The wrong way
I am constantly amazed how many comments I see like this…
This is a classic example of comment spam. It adds no value to the conversation and the poster has made no effort to participate in a meaningful way.
If you follow the link it goes to a web design agency that is obviously under the impression that this will improve their SEO ranking. It will not.
If we look at the source code of that link you will see why…
As you can see the comments on boagworld (and the vast majority of comment systems) have a no follow instruction in the code. This effectively prevents the poster from gaining any SEO benefits from the link.
Of course, they maybe relying on users clicking the link. However, why would a user do that? The content of the comment does not motivate me in anyway to do so.
The spammer maybe using an automated tool to add the links and hoping that one in a thousand people will click them. Its possible I guess, but I have seen a lot of comments like this that have been obviously written by real people. Also I doubt this would have got past my multi-level spam filter.
If you want to encourage people to click you need to say something to get their attention.
The right way
Good commenting that drives traffic is about two things…
- Quality – Your comments have got to say something of value. You have to add something to the conversation. By being a quality poster, people will start to notice you and respond. It takes real thought and effort.
- Quantity – You cannot just post once and never return. You need to be consistent, by posting on a regular basis. You need to participate in a community on an ongoing basis to have an impact.
I know the names of the people who post quality and quantity on this blog. I respect their opinions and even though I know they are doing so to drive traffic to their own sites, I do not mind. The reason is they add value to my site. It is a transaction if you like. They add valuable content and I send them traffic.
