“Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.”
~ Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors of all times.
Why do you want to blog comment?
Some people do it to gain (more) “back-links”, hoping to influence their Google SERP rankings…
Others are commenting for direct traffic, opt-ins and (brand) exposure. What I noticed after 2 years of prestigious blog commenting though is that none of these folks have a specific strategy that they rigorously follow.
I’ll show you what exactly is a strategy and how to create one next. Hopefully, by the time you finish reading this post, you’ll have a specific “blog commenting” game plan you can follow, based on your desired objective…
How to finally get your comment noticed!
You know the common answer. Aim to be within the first 3 to 5 people leaving a comment, and others will notice it, (and hopefully click on the link) you’ve attached to your name or commentator profile. That will not happen if you’re a one liner fan, or have nothing interesting or valuable to share with the other readers.
***The real comments that get noticed (and traffic) are the ones standing out by LENGTH and VALUE
I and my long time marketing partner (Codrut Turcanu) love writing premium comments. “Competitors” cannot figure out why our strategy works, and theirs falls flat.
So, what does a premium comment mean?
A premium comment is superior to a general comment because it has (extra) “meat” and gives (plus) “value”…
A premium comment is the right (or unexpected) answer to a real, non-verbalized issue, challenge, want or need…
A premium comment shares additional insights and gives solutions on the subject(s) covered within the blog article…
Example:
Check out this link and look out for the 3rd comment. It starts off in the name of
“John @ 109 Sales/Day Affiliate”
You’ll see why that comment stands out. For other notable comments you could find them at contentverve.com or problogger.net.
How to Write Premium Comments
This is the system that works, although sometimes we tend to skip some of these steps, and it shows. I think it’s important not to overlook the tips shared herein, or you risk damaging the whole strategy.
1. Read the entire post from start to bottom (skimming it might not do the trick)
You’re not on a marathon. Take your time. The mind needs to be fresh and focused on the article. What you read and consume, helps you share, and write (input equals output).
2. Jot down things that were not explained in great detail, or were overlooked
Use pen and paper, or write in a word document.
3. Notice any pertinent questions that rise from other commentators
Write these down. They could be gold nuggets for your comment.
4. Start writing your comment based on your findings
Make your answers come from personal experience with the topic, or gather some data from others; quotes, case studies and anecdotes help make your comment visible and unique.
5. Review, edit and then publish your comment
Once you go through this procedure, your blog commenting approach will leave competitors in plain dust, no doubt about that. Most of them don’t have the time nor the patience or skills to go through all these steps and write something lengthy and value-driven; they’d rather leave 2 or 3 short sentences, at most!
One of my favorite blog commentators is Patrick Meninga, who writes for the Freedom blogger.
His strategy is a bit different and I have yet to see somebody else talk about it. Let me explain.
He crafts mega comments to get on the radar of large blogs in his industry. Patrick’s sole intention with this method is to land guest post opportunities on major sites. His drive is to provide so much value, and in fact - his comments look like mini articles in themselves, that the blog author will find it hard to reject his guest posting ideas.
If you think about it, most guest post contributors are doing it the other way around (that’s how they’ve been taught to) – they write the article, or scribble some content ideas, and then contact the blog author either with the full article for approval, or an outline.
While this technique works, it’s not ideal, as you’d have to introduce yourself, share your guest posting portfolio, and go back and forth with the blogger you aim to write for.
What Patrick does is smart, time saving and has a high rate of success. He doesn’t have to introduce himself, nor prove his writing style – the mega comments he’s leaving on these large blogs will act as the best PROOF possible.
This doesn’t mean he won’t have to pitch article ideas, but at least, he figured out how to attract the attention of pro bloggers, faster and better than anyone else – which will get far more articles approved than before. Dealing with the top authority bloggers proves to be a major advantage if you think of the added traffic, exposure and leads this method could bring us.
The Patrick Meninga Formula for Blog Commenting
“So the “mega comment” approach is two parts. One, you want to get in there quick so that you are more noticed. Two, you want to leave a LONG comment so that you are more noticed.
Trust me, if it is a good quality comment and it is over 500 words long, you will get noticed! Bloggers love to see that pop up in their discussion.
And third of all, it has to be ultra high quality. In fact, you may want to bide your time and wait for the perfect topic before you leave your mega comment.
Don’t just give them a boring wall of text, you have to WOW them with your knowledge and insight. If you cannot do that, then don’t comment. Wait for your perfect subject.” ~ Patrick Meninga.
VALUE is the King!
A lengthy comment packing value will always stand out, regardless if it lands in the top 5 comments, or at the bottom. Don’t get me wrong, there’s an advantage of ranking amongst the first commentators: more eye balls will see your name.
However, when you’re starting to compete for ranking, the quality of your comments will show, upfront. And you’ll be losing credibility. Plus, less people will click on your link.
The question is: do you aim for quality comments that are meaty and value-driven, or rapid clicks?
With the first approach, you increase the chance to attract premium traffic and land on major blogs for guest posting opportunities. With the second method, you increase your chance to gain superficial visitors that lead to lower conversion.
Send all your questions or comments below. I’ll keep an eye for yours!
John Gibb is a top super affiliate in the health industry and guest posting specialist.Download his free super affiliate handbook: “The Road to Success” ($197 VALUE) and learn the free methods he used to generate 109 sales in a single day.
Hey John,
Thanks for the share, now I got a new way to enhance my blog with blog commenting.
Blog commenting is no more just a way to build links, now it`s a medium to interact and build network.
Wait, wait, blog comments (the way you`re doing) can also help to get leads.
Thats awesome John.
With a simple and free blog comment we can get leads.
Thanks for the share.
~@Khajamoin1
Absolutely agree, Khaja. The blog comments is just only link build strategy increase PR ranking but the blog comments could make an active community and increase more online reputation. Thus, it will lead to the positive and success. I love comments but hat the spam.
John Gibb says
hey Khaja
I want to thank you for sharing your feedback, and I hope you got some value out of today’s article…
You’ve said:
“With a simple and free blog comment we can get leads.”
Yes, you can get leads, and more, but the real secret is that these comments aren’t simple. I mean, it takes about 15 minutes for me to read the post (I’ve said read, not just skim, as most individuals do) and write a “meaty” comment…
Lengthy comments are the way to go in 2013 and beyond, don’t you think?
Saidur Rahman says
Dear John, your article is awesome and informative about the strategies of blog commenting and its necessity . From the long before i would never follow the regulation of blog commenting because i would not know how to do that. your idea and techniques have been very much useful to me . Thanks for sharing me here .
Hi John
I clicked on this post because of the quote from Edison. I really like that quote. I use commenting as a bit of a win win hopefully. Normally in the mornings I research a couple of points that are going to help me through out the day so I gain some knowledge. Then make a couple of comments on posts so hopefully that helps my site with links and try to put as good as a comment as possible so you build trust with the sites you use regularly as you are trusting that the information is correct that you are taking from the post. Hopefully they will trust your commenting is of a standard that adds to the blog and not makes it look like it is a place where people can go and put spammy comments.
Great quote great info lee
Samfrank says
Great tips on the issue. It is a good plan but there are many external or unknown factors also which contribute largely to traffic and visitors. Let us be comfortable with whatever we do.
John Gibb says
Thanks for the feedback guys. People always assume comments are just for link building, but you can get daily quality leads if you turn your commment efforts in to a system. However, the number one rule is ALWAYS provide value to the readers of the blogs. That way, the readers win - the blog owner wins, and you win… Food for thought.
I think commenting is all but critical if you truly want to get to know your audience as well as other bloggers. I have “met” far more people in comment conversations than I ever thought I would, and it always helps to see the point of view of other people. Spending the time to write any given post, it is interesting to see what people have to say about your words. It often gives you food for thought, if not material for future posts.
John Gibb says
Right Evan!
The more comments you post, the more people you get to know…and overtime, your “circle” of influence will grow. So your knowledge and profits!
I love the interaction aspect of commenting… I mean, within minutes after submitting your article, you get instant feedback… you get to hear from real people what they like about your topic, what they don’t like… what you’ve been missing, and many other gold nuggets… priceless!
I see you have a WP related site yourself… how does it work for you? Doing fine sales with product reviews?
Mary Lucas says
I also clicked on this link because of the Edison quote. One thing I like to do is to set aside some time everyday for blog comments for several reasons:
1) It takes time and focus to write a memorable blog comment that will be approved.
2) It means that I have committed this time and I will most likely stick to making these comments.
3) I realize that it is not a race and to be successful means to be consistent and have patience.
I also try to keep my commenting down to a maximum of 5 per day so that I am adding value by creating fresh well thought out entries. More likely, I will create 2 comments per day. This formula along with several of the points mentioned by John in his article have proven to be successful for me. Thanks for the article!
Hello Mary,
You shared a great system for achieving good blog commenting results that can be used as an alternate system in addition to the one outlined in Johns article. I also believe that if you work on creating a system that works for you and provides win/win results then your success, in what ever you are doing is inevitable.
John Gibb says
hi Mary,
Nice to meet you here on Jane’s blog.
I appreciate when bloggers invest quality time with their content, so I’ll tell you upfront…
I simply love your list of 500+ high PR do follow blogs… it shows you’re really devoting time to research the information and help your readers. Congrats!
Also, I like how you’ve added most of the links in PDF format, so that users can quick access them at anytime. It also saves the trouble for long scrolling. Smart!
Regarding your commenting approach I have to tell you that’s also something which I do. I set aside one or two hours a day and invest 15 minutes per comment. It’s not a race, so I have enough time to think before I write.
Next time you know, and you have a hot comment. Maybe even add an inspiring quote, and it’ll be well remembered!
Priya N says
Thanks Jane for showing me a new way to comment on other blogs & you have probably named it as “premium comment”. Comments are really one of the best way to get noticed in blogosphere provided you have great content on your blog.
Your comment must start a conversation with other commentators in order to divert their focus on your blog.
Such a great yet interesting post. Thank you very much for sharing this helpful stuff.
If you don’t have something interesting an valuable to share with others your comment will not be noticed.The real comments that get noticed (and traffic) are the ones standing out by LENGTH and VALUE.
This is really a great procedure.The more our comments are vaulable and unique, the more they will find success.COMMENTING is no longer a way of talking arbitrary .We need to be more aware of the improtance of our real opionions and ideas.
A very outstanding post Jane and John,
I agree with all you said here indeed. Blog commenting can really create a very big attention between the blog owner and the commenter, but this can only be achieved when you left a very valuable comment.
Just as you said, its always good to have a purpose you want to achieve with the comments but, most bloggers always forget to do that, this is why you will be seeing comments like… Nice Post, thanks for sharing.
I also agree to the point of reading the entire post before commenting. This is another mistake many bloggers are very fond of, you will see someone leaving a comment that is not in anyway related to the topic being covered on the post.
I’m sure there is a room for changes John.
Thanks for sharing.
John Gibb says
hi Theo
you’re right… “one sentence” comments are dumb, funny or simply said, spammy? some folks are using “automated” tools, that’s why their “comments” are not related to the discussed article.
we could probably write a super lengthy post… something like:
“101 blog commenting mistakes to avoid”
and still have things left to say, don’t you think?…
Rajkumar Jonnala says
thanks for posting this informative article with us.great suggestions and tips keep going
Efoghor Joseph Ezie says
John, This article is no doubt, one of the best I have read in recent time. When it comes to blog commenting, a lot of us are in a hurry to leave what we believe is a useful comment. But your points say otherwise.
The problem some of the bloggers have with making quality comments on blogs is that they set a target for the day. For example, some decide to leave comments on let’s say 20 blogs; and yet they have other things to accomplish as well. For this reason, they are always in a haste to get things done.
However, before dropping your own comment, you should take the time to:
1. See what others have said and then think of what different points to make that would add better quality or enhance what has been said.
2. Be sure you are not repeating what has been said by others. Nobody would read your comment if it the replica of what one or two persons have already written.
3. Be sure you are crafting your comment to get human attention and not for the bots. Humans are objective when it comes to reading, understanding and responding to your comments.
4. Read and be sure your comments are free from typos or grammatical blunders. These would do nothing but reduce your worth in the eyes of whosoever reads your comments.
John Gibb says
hi Efo,
thank you for the quick tips!
It’s good to know some of these folks at least have a concrete target (e.g. 20 comments a day or whatever) — they’re one step ahead the ones who blog comment at random, with no goals whatsoever.
If they spend 10-15 minutes per comment, their output should be nothing but quality, so that’s 3-4 hours of smart investment, don’t you think?
I know, I know… most of the folks we’re talking about are expecting to spend just two or three minutes per comment. I don’t blame them. Nobody taught them the right way to blog comment, and how much to spend per each comment.
Hope with this article here, and all these fine comments, they’ll see the light… and enhance their approach.
I never knew blog commenting has a formula… 😀 wow how cool can that get? Well before i make a comment, i always do read the post and if find interesting, i leave a comment saying kudos but if the post is twisted, i’ll definitely leave a question behind to know more on the topic. and thats what i do. thanks
Good pointers here but I found difficult to write long comments even I read the full post and understood the things. If I write just 3-4 lines in the comment, does it mean that I haven’t read the post?
I agree with your points though. If you are adding value to the post by writing a descriptive comment then there are more chances to get noticed by others. Thanks, nice write up!
John Gibb says
Atish
if you write shorter comments, 3-4 lines as you say, that’s OK. It doesn’t mean a lengthy comment reflects you’ve read the post from A to Z either!
your approach should not demonstrate you master the topic, but add value, and maybe inspire readers to further consume the topic — or enhance their skill — or look at something from a different perspective
with a short comment you could add a quote, some links of interest, and leave a (smart) question at the bottom… it’ll take discussion further, and get you noticed for sure…
if you don’t find any ideas for your comment, then you might want to re-read the post, or, read the comments of others, some ideas might spark from there, you never know
Hello John,
I love writing comments for other reasons than getting traffic. I have met awesome, like-minded individuals by reading just the comments on my favorite blogs. Long gone are the days of the shady spammers writing lifeless comments to try to get a boost.
I hope you have a fun filled weekend!
Many Blessings,
Stacie Walker
John Gibb says
hi Stacie,
thank you for sharing your blog commenting experience… it looks like your approach is a natural way of connecting with like-minded men and women
if you’re interested in “authentic connections”, you might want to read these interviews - authenticsocialmediablog.com/ac/
hope others will get some value of the tips shared inside.
P.S. I like how you link to your “write for us” page in the “website” field. Rarely anyone else is doing it. I wonder, how effective is this “linking” method for you so far? Maybe you could share some thoughts on that… we’d appreciate, that’s for sure…
Aditya says
Hey John,
To start off with, the idea of a premium comment intrigues me, never heard of 1 in the first place and the best part is it’s gonna work always irrespective of SEO, SMO and what not.
Secondly, I do follow most of your points, I read the post fully, If I don’t I save it to the Pocket app and read it later but I make sure that I read it fully.
I must admit I’m quite lazy to actually open a word document and jot down what exactly I want to say but I try to remember the important points and the questions you ask and try to make sure everything’s there in my comment when I hit the submit button.
Patrick’s idea of a mega comment seems interesting. I’ve had my own share of mega comments and trust me they always worked. I got noticed almost every time and I received several mentions from other commentators of the same post.
A very unique and effective idea this, thanks for sharing!
Thanks to Jane as well for letting you post here!
Aditya
John Gibb says
hey Aditya
I’m glad you found the article helpful and got something out of it. That’s why I focus on sharing practical information and links of interest nowadays more than ever.
I truly believe bloggers and content marketers have both the responsibility and opportunity to teach their communities and circles how to achieve results or solve problems better or faster than before. That’s the key with blog commenting as well.
I wonder how does Pocket app work for you, is that on iPhone?
John Gibb says
Hi guys,
thanks so much for all the wonderful feedback for my article. If you notice what I am doing here, I also try to reply to some of the comments when I guest post too. Not only does this show I am real, but it shows I care about everyone who reads my articles. Not just someone who may sign up to my newsletter, but anyone who took the time to read my work regardless.
I am also building up my reputation and brand in the process. Your name alone can sell once you are out there with quality on enough places online.
I am glad you all got some value from this article. Now I need to get back to work and getting some more quality content posted!
Big thansk to Jane for posting my work here. Keep up the great work you are doing, your blog is fantastic - credit to you!
Jacob says
Thanks for sharing your insights from your experience. You’re inspiring me to try my hand at some new things for my business … and I’m already in the throes of thinking seriously about “jetting off” in a differentiating direction – so you’ve given me a little validation there as well.
John Gibb says
hi Jacob,
thank you for the nice words, and I’m glad you found the article inspirational and motivational. Comments like yours make my day and stir me in the right direction to continue producing hot content.
Best!
Hey,
Thanks for sharing this information with us.You have shared a great article with us.
Regards,
Jannie Taylor
Avnish Gautam says
Adding some value in your comments will definitely give you some more by commenting on other blogs. I always try to give some more advice related to the topic of the posts to get some more return from my comments. Thanks.
Jignesh Rathod says
Most people don’t get purpose of commenting. It is NOT about getting attention and link-building but it is adding some more value to the post, and it is contributing to the community. One more thing John, I love your style of writing.. interesting and cannot stop reading to the end. Keep it up!
Joel says
Hey John I am really impressed by the way you have mentioned the details about commenting.People really don’t care about adding value while commenting on other blogs.They rather comment for the sole purpose of building backlinks and getting referral traffic.In fact Blog Commenting should be taken seriously.Keep up the good work John
John Gibb says
hey Joel,
thank you for your nice thoughts!
I’m glad you’ve found the article useful, hope you’ll take full advantage of the tips shared herein, so you’ll blog comment like never before
Blog commenting should be taken more than seriously. For some people, they’re the core basis of their business. Think about it. It’s all about how you perceive this strategy - it’s a hit and miss (read, spammy) method, or a true relationship building technique.
Cheers!
John Gibb says
Thanks Jingesh,
You are spot on. The comments help compliment the article… If you do this in enough places, eventually you brand your self too. I already did this in the health niche on multiple sub topics, but now I can do it for the AM/IM Niche since I am only applying what I teach and do myself.
Plus, you get to meet some cool people and connect with other people that can benefit you in ways you would not have even thought of before. For instance, one article I wrote recently led me to a guy with a popular blog (who enjoyed my article so much), that he wanted me to write an article for his readers too! The Relationships you develop are KEY and come from your articles and your COMMENTS.
Bradley Johnson says
Blog commenting can be a great way to get noticed not only by the blog owner and also by other readers. However to achieve this you must have something that stands out in length and quality but I believe quality is much more important because it makes you shine and gain a fan base who will always be looking for your insight about the article.
However I a little against over lengthily comments because they might tend to go out of topic. I mean you are contributing to the topic that has already been discussed so writing a lengthy article might a portray a different message from the one intended by the writer. Thing is there is nothing much else to be discussed outside what has been discussed and some writers may not be that happy with your comments if it seems to devalue what they have shared. It’s not good to outshine the writer.
John Gibb says
hi Bradley,
nice meeting you!
you’re right, people should be very careful with their comments… outshining the author of the article is not recommended… yet,portraying a different message might be interesting… as some, if not most of blog authors require different feedback and unique points of view. That’s the whole trick with commenting, but I do get your point!
Keep up the great work, and comment more often here @ Jane’s site. She’s an awesome content producer!
This is really so informative post. Mostly people do not know about it. This is a good job. Thanks for share this.
thanks for sharing your enlightenment views on Blog comments so many of us sometime in a hurry or for gaining a link does not post relative,appreciate the topic …comment posting is just not for gaining links its a chaining of message which sometime provide a way of learning,problem solving or deducing an innovative idea
Leon says
A good post and I agree with everything that is said. Hard to weed out comments that are just left for backlinks and the ones from people that actually do read the articles and comments. Thanks for this!
John Gibb says
hey Leon,
I’d say it’s not hard at all to separate “spammy” comments from genuine feedback if you know what to look out for.
Usually, one line comments or thin feedback that add nothing more to the discussion other than “thanks and props” are made by people who don’t care about value sharing but back-link gains.
The real meaty comments are usually coming from people who do care about their circle of influence (as well as new communities) and are here to stick, support and motivate others who once were starting from scratch, as everybody else. Don’t you think?
Wow great post really i am to read it and this is the example of great article.
Thanks for sharing .
Sudipto says
Hey John,
Nice article and Yes, blog commenting is the best way to make links with other blogger and it also helps to drive traffic to our blog and also helps to get PR. I really like the point of commenting in starting. Thanks for sharing this post.
I always write my comments based on my personal experience on a matter. Commenting is also like blogging wherein you share your personal thoughts on the post.
Tim Shirley says
Hey John,
I really enjoyed reading about your approach to blog commenting. I also see in the above comments that quite a few people are already trying to implement your advice
So I will just leave you with this:
“Take the time to make some sense for what you wanna say,
And cast your words away upon the waves.
Sail them home with acquiesce on a ship of hope today,
And as they land upon the shore,
Tell them not to fear no more.
I’m not saying right is wrong,
It’s up to us to make the best of all the things that come our way.
Cos’ everything that’s been has past,
The answers in the looking glass.
There’s four and twenty million doors
On life’s endless corridor,
So say it loud and sing it proud today.”
― Noel Gallagher
John Gibb says
hey Tim,
thank you for stopping by, and for the nice poem.
I’m glad you enjoyed the article, and I’m sure you’ve found it useful as well.
I wonder what’s your experience with blogging (I see you have a self-help site) and blog commenting; maybe you could share some tips or experiments you’ve done along the way, so Jane’s community can benefit from.
Thank you!
Valuable post. Thanks very much John. I would never have thought that long comments would have that effect. In fact, I would have wrongly assumed the opposite!
I also second the advice about proofreading comments before hitting submit. I’m often amazed at how many people do not take 30 seconds to do this. (A golden rule of my own.) Makes for poor reading and adds little value.
Well, commenting on a post about commenting did bring a wry smile to my face but a great topic, thanks again.
cheers
John Gibb says
Thank you Jamie,
Appreciate your input, and glad to connect with you
I see you have a health related blog… I’d love to know how do you promote that, how do you drive traffic… are you using blog commenting and guest posts as I am doing with my sites?
Hey,
This is really an awesome description about commenting. I have seen many one liners which as an Admin won’t entertain. As a Site admin we look for comments which adds value to your blog. Many a blogger go for link building and they just end up saying good article, good stuff etc. which ends in ignoring their comments thus the time they put in on searching the relevant blog will go all waste.
I would prefer to add comments which adds more value to the blog as well as the visitors in there.
Thanks for sharing this!!!
I would say that we should post relevant blog comments every time since this strategy is considered one of the best ways to build external links to your website. This article will serve as an eye opener for those who are into link building to post comments that have sense rather than talking useless things. If you cannot add good post that is beneficial to other readers and to the website your comment might be considered as spam.
Commenting is one one of the things that becomes popular.Commenting is a way to show up our information, ideas, and thoughts.This is really great post.Thank you for sharing it!
The task of commenting is not easy.It is based on good reading and good way of writing!!!
It is necessary !!
“Five percent of the people think; ten percent of the people think they think; and the other eighty-five percent would rather die than think.” This is great quote, really.It is interesting and useful!!
Commenting is one of the important things.It is very necessary to write and comment the way it should be done.So, the more your comment is good and organized the more you will get good results.
yogesh pant says
Hi john,
yes you are very true in stating that many of the bloggers do the commenting only to have some backlinks made for their website. You have devised an idea of the premium comments and I personally found it a very innovative one. But what method you had given seems to be very difficult to deploy as there are many of the informative posts out there and we have to go through them all to be updated. During this process, we have to skim an article’s portion and we might not find the time to jot down the important points and then rewrite the comment to remove any of the error!