I read this post AND I applied it!
Glad I came across your blog. Great content for a “new” blogger like me. It started as an experiment a month ago and now I’m addicted. Also sparked an idea for a business that may become a NGO…who knows.
Takes some time getting used to all the blogging lingo though. Thank heavens for google.
Tx
Amanda
Welcome to TGC, Amanda!
Blogging can definitely be addictive, I agree with you on that one. Look forward to seeing you flourish in your niche, but meanwhile, look forward to seeing you around here more often.
Ana
Ana, would you mind awfully if my comment just merges into the background
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Glad you found the post helpful,Wayne.
Ana | Traffic Generation Cafe invites you to read: Improve Google Rankings- First Priority Link
That was great tip Ana!
Never thought about the bolding and italic ones, will definitely try it.
Thanks, looking forward for your more tips!
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Well, said. I didn’t enjoy your keyword-laden name though.
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Ana you are a genius, I try and visit your blog everyday to see what new nuggets of information you have posted. Thank you so much for what you do, you have helped me tremendously.
Ian Belanger invites you to read: Network Marketing Online Blueprint Day 2- These Are The Steps You Need To Take In Order To Get Started And Become Successful In Internet Network Marketing
I wish my husband knew that, Ian.
I am enjoying getting to know you from all the comments; keep’em coming!
Ana
Hello Ana,
In reply to Amy’s question regarding learning HTML, another very useful site is http://www.w3schools.com/HTML. I’ve used it a number of times to get out of a jam.
Ana, great blog! James
James Ball invites you to read: Need A Domain Name
Great resource, James, thanks for mentioning it.
Every time a newbie looks at HTML code, they get so intimidated and in the end simply forgo the entire idea of learning of any of it.
However, it’s extremely important to know at least the basics, and guides like the one you mentioned certainly help.
Ana
Great information, as always, Ana!
I hate spam in my inbox and on Twitter. I am digesting your information one bite at a time (kind of like eating an elephant!).
Thanks, Julia – and thanks for stopping by!
Thanks Ana! These are outstanding reminders and I really got a lot out of the Pinging tip.
I’m saving these!
EXPECT Success!
Jackie Ulmer
jackieulmer invites you to read: How Fast Can You Build an Online Business
You are so welcome, Jackie – glad i could help.
Ana
PS by the way, you used @yourkeywords in your name – are those the actual keywords you are optimizing for? I doubt it; you most likely meant to add the actual keywords here.
Thanks Ana! I’ll check out the page to better understand that feature! I’ve seen it before and was never sure!
Jackie Ulmer invites you to read: How Fast Can You Build an Online Business
Of course, Jackie.
Have a great Tuesday!
This comment won’t be anything awe inspiring as i need time to take iny our tipes, but I really enjoyed reading this post on how to comment and there are some great strategies in there which I will need to take some time to learn and practice so that I can leave great comments on interesting posts!
Jayne
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Yes that’s right Jayne, we really need to take time learning and practicing. Using these strategies can definitely help you.
Have a nice day,
Ana
Ana, your points are so poignant! Yes of course my favourite tip is your third one! I have tweeted your post here because the blogging community will be a better place for a universal commenting etiquette! Gracias
De nada.
Glad I gave you an idea!
Ana
Hi Ana,
Great tips as usual. I particularly like the idea about commenting on the 1st or 2nd commenter’s comment. Brilliant!
~Marcus
Marcus Baker invites you to read: Skittle Your way to Success With Your Network Marketing Internet Business
Thanks Marcus. I personally love that idea as well.
Hope to see you again
Ana
Thanks for the great tips, Ana. I thought about replying to somebody else, in case you don’t have any thing to say in comment but I really haven’t thought about replying to first commentator. It’s awesome.
I am not sure about receiving follow up comments via email because it takes lots of time to go through each of them. (I signed up for one post at FamousBloggers I I received like 85 emails a next day). What do you think, Ana?
I sign up for comments when I feel it’s important for me to establish a relationship with that particular blogger.
Alternatively, you can go back and check to see if they posted a response to your comment. A bit more effort, but you’ll keep your email box clean.
I do it a lot with comments and have never been overwhelmed by responses, but I am sure it can happen like it did to you.
Great to see you!
Ana
Hey Ana,
Thanks for sharing these tips. I’ve implemented a few of them myself recently. I used to try and reply to each and every post I ever read – however I often found I spent too much time trying to think of something valuable to add.
Now, I go with my gut. If I feel I can add, I will, otherwise I just tweet.
You mentioned in your call to action about the spam concern. I think if you go overkill on formatting, then you may have your comment binned just for being unsightly. Really there is a fine balance.
I try to be polite, and add something to the post. If I’ve a disagreement with a point, I try to raise it without being provocative.
To finish – you mention about being the first commenter. I think that if you are here, it’s like ranking on page 1 of Google. You will certainly get a few clicks to your blog. Really this is a good point that lends itself to subscribing (via RSS or otherwise) to the blogs that you read. This would maximise your chance of being the first commenter.
Mark Bell invites you to read: Rank on Page 1 of Google – SEO Revenge Review
I am with you, Mark.
Sometimes commenting is harder than blogging and can definitely take a lot of time. I used to try to do the same thing – commenting on everything, but I realized that not everything deserves a comment.
Good point on formatting; everything should have a balance.
Thanks for the insightful comment, Mark!
Ana
Hi Ana, I really like #3 reply to the first Commenter. I never thought of that before but it sounds like a great way to get seen.
Thanks for sharing,
Larry
Larry Rivera invites you to read: Network Marketing Blog- Stop Being A Victim
You’re welcome Larry! I’m very pleased that you like my ideas.
Have a Great day!
Ana
ɹǝɥʇɐǝH
(: ¡ooʇ sʇuǝɯɯoɔ ǝɥʇ uı ʎʇıʌıʇɐǝɹɔ ǝɥʇ pǝʎoɾuǝ I
¡ɐu∀ ‘ʇsod unɟ ɹnoʎ pǝʌo⅂
That’s definitely different, Heather.
Ana
Except for the formatting part, I’m already into those 6 tips and I say you’re very much right about it. I hate it when people post comments on my blog reading ” Nice post, good job. ” – which looks like a spammy, copy and pasted post. I have already deleted a lot. I think they missed the whole point; it’s not all about creating backlinks but connections for future collaboration. Same goes for sploggers, internet trolls, and human bots, haha. Thanks!
Hello Aaron,
Glad to hear that you are already doing most of those tips! Keep it up!
Cheers
Ana
very useful tips here Ana.
most of us spend a lot of time offering valuable comments so it is good to get a little extra notice.
really appreciate your hard work
all the best
Charlie Holles
Charlie Holles invites you to read: Tom ‘Big Al’ Schreiter reveals – pt 2 of 2
Thank you, Charlie and the same to you.
Ana | Traffic Generation Cafe invites you to read: Improve Google Rankings- First Priority Link
Ana, I’m sure to come back and check out your commenting tips again. Good list here. I think if you can also make a comment that contributes further to the content like say another tip that can make ppl notice your comments too and then a threaded comment will soon follow from that, like what you’ve mentioned.
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Hello Bryan
Comment noticed
Ana | Traffic Generation Cafe invites you to read: Improve Google Rankings- First Priority Link
Wow Ana.. I would’ve never thought about pinging my comments.. that’s a great idea. Hmm, how will I make this one stand out?
..
…
…..
..
Thanks for sharing :0)
Hector
Haha! Nice one Hector.
Ana | Traffic Generation Cafe invites you to read: Improve Google Rankings- First Priority Link
Thanks again Ana for some great information. As usual, you highlight some really good strategies that are clear and easy to implement
cheers
Pete
My pleasure, Peter.
Ana | Traffic Generation Cafe invites you to read: Improve Google Rankings- First Priority Link
Hi Ana,
I’m glad I was able to connect on over here now. These are some great tips. I never thought to format your comment like using . That’s a perfect example of how to stand out and create curiosity.
I also like your tip about creating a commenting thread with the first comment. The only thing I don’t know is the plugin best to use to get them to subscribe to the post so they get notified when you post your reply.
Any suggestions?
Jerome Ratliff
Jerome Ratliff invites you to read: 12 Surprising Things That Make Your Blog Popular
Wow Ana!
You really raise the bar with every post…
Love your commenting strategies, I’m not going to employ any here but just want to add my gratitude for the brilliant value you bring to this whole community.
Perhaps I’ll add another tip – though many people do it anyway – leaving space between sentences makes it easier to see and read a comment, much as it does a blog post.
All the best to you … I’m now Tweeting direct from your feed to make sure as many people as possible get to read your stunningly useful posts!
Jym
Jym invites you to read: How To Generate MLM Traffic Online
Well, thank you so much, Jym – I truly enjoy sharing what works.
Your tip about using white space is great; definitely something to keep in mind.
Thanks for the share and I will see you back soon!
Ana
Taht si intresngi utb ti hrust ym esey.
For the record, Ana –
I thought that picture of the massive sore thumb sculpture was a WORM from Dune.
See? Teacher’s pet. Is this what you meant?
Great ideas as usual, Ana.
Thanks, John – that’s what inspired the handle. My original title was GOING to be something like,
I Make More Than You So Buy My eBook but at the time it was taken…
Ah, well.
JamestheJust invites you to read: Article Marketing Beyond The Backlink
Is there room for the third wheel in this conversation?
Loved your mind scramblers, John – I think it takes much more effort to write it that way rather than read it.
@ James – you are a quick learner!
Thanks for stopping by, boys; I had fun butting in.
Ana
I was going to say, “get your own blog!” then…oh, nevermind.
Hi Ana,
thanks for sharing your advice. I haven’t used HTML in comments yet, but what you are saying makes perfect sense. Replying to the first commenter is also a cool.
But you are right with your statement that we have to make sure that our comment is of high quality, especially if we do something “unusual”. Because it might look like a cheap “trick” in this case.
I like Michel’s word picture that your tips are like caffeine for the brain.
Take care
Oliver
Oliver Tausend invites you to read: Lessons From “Think And Grow Rich” – Chapter 2 “Desire”
Substance is always the key, Oliver; you are absolutely right about that.
Thanks for the compliment; I try.
Ana
Ana,
Your blog is fast becoming my most visited!
John makes a great point about text and spelling. As I began reading his post, I though “jeez this guy can’t even spell!”
Couple of things I need to get my head around:
Pinging Comments
– Actually, I don’t really know/understand what this is! Maybe you have more detailed posts on it?
Notifications
- I tend to worry about checking this box for fear of being spammed but maybe I worry to much and should trust a few more folks!
Keeping with your advice, I thought I reply to John’s comments too!
Thanks for a great blog Ana – keep it up!
You made me feel all warm and fuzzy with your compliment, Kevin,
thank you.
I think pinging is definitely worth talking about in a future post; thanks for the suggestion.
As far as “checking the box” is concerned, if you are on a reputable blog, you have nothing to fear. I do it all the time and you can always unsubscribe.
Always a pleasure to see you here!
Ana
Ana, I really like the idea of commenting on the first or second commentor for the posts that have a ton of comments, I hadn’t thought of that one! I also need to use html in my comments, I wasn’t sure if it would work or not so I haven’t tried it yet.
Thanks for another great post!
You are very welcome, Stacy; glad you got some tips out of it.
See you next time.
Ana
Ana
Great Points
Using some bold and html is a strong way to have your comment leap out from the pack. Of course, in THIS group of comments everyone is doing it
Very nice ways to distinguish your comments from the pack, all of those little things can really help to ensure your comment is read, or at least scanned and perhaps increase the chance of someone following to your link.
Steve invites you to read: How to Make Money with Affiliate Marketing
Standing out is definitely the name of the game when it comes down to driving traffic via comments, Steve.
You are right, THIS group of comments is going formatting-crazy and I love it!
Have a great day.
Ana
Hey Ana, I hadn’t really thought about #3 and responding to the first commenter, something new to try! I use italics and bolding quite a bit which gives your content a little personality. It’s a small strategy but it really goes a long way for emphasizing points and being more descriptive.
liz invites you to read: 5 Steps To writing Online Copy Like A Pro
I don’t see much comment formatting, Liz, but you are right, it’s a great way to stand out.
Thanks for the comment!
Ana
Ana, I didn’t realize that I could format my comments using HTML. Do you know if that works on most blogs? I’ve never tried it because I’ve been worried that the tags would show up as text
I love your tip to reply to the 1st commenter too! (As much as I hope everyone reads your blog, I secretly hope that not everyone starts doing this!)
Sherryl Perry invites you to read: Can You Run Pay-Per-Click Ads Without Breaking the Piggy Bank
Hi, Sherryl – yes, you can format your comments like this on ANY blog.
Indeed many people read my blog, but you know what? not many actually implement my tips.
Hope you will.
Ana
Oh God – pressure to leave epic comment mounting…
Ana,
Great post my friend, and one that I cannot agree with more. Blog commenting does incredible things for both traffic and ranking, and ANY tip that one can implement to get noticed amongst the scores of bloggers clamoring for attention can only be a good thing, right?
I have always made sure to make my comments stand out by using either humor, sarcasm, referencing something very specific from the post, – but as you said, I ALWAYS provided value first and foremost.
Thanks for sharing these tips, I personally use the first commentator trick, but I have not thought to add html to highlight it – nice
(except this guy’s facebook page beats mine – and MINE is facebook/alexwhalley AND links to alexwhalley.com a million times…WHAT THE?!?! LOL…SEO man, what can you do 
)
As for the name – I have a unique one, and aside from a professor in the states, I OWN it now
Sorry, went off on a tangent there. (long comments was on the list Alex – allright – giggidy
)
Alex invites you to read: Geez- I wish I knew THAT when I started Blogging!
Alex – you are absolutely right; your comments always stand out no matter what blog you comment on.
I got a comment on Technshare the other day from Johnny – he said that the 2 of us are the best bloggers there and he couldn’t quite decide which one is more fun.
Of course I told him it was me and you would agree given a chance.
Look forward to your next rant.
Ana
Ana,
I love the idea of using HTML tags. I’ve never tried that before.
As a HTML dunce, one way I’m going to try to implement your idea is to type and style my comment in my WP dashboard (but probably more subtly than this)
If you see a bunch of HTML code in this comment, then my idea doesn’t work (or more likely I made a mistake!)
Thanks for sharing!
Sounds like a brilliant idea, Caroline!
HTML code does take a bit of getting used to and eventually it might be more efficient to just learn a few lines of code. Works great for a start though!
Glad you enjoyed this little exercise.
Ana
Hi Ana
Although I have only recently been visiting your blog I am enjoying your style of writing….very easy to understand tips for this newbie to understand and also all the encouragement you give for us to succeed with our blogs.
I have found by frequently visiting some blogs and commenting I am building relationships with those bloggers and becoming part of a great community.
Some useful tips in this post that I have not implemeted yet so will bookmark and try them out. Thanks
Patricia Perth Australia
Bingo, Patricia. Relationships are power in blogging or any online business, and commenting doe a fabulous job building those relationships.
Great to hear you enjoy my writing; simple and practical is what I usually go for.
See you again soon!
Ana
Hey Ana,
These are some great commenting tips you are sharing here.
You are right, commenting on blogs is one of the great ways to drive traffic back to your blog. You can also use this strategy to promote yourself as an expert and authority on a given topic, if you leave intelligent comments, that is
Thanks for sharing.
All the best,
Mavis Nong
P.S. I’m not into leaving looong comments… I prefer straight to the point
Mavis Nong invites you to read: Attraction Marketing Online In The Top 50 MLM Blogs Contest!
Thanks for stopping by, Mavis – and I am with you 100% on the long comments!
Ana
I can definitely attest that those are *great* tips that really work, Ana. I would probably also add that it is best to not just focus on the “A-list” blogs. You can really get your brand out there and get traffic back to your blog, by choosing a group of smaller blogs in your niche to consistently comment on. The key is to add value and make sure your comments are good ones, just like you do with your blog posts.
Very good point, Roy.
I stopped commenting on A-list blogs a while back for that reason. It’s become a competition to get the first comment in and I am not up for that.
Plus, I feel as you probably do that we can get so much more out of building strong relationships with other great bloggers with smaller blogs, but who have some great content to share. Sort of like what you are doing with me.
Always love your feedback, by the way; you are a great example of leaving perfect comments.
Ana
Hi Ana, in fact you are providing useful tips always so i am trying to follow your valuable steps and guide to me am i right on your instructions or not. Please help me for right improvement on my comments.
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