5 Ways To Increase Blog Comments

 242 Comments on 5 Ways To Increase Blog Comments 0 7885

Sample of wordpress dashboard - commentsUntil comments begin to show up, new bloggers often feel like they’re in an echo chamber – talking to themselves.

For some blogs, it can take months before someone comments. For others, a matter of days.

It’s when we feel what we’re sharing isn’t being read, we think of giving up.

After all, blogging is supposed to be interactive.

Today’s Lesson

I feel fortunate that I receive the amount of comments I do. Comments inspire me to continue on. Comments inspire new posts. And via comments I get to meet other bloggers.

But it wasn’t always that way. My audience (or lack thereof) remained silent for quite some time.

I’d publish posts, but no one seemed to care.

But I didn’t give up.

What worked for me were five things.

    1. I visited other blogs and left comments.

Not every blogger reciprocated with comments on my blog, but some did, as did some of their readers. HINT: Comment on new or smaller blogs. Generally, A-list bloggers do not reciprocate comments.

    1. I linked to other blogs, but I did it a little different.

I set up a series which I named, “New Blog Of The Week” (NBOTW) and hunted for new bloggers (usually under four months old). I used Tuesday as my NBOTW day and would write a post showcasing their blog, including excerpts from three of their posts/pages and included links to them.

This was a slow process, but over time, I began to build my readership, as well as my blog community.

I’ve discontinued this series, however, the list of 90 blogs remains here.

    1. Another important aspect to receiving comments, ASK questions.

Even if you feel your post is complete, it doesn’t hurt to ask your readers, “Did I forget anything?’, “What are your thoughts on this topic?”, or ____fill in the blank___.

Give readers a reason to comment.

    1. I answered the comments I received.

Although I occasionally miss comments which show up on older posts, my goal is answer all comments I receive on this blog.

Unfortunately, due to the amount of spam I receive, I closed the comments on posts older than 90 days.

    1. I asked a comment expert for additional advice.

Liz Strauss, of Successful and Outstanding Bloggers is known for the huge amount of comments she has received over the years so naturally she was the one I approached for advice.

In a two part interview, I asked Liz, How to Maximize Blog Comments and How To Get Readers To Join Your Community.

The information Liz shared is priceless.

For some bloggers, comments aren’t important, but for others, they become the real reason to continue on.

Today’s Assignment

What technique(s) do/did you use to entice your readers to comment?

Care to share?

 

242 thoughts on “5 Ways To Increase Blog Comments”

  1. It must be kismet that I’m reading this now, Barbara. You make some excellent suggestions there, suggestions that I plan to follow now that I’m beginning all over again!

    I’m so pleased to see that your blog is still going strong. What a valuable resource! And I hope you and yours have been well too! 🙂

    1. Hi Tony,

      It’s great to see you here again and to hear you’re back in the blogosphere. What you’re doing shows other bloggers it’s okay to quit. With the blogging experience under our belt, it makes it all that much easier if and when we come back.

      I’m looking forward to reading your posts and seeing your cartoon creations. 🙂

  2. Visit 200 blogs every day, and leave a comment on each one. Repeat this indefinitely.

    I guarantee, this will work. 🙂

    2. Haha! Good advice, Friar, but I don’t know a single person who could do that! Unless you are a bot :D. 200 comments every day? Gosh!

      @Barbara Great post, thank you for the advices, I have been thinking of starting a linky for a while, let’s see if I come up with some good ideas.

    3. Repeat it indefinitely? you must be kidding.As ms.Barbara rightly said first thing we are gonna achieve is burnout for sure.Again it depends on the quality of comments isn’t you may easily get spammed by the owners this days.

  3. Hi Barb! So many of the blogs I used to visit and comment on regularly have left the blogosphere, as have the comments those people would sometimes make on mine. I confess I’ve not been going out there looking to replace them. I’ve found a few new blogs, but frankly I don’t have a lot of time to sift thru directories.

    Had to chuckle at Friar (above) who said to visit 200 blogs a day! OMG, I’d go nuts! And not have a life to boot.

    I love getting comments, and I do answer them. You taught me that 🙂 I’m currently visiting a few blogs regularly, leaving comments they enjoy but no reciprocating going on so I may bail.

    I have a blog about the Poop on Poop this week. We’ll see how many brave souls comments, LOL!
    Hugs
    Susan

    1. Hi Susan,

      I hear you. There aren’t a lot of bloggers left from those early days, so in some ways, it makes the bond between us old timers even tighter.

      I came by and read and commented on your poop post. Great topic!

  4. Hi Barbara,
    this is true, it feels so lonely to blog when no one by Xrumer leaves comments 🙂

    The best thing I lid was implementing Like button – all of a sudden, I saw that my page was liked 88 times! Then, I have put it on the top of the post and asked my visitors to leave their comments about my recipes to help others. And they did!

    1. Hi Olga,

      That’s a great idea – adding the like button and asking your readers for their opinions about your recipes. I think most people like to share their opinions, but we also need to let them know we’re willing to hear them.

  5. Barbara, first of all I love the fountain pen and spiral notebook theme of your blog. Yours is a very user friendly blog and invites comments – therefore, you get them.

    As for getting more comments I have wondered why bloggers don’t routinely close their comments on other people’s blogs with their blog’s name and URL if their blog doesn’t have the Comment Luv feature.

    WCHS, MPHS and Park College…Diary Writing 1960-1965

    http://parkcollege1961-1965.blogspot.com/

    1. Thank you for your kind words Barbara,

      Interesting you should mention that – about adding our blog URL to a comment. When I first started commenting, I thought “how will someone know where to find me if I don’t leave a link to my blog?” (which some say is spammy). I quickly learned how our name (in the comment box) ends up linking back to our blog and by clicking on our name, others can find us. (When we provide our name, email and URL, blogs automatically create a link) Pretty neat, hey?

      Personally, I don’t mind when bloggers leave links in their comments. Although it usually ends up in the spam folder (because of the additional link), I can usually catch them.

  6. Good words and encouraging words Barbara, I still do not get many comments on my main blogs but the sign ups on my services blog Wise Ears are very slow and I am not asking for comments there…I need referrals to keep my business going.

    Networking…is good….I do read lots and lots of blogs per week and those folks that are peppy and enthusiastic seem to get the most rewards in comments on their blogs…

    I am being advised by some of the pros to pay for SEO keywords and marketing…so far that is out of my price range, but I keep working at it

    Nice to have the power back 🙂

    1. Thank you Patricia,

      I’m happy to hear you got your power back, too. That was quite the storm you got.

      That’s a tough one – how to get referrals for your business. I’d say, just keep at it. From what I’ve seen, a lot of online businesses are slow to take off, but once they do, via word of mouth, they then expand quickly.

      I understand your hesitation in not wanting to pay for marketing. It could result in a hefty expense with no way of knowing you’ll have guaranteed results.

  7. > Method #1 I visited other blogs and left comments.

    This one worked well to get visitors but not necessarily comments. Having visitors is just as good as far as I am concerned, it means my posts are getting read, or at least looked at.

    1. Hi Rick,

      That’s true. Not everyone who visits us will leave a comment. In some cases we might post something they have time to read, but don’t have time to comment, whereas other times visitors may be popping in to see what we’re up to.

  8. Great stuff and thank you for your tips, very helpful indeed in making great stuff on blogs.

  9. If someone has taken the time to leave a comment, I want to respond. Thank you for linking your questions to Liz Stauss – her answers are invaluable.

    I hope that I’m able to engage with readers as though we’re having a cup of tea together.

    And Barbara…I’ve been impressed with the easiness with you respond to comments. I noticed it from the first time I discovered this blog. You are respectful & sincere, you show that you have read the comment and you share aspects of yourself.

    1. Hi Amy,

      Yes. Liz is one smart woman.

      I like your analogy – respond to comments just as we would if we were visiting over a cup of coffee.

      Thank you for your kind words. As for comments, I love receiving them and knowing someone took the time to read my post and leave a comment inspires me to make the time to reply to them individually. Answering comments is one of my favorite aspects of blogging. 🙂

  10. Great information! I agree and like all your ideas. Personally i feel listening to their opinions and leaving a reply makes commenters feel good about your blog and business. This builds a good online community and will increase comments on your blog.

    1. Thank you Henry,

      You’re right. When we answer our comments, it helps to build community. Not only do we make more online friends in the process, but they (and we) are more apt to return to read (and comment) more.

  11. I visit other’s blogs and also comment there. and also making my posts questioning but still less no of comments. Now I will try to apply your tricks on my blog. and tell you the results later. Lets see what happens. I hope that the results will be positive.

    1. Hi Fashion Update,

      I was just on your blog and I do think by asking your readers to share their thoughts, it might help to inspire them to leave a reply. I think anytime we share a lot of photos, our visitors have a tendency to come by and just look at those. If they’re prompted to share their thoughts, it could help to build a comment base as well as a community of like minded people.

      Let me know how it works. 🙂

  12. I like the tips you’ve included here, I know of bloggers who dont look kindly upon comments as they simply see it as spam. I personally like recieving comments as I see them as an oppertunity of interact with my readers and get their thoughts.

    1. Hi Jason,

      True. Some comments are spammy, but those are usually pretty easy to spot.

      Like you, I also believe comments give us the opportunity to interact with our readers. Not only do we get to hear their thoughts, but can gain more inspiration from them, as well.

  14. As you know, I decided a few months ago that negative comments were something I wasn’t willing to deal with anymore, so closed comments on all my blogs. The amount of time and energy that was going towards “comments management” was too much – and I was freed by letting go of comments.

    1. Hi Vered,

      I’m happy you stopped by and shared why you closed comments. Although many bloggers would love to receive more comments, the one thing many aren’t prepared for are the personal attacks which can take place. Even though it’s easy to mark them as spam, it doesn’t take the sting out of the hurtful words.

  15. I think about asking questions to get comments, but I feel like it would make my blog look unpopular if no one commented. Also, I know that CommentLuv helps increase comments. I’ve been thinking of getting that.

    1. Hi Khleo,

      That’s the risk we take – if we ask a question and no one responds. Actually, for some bloggers, not seeing any comments on a blog is what motivates them to leave one. It’s a catch-22.

      Yes. CommentLuv can be very beneficial considering how both the blog author and those who comment can gain more attention.

  16. Very interesting way to other blogs using NBOTW technique. I actually never thought of that. We have a blog about property management software and are not seeing a lot of activity on it. This technique, even though slow to implement, might just give us the tools we need. Thank you so much for sharing this info.

    1. You’re welcome Property Management Software,

      I agree. Any blogger could benefit from using a “system” similar to what I did when I had my New Blog of the Week series. All you’d have to do is find other bloggers in your niche, link to them and grow your community.

  17. regularly answering your readers comments is great way to build readership… and will surely bring more comments on your blog…

    1. Hi Vishal,

      You’re right. When we answer comments it shows our readers we appreciate hearing their thoughts/opinions. If a blogger consistently comments on a blog and the blog author never acknowledges them, soon we could feel they just don’t care.

  18. Hello Barbara! I have my blog and I can relate to this post. I haven’t received a lot of comments. Sometimes, I don’t receive comments unlike you. However, I don’t feel so bad because I still find it overwhelming just to know that there are people out there who can read my posts even if they don’t often leave comments.

    1. Hi Marina,

      I hear you. When we first start blogging is can feel intimidating knowing other people are reading, and possibly benefiting from or sharing what we wrote.

  19. I understand the time rush with little people!

    I didn’t understand the problem until my blog started getting hit with comment spam. Once those spammers found me, it was a deluge. I had no idea of the problem before then. I have a WordPress blog, and I decided to add first time commentor moderation at that point. As I said somewhere in these replies, I have a hard time with the word verification, so I’m glad my WordPress blog gives me a different strategy for dealing with the comment spammers.

    Everyone finds their own solution. That’s part of the joy of having your own site and getting to decide what you do. If the comment spammers do find you, you may never think it’s worth adding word verification. That’s totally cool.

  20. To build a community around your blog, you need a thick skin to protect you from people who don’t agree with you. But it goes even deeper than that. You need to welcome divergent opinions. You need to appreciate that everyone has a unique life experience that leads him or her to different conclusions. Just because someone disagrees with you doesn’t mean that anyone is wrong or right. It just means you have different opinions.

    1. Hi Corporate Gifts,

      Spam can be a real pain. And time consuming, too, but it’s the real comments that makes sorting through that spam which makes it all worthwhile, hey?

      I’m glad you brought that up about differing opinions. If we ask for comments, we need to expect to see some readers who disagree with what we’ve written. As you said, it doesn’t mean one person is right and the other is wrong.

      That said, if we find a post we disagree with, we need to remind ourselves to explain why we disagree, but not attack the blog author.

  21. I think creating good content is one of the best approaches to get people commenting. A well written blog post like the one above that gives useful advice will attract comments in itself. There will be no need to link to blogs hoping that they reciprocate or calling for visitors through social media. Content is key. Write interesting content and the comments will come.

  22. Haha I agree. Great post on a topic that is pretty frustrating for a lot of people.
    Comments are sometimes more important to new bloggers than visitors or sales! I have had some clients who told me they just want to feel validated by getting a few comments on their blog!
    Your tips for getting comments are good ones and will lead to success.

    1. Thank you Amrik,

      Validation is something many bloggers want and comments are one of the few ways of getting it. Unfortunately if we don’t work at getting comments, we could be blogging for a long time before visitors begin to share their thoughts.

  23. I have most spam comments so I never check any comments as every comment had link in that. I am thinking to use comluv plugin to get comments, but does this will harm to my website? I want to hear from you as you are using comluv.
    If i get comments then automatically real people too comment on that. I will wait for your answer before doing anything.

    1. Hi Endlasureh,

      Almost every comment will have a link in it since when we ask for comments, we’re also asking for their URL (if they have one). It then becomes a matter of reading the comments and determining which ones are spam and which ones are for real.

      A good spam blocker helps to sort them out. I use Akismet and GASP. (plugins for WordPress)

      I love CommentLuv. I’ve used it for years and have never had a problem with it.

      I hope this helps. 🙂

      1. If you don’t have problems with it then I would also use it. I have commented on comluv site for some time ago and they removed comments later or it is no follow.
        On the other hand I have seen many sites which have more comments giving interest in reading to visitors.

  24. Comments are pure treasury of new ideas for posts! Also, there have been numerous occasions when I have been corrected and pointed to some flaws in my ways by the people that were commenting on my posts. I find them the most amusing part of blogging.

    1. Hi Lily,

      That’s true. When others comment on what we’ve posted, not only does it make blogging more interesting, but we can learn from the words of others, as well.

  25. Hi Barbara.

    I have to agree with Amy that in responding to comments you are respectful and sincere. You show that you have read the comment.

    Commenting on other blogs is the most common way to encourage comments on your blog. That’s just the way it is. When I first started blogging in the summer of 2008 I found your blog and nervously left a comment 🙂 It wasn’t long before you showed up on my blog with a wonderfully supportive comment. I will never forget that.

    You’ve offered up some good tips here. I’ve seen how the content of a blog post will encourage comments. If a post is of a more personal nature people seem to open up to that and are encouraged to share their story. People like to talk about themselves and to share what they know.

    1. Thank you for your kind words Davina,

      You’re right. People do like to talk about themselves and share their opinions. That’s what makes the commenting process so much fun. If we take the time to answer our comments, it makes it like a two way conversation and others get to “listen in”, learn in the process and can even add their “two cents” if they’d like.

  26. Barbara,

    I’ve found commenting on other folks blogs is the best way to increase comments on mine. A dash of social media never hurts either. 😉

    George

    1. Hi Vintage Diamond Rings,

      I’ve seen the top commentor plugin in action and it appears it can help to induce comments since a lot of bloggers love to see their name at the top. 🙂

  28. Getting large counts of comments for blogs is every blogger’s wish. But achieving this is not so easy. Like you Barbara, at times even my posts were not getting the desired comments. But then I started commenting more on other blogs which would help me in getting the desired backlinks and also gain readers and comments for my posts. Commenting on KeywordLuv and CommentLuv blogs are the easiest way to achieve this. But I think the tip which you have posted here of asking questions in posts seems interesting and effective too! I have never tried it, but will surely start doing it from now onwards.

    1. Hi Edward,

      Definitely. When we get out there and start commenting on other blogs, we’re bound to get comments on ours. I know getting backlinks via commenting is good for our blogs too, but what I get the most joy from is meeting other bloggers and learning from what they share.

      You’ll have to let me know how asking questions works on your blog. 🙂

  29. Just have a random comments on your favorite write ups and authors. Having your link in your comments can be an assurance that at least one or two readers be interested in your link to.

  30. I totally agree: a blog without comments is not live at all… and those few weeks since the first comment appears are very frustrating

    1. Hi Amanda,

      Blogs without comments can lack life, however what I’ve found is if the blog author is sharing intriguing stories, I’ll read it anyway.

      And yes, until we receive that first comment, frustration can set in. 🙁

  31. Hi Gabby,

    That’s true. When we share a link to our blog (either via CommentLuv or by adding it to our comment), it could attract a few readers to us, as well. We never know who might be reading the comments on other blogs. They could be potential clients.

  32. I am pretty new to this blogging thing. As yet the only comment I have received is the one my wife left 🙂 My site is fully functional but I have only put a few posts up at this point, so there is more work to do. I hope at some point I get some validation in terms of comments! Thanks for your help ion this endevour.

    1. You’re welcome John,

      Welcome to the blogosphere.

      Adding more posts to your blog is a good way to not only build your blog, but to gain more attention from the search engines and readers.

      I checked out your blog and see you’ve picked a tight niche. One thing good about that is those who comment will probably have the same interests as you, hence you’ll be learning from each other.

      Happy Blogging!

  33. Hi Barbara,
    Well I consider that people are habitual creatures. So your aim has to be becoming their new habit. People may find your site through some other blog’s feed they read, and decide to add you. Whenever you add a new post/article, they’ll at least read the headline. You need to post regularly for some time (about a month or two) to keep people interested. Once going to your site has become their habit, it is not obligatory to post daily. But you should be adding posts in a predictable fashion, whether it’s every 12 or 24 hours, or every Monday and Friday at 2:25 pm. The main thing here is regularity.

    1. Hi John,

      That’s a good point. By publishing on a regular, and consistent basis, we teach our readers what they can expect from us and some may be anxiously awaiting to see what we write about next.

      On the other hand, if we don’t post on a regular basis, our readers may get tired of checking back and could possibly stop following us.

  34. I am starting up a blog soon and this post is really encouraging. Do you have any tips for reaching out and connecting with other bloggers? I feel likes comments wouldn’t be the best course of action (unless it’s a blog like this).

    1. Hi David,

      Other than commenting on blogs, I’d suggest promoting your posts on Facebook or Twitter. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a good way to attract Google (and other search engines), and you could try guest posting on blogs within your niche.

  35. Some insightful tips about commenting Barbara. It seems for those blogs that moderate their comments, as you said, take most time weeks or even months to respond. It is so nice to get feedback once and a while, ensuring that your comments are appreciated and their is reciprocal love. comment luv is a great feature to get people engaged! Thanks for the post.

    1. Thank you Jordan,

      Moderating comments can be time consuming, and may be a task some bloggers put off, hence if our comment ends up in the spam folder, it could result in a delayed response from the blog author.

      Personally I like to empty my spam folder often so the comments don’t build up and I’m not feeling stressed out with the amount of comments I need to answer.

  36. Comments are really the fire of blogging. I remember when I started blogging, despite the wonderful articles I was posting no one seemed to care. For over 2 months the blog was just “dry”. But then when the comments started coming I felt some emotional jump for then the blog appears to have come alive! No blogger will want to post on a blog and not hear others in the comments.

    1. Hi James,

      I hear you. It’s disheartening when we keep publishing posts and no one comments. Like you said, a comment can give us that emotional jump we need to proceed forward.

      That said, some blogs do perfectly fine without comments and in some cases give the blog author more time to concentrate on other aspects of blogging.

  37. Adding CommentLuv Premium with DoFollow has helped to get more comments on my blog. It is a win-win situation for both sides. Thanks for your good points.

  38. It is quite interesting you already got so many comments on this article 🙂 The major reason why many blogger does not pay any attention towards the comments are spamming! there are so many spam tools out there which comments frequently automated comments which have no use! That’s is the primary reason in my opinion that most Bloggers did not participate in their blog comments!

    1. Hi Test Management,

      Yes. The amount of spam a blog can get can be discouraging, however using a good spam blocker, or two should alleviate most of the spam and let the blog author concentrate on the real comments.

      1. Hello Barbara,

        Thanks for Your Response, Agreed that spam blockers are quite effective in this regards, Even Akimest is one of the most useful plugin for spam prevention!

        Yes Real Comments always matters for bloggers! In fact all efforts made by author paid off if he/she get loyal visitors for its Blog!!

  39. Even I have a blog and I must say that it’s really frustrating when you don’t get comments. I am going through that now. I like the details that you have shared. I will put the tips into action. Keep up the good work.

    1. Thank you Mike,

      If you’re enjoying the blogging journey, I say, “hang in there”. It takes time for our blogs to get found but once it does, comments will follow.

  40. one of the best and successful ways of increasing blog comments is through participating actively over other blogs.. in this way it helps us in making relations with fellow bloggers and tends them to comment on our own blogs.. this way it goes viral..

    1. Hi Jai,

      I agree. Via comments we not only find other bloggers, but we can also make new online friends. If they like what we shared, chances are they’ll either link to it or share it on other social media sites – just as we would do for them.

  41. As a new blogger, I find commenting fascinating. It’s so strange how little effort people make. It’s really cool to get a relevant comment from someone who’s legitimately interested in the post even if their comment is a bit uninformed but what’s crazy is how many spammers will post stuff that is not even close to grammatically correct. They’ll make comments that I can’t even understand. I’m thinking that even if they use some sort of software to leave the comment and spam thousands of blogs. It surely can’t be worth the money they’re spending. I’m sure most bloggers don’t approve the spam and all it does waste time. I can’t understand why people won’t even take the time to at least add vaguely understandable comments. Especially if they’re going to use automated software anyway.

    1. Hi Jonathan,

      Welcome to the blogosphere.

      When a comment is irrelevant to the post, that is a red flag the comment is probably spam. And you’re right. if spammers spent as much time legitimately blogging, they’d probably make more money.

      As for improper grammar, I remind myself how for some of those who read my blog and comment, English is not their first language, hence the wording may not grammatically correct. If the comments is on topic, I usually approve it. (but I’ve probably have approved some spam comments, as well) 🙁

  42. Hi Barbara
    First may I congratulate you the layout of your site – I think it is fantastic.

    Secondly may I congratulate you on your Alexa ranking. I launched my blog in late August 2011 and at time of writing it is now ranked in the top 650k sites in the world a jump of over 27m places in just over 5 months. I am now getting over a 1000 hits a week – but I get few comments. I think one of the quick ways to get comments is if you make it a dofollow blog like yours.

    I am trying to help people change their way of thinking and problem solving using my unique experiences so they can challenge the status quo and “be FREE be ALIVE be Truly HAPPY.”

    Let me know what you think and my site is http://www.theSarayiahpost.com.

    Happy New Year and have a wonderful day.
    Love
    Isaac Sarayiah

    1. Thank you for your kind words, Isaac,

      Congratulations on the growth of your blog. You must be thrilled.

      I agree, making our comments dofollow can help to increase our comment count, however it can also attract those who only comment for the back link. So on that note, I think we have to ask ourselves, “do we just want more comments?” or “do we want to build a community on our blog?”.

      I checked out your blog. I like how you’re so positive. Keep up the great work. 🙂

      1. Hi Barbara
        Thank you for looking at my blog and glad you like it.

        I have just finished doing the first theSarayiahpost.com interview with a singer/ songwriter/ visual artist – ‘Countess’ Alex Zapak. The interview lasted for over 4 hours and now I am about to start writing the article. Hope to have it published for Valentine’s Day!

        I am also looking for a sponsor for my site and for my first competition.

        Have a wonderful weekend.
        Kindest regards
        Isaac Sarayiah

  43. What do you think about I was moderate the commenting in my blog Barbara? Ownestly I dont like to do that but the spammer make me do it !!

    1. Hi Share with Infan,

      It’s not always easy to hit the “delete” button on spam comments, however if we don’t, we could be inundated with more spam than we know what to do with. It’s just a part of the blogging process.

  44. I also have a blog. From what I have read I see that I use almost all the recommendations, but the comments don’t appear. Maybe nobody needs the information about sushi?

    1. Hi Hosting Geek,

      Getting comments takes time.

      I noticed when you commented, you didn’t link to your sushi blog. If you linked to it, you could possibly get some clicks from others who are reading the comments, as well as comments on the blog, too.

  45. Hey thank you for the article. Great stuff and I will definitely follow your tips. Comments are a great encouragement for your work.
    Keep blogging.

  47. Hi Barbara, you’ve laid out great points! blog comments on a post is a proof that someone or people are reading your post, they are READING and somehow tries to make quality conversation to the writer. Increasing blog comments would be achieve to active participation of the writer to the reader which you did well. Replying to the comments is really a good thing to let your reader know that their thoughts are valued.

    I’ll try to raise the others on your list. I’ll keep them in mind. Thanks you!

    1. You’re welcome Marlo,

      I agree. When someone comments it shows what we’ve shared is being read (or at least skimmed) and those comments can be the beginning of not only a great discussion, but the start of a great online friendship, as well.

  48. Barbara,

    From the 5 ways you mentioned above, I only do the number 1… visit blogs and drop comments.

    However, I noticed that my effort is not really effective. I think, the problem is on the content of my blog.

    It might be true that after dropping my comments to other blogs, the owner of the blog and its visitors visited my blog, however, they just couldn’t share their comment because my blog’s content are just about the news.

    1. Hi Sustines,

      You’ve raised a good point and you’re right. If our blog topic isn’t conducive to additional discussion, people may just read and leave.

      I don’t know if it would work for you or not, but you could try adding a question at the end of your posts and ask you readers for their opinion.

  49. I agree replying to comments (and making it known that you reply to comments) is always something that’s successfully worked for me. Unfortunately I abandoned my website for a while and comments/visitors aren’t anywhere near what they used to be. But I always find joining a forum is a good way to get people visiting your site if they are intrigued by your posts or you can offer them on-topic help/advice links from your site.

    1. Hi Jenni,

      I’m glad you brought that up – about participating in forums. Although I’ve heard that’s a great way to get our name out there, it’s not a technique I’ve used. By the sounds of it, you’ve done well by aligning yourself as an expert in your field.

  50. I dont know how to increase comment on blog by the way my worst experienced recently I removed commentluv plugin it increase huge amount of spammed comments.I don’t understand why commentluv equals spam. While I agree that you will get more comments than normal why wouldn’t you just use GASP, Akismet or Mollum to take care of your spam?

    1. Hi Rizwan,

      True. When we use CommentLuv, we often get more spam, which I’m guessing is due to the link a commenter gets. To alleviate most of the spam on this blog, I’ve found Akismet and GASP work real well together.

  51. I think the tips which you have sorted out here are really very good. Commenting regularly on other blogs also will help to get to befriend other bloggers which will in turn help in getting more comments for our blogs. Also Barbara, I would like to appreciate you for replying to every comments that your post gets. It is rare to find such bloggers! I think this is also a good way to get more comments to your blogs.

    1. Thank you Joey,

      Definitely. When we get out there and start commenting on other blogs, we not only begin to build our name recognition, but meet other bloggers, as well. Oftentimes they’ll reciprocate and come to our blog and comment. It’s really a win-win.

      I don’t know if it’s necessary to answer all of the comments we get, but I enjoy it, so I do. On the flip side, I’ve seen many blogs which have no interaction in the comment section from the blog author but yet they received dozens of comments on a regular basis.

  52. I think the most important point is to react timely on comments, and put a small call to action in the end of the article to attract comments. A couple of good practical examples, that is why I replied to your article 🙂 Happy blogging.

    1. Hi Misha,

      Yes. A call to action is often what gets others to comment. Oftentimes our readers (if they’re not bloggers) don’t realize they can comment, so it’s a good idea to close a post with a sentence to help motivate them to chime in.

  53. nice stuff and great post i was also finding for that hw i will increase my blog comments the tips u have mentioned is really nice thnx for sharing

  54. Hi Barbara
    I very liked your lessons!
    And absolute agree with U that we should answer comments it shows our readers we appreciate hearing their thoughts/opinions.
    But what we should do with spammers?

    1. Thank you Alexandra,

      Like you, I think our readers enjoy knowing we appreciate a response from the blog author.

      As for spammers, a good spam blocker like Akismet or GASP should do the trick. I use both and they work real well together.

  55. Hi,

    Thanks for sharing this article.Thanks for your top 5 list – I totally agree with them all. There’s 2 no-brainers you’ve listed that are so often badly done! Make it easy for your audience to engage and blog (how hard do some of them make it, they want your life history when all you wanted to say was a couple of words!) and ‘close the deal’…

    1. Hi Majidahmed,

      That’s another GREAT idea – make it easy for readers to leave comments. There’s nothing worse than wanting to leave a comment on a blog only to find out the comment process will be more time consuming than it’s worth.

  56. hi Barbara, These are nice tips on how to increase blog comments on your site. These will surely increase the number of participants and engagement among our readers. Nice of you to share something really helpful.

    1. Thank you Conference Gifts,

      I like sharing what works for me. It’s one thing to learn about a process, but I think it makes a big difference to lean from someone who’s “been there”.

  57. Hi Barbara

    I think comments can add tremendous value to a post, allowing for expanded discussion on the main topic. Getting started isn’t easy though, trying to generate interest is hard when you don’t get much traffic, but as you mention in an earlier comment SEO is a good way to attract Google (and other search engines).

    1. Hi Beth,

      Yes. SEO (search engine optimization) is a great way to at least get visitors. Then once we get them, we can use different methods to get them commenting. Granted, it can be a slow process, but I feel it’s worth the wait.

  58. Hi Barbara, there’s definitely something to be said for commenting on smaller blogs, it’s also a nice way of networking with people who share a common interest.

    I love the new blog of the week Idea!

    Thanks!

    1. You’re welcome Adam,

      Speaking of smaller blogs, not only do we get to meet people who share a common interest, but those are the blog authors we’re more likely to befriend. It’s always fun sharing stories of our blogging journey whereas A-list bloggers are often busy doing bigger things.

  59. Actually the comments are an important part of blogging, but maybe by the characteristics of mine, I do not importte not receive both, because there are items that echo the listeners. They are exercises to school. If there is feedback, they feel no need to comment. Other blogs I have are games and there is no need for comment. As I do not read English well, I wrote using Google Translate. Excuse me.

    1. Hi Discovery Kids.

      That happens with some blogs – they’re on topics which are more informational than conversational. For some blog authors it works fine, but for those who want to interact with readers, it helps to write articles in such a manner that they entice others to share.

  60. Thanks for another great article, Barbara! I love your blog more and more, and finally decided to comment on a post about commenting – how funny is that? All your points are pure truth, I myself tried out all of those methods and they proved successful. Also, I found commentluv plugin to help a bit with the quality and quantity of comments.

    Thanks for a great job!

    1. You’re welcome Peter,

      That is funny that this is your first comment. I’m happy to see your here. 🙂

      You’re right. The CommentLuv plugin can also help to entice readers to share, especially since they know they’ll receive a link back to their site.

  61. Hi Barbara,t Thanks for the great post. I recently started blogging and i always felt like being lonely. Now, i’m going follow your advice.

    1. You’re welcome Kajal,

      I hope you enjoy the commenting process and makes lots of great blogging friends. Although it can feel a bit intimidating in the beginning, it gets easier real fast. 🙂

  62. Aha! Now I know why you have a lot of comments to your blog. Thank you for sharing this. I will implement these tips to have a lot of comments too.

    I love comments! It makes my blog looks popular even if it’s not.

    1. You’re welcome Kee,

      Like you, I also love comments. You’ll have to drop by again and let me know what technique(s) worked best for you and your blog.

      Happy Blogging!

  63. Answering or replying to the comments that you receive is one significant thing which every blogger must do because this is how people or “commenters” know that they are valued or appreciated and that’s what’s making them come back. 😀

    1. Hi Ayesha,

      I agree. If we answer our comments, our readers will know what they shared mattered. As I mentioned in previous comments, it’s not mandatory we answer our comments, but it does create a great way to meet other bloggers, as well.

  64. Unfortunately a lot f blogger forget about their followers and commenters. I think, in the blogger scene, it is one of the most important thing to be interactive. That’s why this is a living genre. It’s a quite fast interaction between writer and reader, not as quick as on the social media, but the content is from a higher quality. Thanks for the useful advices and keep up the good work!

    1. You’re welcome Catwoman,

      That’s so true. Blogs are like a living genre and it’s the comments which add life to them. I know what you’re saying about social media being “faster” than blogs. In some ways it’s like social media sites feel “noisy”, whereas when we’re on the blogs, we can quiet down and be alone with our thoughts.

  65. I think blog comments can be increased for a blog if the blog has good posts. But sometimes my posts don’t get the desired comments. I think I will opt for professional advice as you have posted about Liz Strauss. I think getting her advice atleast once will help me in getting solution for my problem. Thanks for sharing Barbara!

    1. You’re welcome Nicholas,

      That’s a good point – how if we have good posts, we may get more comments.

      Check out the links to my interview with Liz. She shared very valuable information and the comments are great, too.

  66. Some people naturally seem to embrace different points of view, and others find them challenging. Over the years that I’ve been blogging, I’ve seen myself grow to be welcoming on divergent viewpoints. I didn’t start out that way. I talk about this exactly because I have been on that journey and I know it is possible to open up. With a more tolerant outlook, a business can engage in conversations that more interesting and more helpful to the community around them.

    1. Hi Jack,

      Blogging takes us on an unexpected journey, doesn’t it? I’m happy your shared your story of how you’ve changed. It can help others to know they can too, and like you mentioned, being more open minded can be beneficial to our community (whether online of off), as well.

  67. Commenting are the most important part of the blogs. They give us the clear understanding of whether our readers really like our articles or not. I think to improve the comment rates on the blogs, the tips which you have mentioned are really effective. I have tried them with my blogs and have found impressive results. But I have never tried taking expert advice for this. Will try taking it too to see the change in the results. Thanks!

    1. Hi James,

      That’s true. Comments make our blogs more interactive and by reading what others are saying, we not only gain more knowledge about the topic, but also get validation.

  68. Hi Barbara .. I’m awfully late to the party – but I’ve followed your etiquette and as it was suggested at the beginning – the essentials:

    1) Having a blog others want to read
    2) Having items they’d like to comment on
    3) Replying pertinently to any comments
    4) Building friendships
    5) At the beginning be regular with your posting …
    once you’re ‘established’ bloggers/friends will keep in touch .. as Tony at the first commenter here ..

    You’ve built up an awesome blog, with some incredibly useful information on it and you’re always here with us joining in with your replies ..

    Great blog!! Cheers – Hilary

    1. Thank you Hilary,

      That’s true. If we start with a few basic essentials and build off of them, we can end up with a blog that not only has staying power, but will also attract a loyal readership – just as you’ve done.

      As you know, it does take time, but if we’re enjoying the journey, the work we put in, makes it all worthwhile.

      ((Hugs)) to you. 🙂

    1. Hi Randy,

      Yes. Hilary pointed out some very important aspects to blogging, and having a blog others will want to read is the most important. If others don’t enjoy reading what we’re sharing, we certainly can’t expect them to comment.

  70. This was very helpful. i’ve only been blogging for about 7 months but i’ve been learning something new everyday, i feel like the most important thing about blogging is reading other blogs and interacting with other bloggers to gain a better knowledge of a topic while also hearing opinions from a different view. Your suggestion have been noted and i plan to follow them now. Great Post.

    1. Thank you Terrell,

      That’s one thing about blogging – I don’t think we ever stop learning. It’s a fun journey, isn’t it?

      Like you, I enjoy reading the opinions of others. I think it helps to keep me open minded.

  71. Wow I know now how to increase blog comments to my blog. Thank you for sharing this. I will implement these tips to have a lot of comments too. It is very helpful.

  72. An informative post, but I would be cautious when suggesting that bloggers invite controversy. Yes, contentiousness does draw attention and feedback, but controversy can be very dangerous. It’s always easier to start something than to stop it. Moreover, if blogging for a business or product, controversy may very well detract from the brand or key messages that the business or product owner wants the audience to hear. Controversy can be good – but it’s best used wisely and carefully.

    1. Hi Victoria,

      In this post I didn’t discuss using controversial topics, however, that is a technique many are using to gain more comments. I agree. It’s one thing to start talking about a controversial topic, but another to stop what could end up being backlash.

  73. Commenting is naturally connected with the blogs. I think if a blogger wants to see large comment counts on their blogs then he/she has to strive hard to get them. This cannot be achieved easily. But the techniques which you have sorted out to improve this rate are perfect. They are really effective! Bloggers can use them to get the right approach to increase their comment counts. This will yield them quality comments along with large quantity of comments.

    1. Hi Groshan,

      Yes. Blogs and comments go hand in hand. With blogs being an interactive platform, gaining comments becomes a concern for many. As you mentioned, it takes work and time.

  74. Your tips is greate.but for new blogger,it is not easy to pool attention to your blog,especially when you know little or nothing in traffic building.nice tips.

    1. Thank you Tim,

      You’re right. For the new blogger, we first have to get traffic to our sites before we can get comments. On that note, I think that’s where commenting on other blogs is beneficial as it give others a way to find us.

  75. Hi

    One way to increase blog comments i.e Images don’t just make your blog look pretty, they also help people find you in search engine listings. People often use the image search options offered by Google, Yahoo! and other search engines, and naming your images with search engine optimization in mind can easily boost your traffic.

    Keep it up!
    Thanks

    1. You’re welcome Asma,

      I’m happy your brought that up. Images can drive traffic to our blogs if we use search engine optimization when naming them. Hopefully when those visitors land on our blog, they’ll stick around to read the content and maybe subscribe, too.

  76. I am just too thin skinned to take criticism.

    When I allowed comments on my personal blog the vitriol expounded by some people to others over a difference of opinion was staggering. It made me have sleepless nights as one or two comments would really get under my skin. I applaud anyone who can do this and not get worked up but for me, it was just too much stress!

    1. Hi Chris,

      You’re not alone. When we blog about certain topics, we attract trolls who have no problem attacking us. In that case, it’s probably best to keep the comment section closed so the blogger can concentrate on publishing value based posts.

  77. For the life of me, I can’t get any traffic to any of my blogs, I think in 2 years, Ive had less than 300 visitors with under 10 comments 🙁
    Im going to test out some of the things you talked about. Great article and thanks 🙂

    1. You’re welcome Holly,

      I wish you well with your endeavors on trying to get more comments. What I find is it often helps to visit sites in your niche and meet like minded people.

  78. If your blog doesn’t receive many comments it is not because nobody likes your content, it is most probably because you simply don’t have enough traffic. In most online communities, 90% of users are lurkers who never contribute, 9% of users contribute a little, and 1% of users account for almost all the discussion. On the way to increasing the number of comments to your blog posts, you would need to build blog traffic first.

    1. Hi Joseph,

      You’ve raised an excellent point. Without traffic, we’re not going to get comments. And as you pointed out, the number of comments and the amount of traffic we receive go hand in hand.

  79. It is important to be controversial when writing blog posts. Don’t be afraid to go against the norm and against the conventions. Having a strong, different, unconventional opinion and perspective in your blog posts is a great way to encourage visitors to comment and voice their opinions on your blog. It is important to be patient when waiting for that first comment. After the first comment, everything becomes easier. When visitors to your blog see other people making comments they are more likely to believe there is something valuable at your blog and start writing comments themselves.

    1. Hi Dixia,

      Although controversial posts can bring us more comments, I don’t feel we have to be controversial to get comments. That said, if we have strong beliefs regarding our topic, sugar coating our content isn’t good, either.

      Yes. Patience is needed when we’re new to blogging and waiting for that first comment. In the meantime, I suggest bloggers concentrate on writing value based posts so when readers to show up, they get a feel for what our blog can offer.

  80. The tips which you listed for increasing blog comments are really very good. I have followed some of them like visiting other blogs and leave comment, ask questions to receiving comments and answer comments which I receive. This has helped me to get satisfactory counts of comments for my blog. But as you have mentioned to take expert advice is one thing which I will try to get to know more techniques to increase the counts.

    1. Thank you Charles,

      I’m happy to hear you’re getting comments from using some of these techniques. Although it can take time, get our name “out there” will eventually pay off.

  81. I want people to make comments do my blog, but when I approve those comments, I don’t wish to have their website link displayed. Most of these comments are just people wanting links to their sites. How do we remove the field for them to insert their site and/or keep that site link from appearing with their posting?

    1. Hi Melbourne Singing Lessons,

      The only way I know of removing the field for the URL of the commenter is to edit the coding of your theme. Hope that helps.

  82. Ok, I agree, but what happens with our time ? I must delete thousand of posts everyday, it is not so pleasant..

    I think when the blog is so spammed, we should turn off discussions.

    1. Hi Edinburgh,

      Granted, some bloggers do not want comments, and especially spam comments. In those cases, it’s probably best to close comments and spend our time doing something productive.

  83. Commenting on different blogs definately worked for me but Friars suggestion of commenting on 200 a day seems a little over the top. Blogging is hard work but if you show patience and determination you will soon be rewarded.

    1. Hi Ryan,

      I agree. If we leave meaningful comments on other blogs, chances are many of those bloggers will come by and comment on ours.

      As for what Friar said, he was just joking. He’s been a regular commenter on this blog for years, and if you check out his blog, you’ll understand his sense of humor.

  84. Another great tip? Disabling the ‘nofollow’ tag that is default on your blog comments. This encourages people with other blogs to post on yours (for SEO purposes) and increases blog traffic.

    The only downside is that you have to vet your comments a little better.

    1. Hi Lem,

      That’s true. Oftentimes people won’t comment if our blogs are “nofollow”. They want a link back to their site. And I agree, it means we might have to check our comments closer since comments will be spam.

  85. When someone has commented on your blog, do visit their blog and post your opinion. Don’t just say “nice post”, put some useful comments. This will again increase your comments as they tend to visit your blog again. Do not ask readers to register and login before commenting. I have seen many blogs where you need to register before commenting. This will obviously reduce comments as time is the most important thing for everyone.

    1. Hi Marshall,

      Those are good points. I know for myself, if someone comments and only says, “nice post”, I mark it as spam. One thing also about leaving meaningful comments on other blogs is that the readers of that blog may become curious enough and come to our blog, too.

      Having to pre-register prior to commenting is a huge deterrent in the blog commenting process. We really need to think about our readers and make it as simple as possible for them to share their opinion.

  86. You really put all important things and advices how to get more comments on blog or blogs! 🙂
    Asking your visitors questions, making polls, visiting others blogs and left comment and link to them. Great advices!! 🙂

    1. Thank you John,

      That’s true. If we ask questions or have polls our readers can participate in are great ways to get them to interact. And in the process, we get to meet other bloggers with whom we may become friends.

  87. Hi Barbara,
    this is a great thing and thanks for the share. finding more ways to attract more possible blog comments on our web sites means at the same time that we will have a higher rate of visits to out web sites, and this is what every blogger dreams of.

    1. You’re welcome Eleonora,

      Yes. It snowballs. The more visitors we get, the more comments we get and before we know it, we’re becoming better known in the blogosphere and building our reputation.

  88. Increasing blog comments on one’s page is a win win situation for both the parties. as blog comments make the blog popular and gives some authority to the person commenting or his blog.

    1. Hi Bone Cancer Survival Rate,

      That’s true. Not only do an increased amount of comments benefit the blog author, but those who are commenting can build an online reputation at the same time.

  89. Comment to all comments. Yes, it may seem silly and obvious, but for some reason so many people avoid writing to each comment left on a blog. If only three people are commenting on your blog, and you comment to each, you now have six. The more comments on your blog will not only increase the amount of activity on your blog, but it may help other readers and lurkers participate in your blog commenting as well. If you aren’t already, try to comment to all comments left on your blog for a week and see how the user activity and comments increase. Everyone loves to read comments, especially when they are from the blog owner and provide lots of value.

    1. Hi Zvi,

      You’re right. If we answer our comments, the total comment number doubles. And like you said, our readers will enjoy the feedback, plus others can gain more knowledge by reading the interaction and may be inspired to join in.

  90. I like your attitude Ms. Barbara. You don’t easily give up! That’s one way of saying that, “you’re such a wise person.” Keep it up and you will go far…I like the way you shared your experience. Hope everyone of us accept any negative happenings and out from it we must learn lessons for us to improve.

    1. Thank you for your kind words, Alex,

      I agree. We can learn from negative experiences, whether it’s in the form of a comment or otherwise. As much as we might not want to hear it, negativity can help us in our growth process.

  91. For me, commenting on other blogs is a huge for getting comments on my own blog. When there isn’t much benefit to commenting on your blog, give them a reason to visit. As I build connections with other bloggers, a lot of them come back and comment frequently. The key is to repay the favor and try to be active on their blogs too.

    1. Hi Jeremy,

      You’re right. It’s a two way street. Just as we like to receive comments, so do other bloggers. And in the process of commenting back and forth, online friendships can be made. It’s really a win-win.

  92. Great post, although I would also note that adding word verification to your comments might backfire. I understand wanting to cut down on spam, but it also adds another barrier for the commenter, and I think its more beneficial to make commenting as easy as possible. I would recommend starting without it, and if you find you have a large spam problem, adding it in later. But I have been on Blogger for over a year at my current blog, and even without word verification have only gotten a handful of spam.

    1. Hi Edward,

      I know what you’re saying. Adding word verification can hurt our comment numbers, but for some blogs I’m sure that’s their best choice (if they get lots of spam). I like your idea of starting without it and then adding it if the spam gets out of hand.

  93. you’ve inspired me to leave a comment. I really have no answers. the more I use the internet the more I see spam selling spam, there are no new ideas because all the ideas are already done, all that can be done is to increase the effectiveness of the spam to spam whats already been spammed. maybe Im wrong, I hope so

    1. Hi Language Learning,

      Personally I don’t see that much spam selling spam, but what I find is a good spam filter will work to catch most of the spam comments.

  94. I just shared this with our blog team – very interesting and helpful tips you have here. One factor that we continue to stress is the importance of connecting with our audience. We do this through providing valuable, engaging content, a manageable blog site, and a diversity of topics in order to capture a variety of interests. Replying to each comment on your blog really helps build the especially when you are just starting out.

    1. Thank you Mitchell,

      That’s true. Providing good content and a diversity of topics will help to engage our audience. And as you mentioned, when they see we’re answering the comments, we build credibility.

  95. I think this also depends if a blog link has a high page rank and it is a Do-Follow or No-follow. I have noticed that majority of blog links with high PR is a No-follow and most Do-follow blog links has 0 Pr’s. Why is this so?

    1. Hi Accommodation Denmark,

      From what I understand about page rank and do or nofollow, is blogs with higher page ranks do not want to dilute that page rank by allowing link backs, however I don’t know if that’s true.

  96. Thanks for your top 5 list. I totally agree with them all.  There’s 2 no-brainers you’ve listed that are so often badly done!  Make it easy for your audience to engage and blog looking at the way how hard do some of them make it, they want your life history when all you wanted to say was a couple of words. Commenting should be as easy as writing some words on a piece of paper.

    1. You’re welcome David,

      Like you, I don’t understand why a blogger feels they need to make the commenting process so difficult. The way I feel is if a blogger is THAT concerned about real comments vs spam, it might be better for them to just close their comments.

  97. I’ve come across a few blogs that had some amazing content, but it was set up in a way where I found it difficult to leave a comment. Some blogs required me to go through a lengthy registration process before I was able to leave a comment. If it’s technically difficult to leave a comment, I end up leaving the page. Sometimes I can’t find the section where I can leave comments, so I’m not sure if the blogger purposely turned off the comments feature or forgot to enable it.

    1. Hi Edward,

      That’s a good point. If we can’t find the comment section, we’re going to click off, confused. That said, I have noticed a lot of sites which have closed comments but haven’t ended the post stating such.

  98. Hi Barbara
    Nice Post :). it landed up here through a reference site but it was good landing here as i got to read your post.your writing is worth appreciation.i must say you are a true blogger as you have replied to each and every visitor’s comment. god bless!!

  99. Good saying “Until comments begin to show up, new bloggers often feel like they’re in an echo chamber – talking to themselves” hahahahahaha….lol
    Jokes apart, really your tips and advices helped me a lot as I’m also a new blogger and I feel the same as you have mentioned above. I want to say something that “A wise man does not need advice and a fool won’t take it.” But I’m not amongs the two I really like your tips and it may helped a lot of people including me. Regards.

    1. Thank you HTC,

      Yes. When we’re new to blogging, we often feel like we’re in an echo chamber, but with time and patience that can change. I hope my tips help you and soon you’ll be flooded with comments. 🙂

  100. Some times I find it extremely hard for people to leave any comments on my blog. I can see that people read the articles but never leave a comment. Sometimes I just wonder why do that. You do have some great tips to initiate a discussion. Always reply to someone’s comment and they will come back and hopefully leave another one and there you have it, you have a conversation.

  101. Here is what works for my blog, and you can consider some of my tips. 1 – you need to ask questions, confront different opinions, etc. 2 – (my favorite) use real samples (the links to other blogs, resources) and their owners will definitely come to see what’s going on and say something. 3 – add a personal touch, or anything that was discovered by youself, and put it on strong arguments and await feedback from conformists.
    I hope you got my point 🙂

    1. Hi Free WordPress Themes,

      I like your tips and agree if we link to our sources, especially other blogs, chances are the blog author will stop by and leave a comment – even if it’s just to say “thank you for the link love”.

  102. Great ways and tips how to increase blog comments at posts. I see you really know how to do it. Your every post have 50+ comments. Congrats ! 🙂

      1. Hi Monster TUT,

        I’m not sure how do follow affects new blogs, however I have heard do follow might negatively affect blogs with a higher page rank, however I don’t know if that’s true or not.

  105. I think the point you made in #3 is one of the best ways to get more comments…always at the end of the article you need to ask your readers some kinda question so they can then answer it in the comments.

    I also want to add another strategy, for example if you have some article that generated already a little bit of comments, send it out to your subscribers by email for example, and tell them “this topic is hot currently”, tell us what you think?

    This will entice your readers to come check out the article and hopefully leave a comment…

    1. Hi Leon,

      Yes. When we ask a question at the end of a post, it lets our readers know we want to hear their viewpoints.

      I like your idea of emailing subscribers with regard to “hot” posts. Not only would that help to keep our name in front of them, but it would expose them (and their name) to the discussion, as well.

  106. Great advices Barbara. People often comment when you seek answers from others and their opinion.
    Thank you for sharing this useful blog experience. 🙂

    1. You’re welcome Online Email Marketing,

      Yes. Visiting the blogs of those who left comments is a great way to not only show your appreciation, but to build relationships with other bloggers as well.

  109. Hi Barabra,

    Just want to let you know that I really appreciate the points you made here. I really need to implement these suggestions to get more feedback from visitors. I’m fairly new to online marketing which is why I’m still accepting advice like yours. have a good day:-)

  110. I increase blog comments by social media channels, as facebook. It has ennormous power.

  111. Always pose a problem and solve it in the article. That’s is what I talked about in one of my articles.

    Always works like a charm! 🙂 Being also ready to ask anyone that is interested to comment for, is one of the best forms of generating comments.

    The link below of my article, is where I talk about generating comments like crazy! 🙂

    1. Hi Samuel,

      You’re right. Anytime we pose a problem, whether we solve it or not, others are anxious to step up and help. All we need to do is ask.

      P.S. I clicked over to your article and by the looks of it, with all of the comments you’ve received, your techniques work perfectly. 🙂

      Happy Blogging!

  112. By increasing the number of comments on your blog, more viewers will take notice on how well you are engaging with your audience. Here are five tips on how you can increase your blog comments.

    Tip #1: Make sure it’s easy for the reader to comment

    I’ve come across a few blogs that had some amazing content, but it was set up in a way where I found it difficult to leave a comment. Some blogs required me to go through a lengthy registration process before I was able to leave a comment. If it’s technically difficult to leave a comment, I end up leaving the page. Sometimes I can’t find the section where I can leave comments, so I’m not sure if the blogger purposely turned off the comments feature or forgot to enable it.

    Make sure it is easy for your reader to leave a comment. Have you turned on the comments feature? People who are new to blogging often forget this. Is the comment section large enough for the reader to find it? Do you require only minimum information from the viewer before they can comment, such as their name and e-mail address? Or do you require more information than that? If you’re concerned with spam, you could use plugins such as Akismet to filter out any spam.

    Tip #2: Ask Questions

    While it may seem very obvious, remind your readers that you want their comments and opinions by asking them a question at the end of the blog post. Ask them directly to share their response in the comment section.

    You could ask them questions like “What did you think of the post?” or mention a direct call to action like “Let me hear your thoughts by writing in the comments below” or something along those lines. The more specific the request is that’s based on the post, the more likely the reader is to leave a comment. So encourage your reader to take action by leaving a comment and participating in the conversation.

    Tip #3: Respond to people who comment

    Responding to people who take the time to write a comment shows that you are paying attention to them, and it creates an opportunity to further engage with that reader. People don’t want to feel like they’re ignored. When other readers see that you’re proactively interacting with the people commenting on your blog, they will feel more encouraged to join the conversation by posting their own comments.

    Tip #4: Comment on other blogs

    Take the time to read other blogs that are related to your niche. This will give you a better understanding of what’s going on in your niche, and better enable you to provide more value to your audience. If you happen to read an amazing article or blog post, leave a quality comment with your thoughts, and if the blogger allows it, indicate a link back to your blog. Other people who read that blog will take notice of your comment, and be encouraged to check out your own blog and post their own comments.

    Tip #5: Invite a bit of controversy

    If someone indicates that they don’t agree with your viewpoints, be professional about it and engage in a way that’s not rude or condescending to that person. When other people see a bit of controversy, they may want to put in their two cents worth if there’s some kind of debate going on in the comments. Make sure not to let the comments get out of hand, and don’t ever put down someone who disagrees with you. Otherwise, they may never come back to your blog again.

    Enjoy,

    Siobhan.

  114. You make some good points. So often you will see that comments with responses from the writer get more comments than bloggers who don’t interact with the commenters. Of course content is important, but I’ve found the way in which the content is present goes a long way to engaging the reader. I’ve found list-based post a really good way to engage interaction.

    1. Thank you Jonathan,

      I agree. In most cases, if we interact with our commenters we’re more apt to receive more comments. That said, some blogs will do just fine if they leave the comment section open and let the commenters have free reign (with some moderation on the part of the blog author).

  115. This is really great stuff and I will definitely follow all these tips. I like all the tips specially the first one. visited other blogs and left comments this is really a great way to increase your blogging community. Thanks for sharing such useful information.

    1. Thank you iPhone App,

      I’m happy to hear the tips are helpful. For new bloggers, visiting other blogs is also a great way to get our name out there and possibly see some reciprocal comments, as well.

  116. Hah, its pretty obvious that you have put your own words to good use and have seen results; look at all these comments!

    Its very true, however, that blogging is a community process. It’s not a zero-sum game that needs to have a winner and a loser. Everyone in the blogging community (or more specifically, a niche) can participate and support other blogs without hindering their own success. In fact (as you have shown), it leads to a lot more success!

    1. Hi Naperville Guitar Lessons,

      You’re right. By participating in blogging communities we are not only showing support to the blog author but the process can also help us with our own success.

  117. Nice post Barbara. I am trying to write a film blog myself, and I find it difficult to attract readership to my site. There are some nice tips on here.

  118. Hi Barbara,

    This is a great article! What’s even better is that you practice what you preach, by answering all the comments here. Thanks for your help!

  120. “For some bloggers, comments aren’t important, but for others, they become the real reason to continue on.”

    Very well said. I myself have the feeling of frustration every time I post a blog and I get no comments from my readers. How long will I have to wit until I get comments? Sometimes I even think about deleting my post.

  121. Writing good and interactive content does help get contents like writing” how to”,because people even after reading the well explained procedures do make mistake,,,or writing something extremely useful so that users feel to comment,,,,,and if the above 2 does not work one can always use comment luv

  122. Hi Barbara,

    I have several blogs and I have always disallowed comments because I receive so many spammy comments (mostly from scrapebox) that its impossible for me to moderate them all. After reading your post, I now realize the exposure and interaction I’m missing out on.

    Can you recommend any free spam prevention filters for WP, or is Askimet the only option?

  123. Take the time to read other blogs that are related to your niche. This will give you a better understanding of what’s going on in your niche, and better enable you to provide more value to your audience. If you happen to read an amazing article or blog post, leave a quality comment with your thoughts, and if the blogger allows it, indicate a link back to your blog. Other people who read that blog will take notice of your comment, and be encouraged to check out your own blog and post their own comments.

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