Discussions

How important are comments, actually?

Posted by Bullgrit • 11/21/08 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: blog, comments, traffic, visitors

I know most people like getting comments to their blog posts (as do I), but I wonder if having comments on a post actually makes for a better blog site. Makes for a better reading experience -- by being able to participate. Or does it not really matter?

Has there been any research into whether allowing/having comments improves blog traffic?

I mean, take two identical blogs:

1- one allows comments, one has commenting turned off -- would there be a difference in visitation in the long run?

2- both allow comments, but one has many comments attached, one has few or none -- would there be a difference in visitation in the long run?

For myself, I have to admit that seeing many comments attached to a blog post makes me think it's worth reading. And seeing that a blog gets a lot of comments makes me think it is worth revisiting. But is this just me, or is this a real, trackable phenomenon?

Also, does showing comments "upfront" improve the chance of getting more comments? For instance, having comments appear right on the same page as the first view of the post, rather than having to click to open the comments page? Or having recent comments displayed right on the front page of the site?

I would think that people might be more likely to add a comment if that comment was shown, prominently. This seems to be a drive that runs discussion boards -- "I have something to say, and here is a forum where people can 'hear' what it is."

And to be honest, this is something that drives me (us?) to maintain a blog to begin with.

Bullgrit

User Comments

11/21/08

BonsaiJon

Hi Bullgrit,

This is an excellent question and a very common one. I like having visitors comment on my blogs since it gives me direct feedback of how I'm doing and what my visitors want and need. It also means that I am writing good quality content, good enough to compel visitors to participate and state their opinion.

The perception is the more comments you have the more popular your blog is and when evaluating a blog the amount of comments you get is definitely looked at. Like you said, seeing a blog post with 200 comments makes you want to read it more than seeing one with 0 comments.

From a Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) point of view it is not always good. Sometimes you work hard to optimize a page to sank for a particular keyword or key phrase and having a lot of comments means diluting your well thought of keyword dense document with nonsensical key words like nice post, good post and thank you

It's all a matter of perspective, however I'd rather have a blog comments than one without. If you want to have keyword rich content, put it in a page not a post.

BonsaiJon

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11/21/08

Baker

Interesting.. I am in the process of figuring out this out as well.

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11/21/08

jackpayne

I have interplay in my Comments section that some readers say is the heart and guts of the whole blog post.

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11/21/08

Bullgrit

Thanks for the response, BonsaiJon.

And jackpayne brings up another thought on this subject. I've seen some blog posts with many responses, but nothing more from the blog author. And then I've seen some comments sections where every other comment/response is from the blog author.

I wonder if either way affects the visitation numbers.

Bullgrit

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11/21/08

lettershome

Comments are the best measure of whether your visitors are actually reading your blog versus just clicking on the site and going away. I've been stumbledupon a few times and had the numbers shoot up, but not one of them ever left a comment.

As a reader I like commenting on blogs that have a lower number of participants. When I see the comment numbers in the triple-digits, I don't bother because usually by then it's degenerated into some mindless back-and-forth chatter.

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11/21/08

micro27

can you comment my blog? pinoyinvestorsmoneyjournal.blogspot.com/

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11/21/08

Anok

I'm in agreement with you - just knowing there are a lot of comments makes me think the article will be good (or at least controversial) and so it immediately makes me think I should read it.

I also prefer sites, articles, and blogs that allow me to leave a note or comment to let the author know I've read it, and appreciate/don't appreciate what they have to say.

I'm bossy like that

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11/21/08

jaesten

Receiving comments means you are posting a good stuff.

And it will boost your ego and inspire you to do better next time.

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11/21/08

Profitimo

Very interesting. it also depends what kind of comments you get.. some comments are totally not related with your topic..

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11/21/08

loverofjazz

hmmm. i don't exactly look for comments when i go to other blogs.
if the comments are the most interesting thing about a blog, that's saying something kind of bad about the blog itself.
i'd certainly like more comments than i currently get but my blog is primarily a vehicle for me to let off steam.
if people want to add to what i say or criticize, that's fine but it isn't really going to affect me one way or the other.
but you are probably right about the idea that a blog without much in the way of comments may create the impression that it is not a particularly happening page. and we know that nobody wants to hang out with the unpopular kids. at least i know that.

(starts crying quietly) i'll just go back to my unpopular blog now, thank you...

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11/21/08

CrankyChick

I kept that feature off of mine because I am sensitive and don't want to get my feelings hurt

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1. 11/21/08
  
  Anok
  
  I was wondering about that - Ia had wanted to leave a comment, and thought I was just that much of a techno-idiot that I couldn't find the comment section
11/21/08

ModelElaine

It depends on the type of comments. Comments such as "Hi, great blog! Please visit my blog Cheap Viagra. Thanks!" are worthless. Comments that add to the post are valuable. I especially value comments that do not have links in them, not because I don't like links, but because comments without linking back to the commenter tell me that the reason for the comment was genuine and is intended to share information rather than self-promotion. I have had really valuble comments on my Equity Residential Fraud posts whereas people have shared their whole heartfelt stories related to Equity Residential rip offs.

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1. 11/21/08
  
  loverofjazz
  
  absolutely.
11/21/08

Bullgrit

So, many seem to agree with the idea that there may be a psychological on the reader seeing many comments vs. seeing few or none. Good to know it's not just me that thinks that way.

Now, I'm wondering, is there it *necessary* to have comments to have a success blog site? All other things being equal, which site would do better (have more visitors):

A- Site with commenting turned off.

B- Site with commenting turned on but few or no comments attached to posts.

C- Site with commenting turned on and with many comments on the posts.

And would there be a difference in visitation/draw between a site with comments off and a site with them on but no one has made a comment? Has there been no research or testing of this kind of thing?

Edit after post:
Actually, I think what I'm asking is: How important are comments to the *readers* of a blog?

Bullgrit
www.totalbullgrit.com

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1. 11/21/08
  
  Anok
  
  I think it really, really depends more on the blog or website.
  
  For example, BIG sites like Washington Post or New York Times have portions you can comment on, and portions you can't. No matter what though, they will get a big draw.
  
  Then you have smaller sites like Alternet, DailyKos, Huffington Post etc...and they receive hundreds of comments on posts everyday - but I don't think they would be nearly as popular if it wasn't interactive - and that's the point of comments, interaction.
11/21/08

thingys

I have comments? where?

this franchised ego needs repair!!!!

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11/21/08

COOLINGSTAR9

Comments are good, it is fun.
I like incoming comments so that I can reply.
I like to give comments also.
I like mutual comments, it is more fun.
I feel happy whenever I see comments coming to my blog site.
I give comments after I read other blogger's posts.

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11/21/08

TheWickedOne

I myself love comments. Its cool to see that people read your posts and such and have something to say!
I also love to give comments if the post is interesting and such :]

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11/21/08

rmaxwell142

I think comments are important, because for me, I want to stimulate discussion with my posts and feel like I'm getting people to think about the topic. There are definitely comments that I don't allow, like link droppers and those that don't add to the discussion.

As a blogger, I think that one of the MOST important things you can do is reply to your comments! It makes the reader feel that you actually care and appreciate their feedback, even it's just a "thanks for visiting!" It can also stimulate the discussion and even allow for more comments on your blog!

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1. 11/21/08
  
  carsonfb
  
  I agree, always reply to comments. Preferably within a few hours.
11/21/08

carsonfb

I think that having the comments visible by default - rather than having to click a comments link - is beneficial. I'm not the most observant person in the world and have difficulty finding the spot to leave comments if I have to click a link.

With regards to whether having comments on posts affects readership in the long run, I would suspect it would depend on the comments themselves. If readers find the comments as useful as the original article, they are likely to come back frequently to see what else has been said. If the comments merely consist of "I like your post", users probably won't care as much.

Personally, I ask readers for suggestions for future related topics or, to let me know if I'm way off base, or if I've missed something in my analyses. This helps me to gage my readers interests (or would if I had more than about 3 readers ).

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11/21/08

garryconn

Comments are a very important part to a health blog. Comments keep your post fresh and search engines really like that. Secondly, they really add to the value of the post because of the additional information being provided to readers. Comments add a very diverse resource for people who are seeking out all sides to any given topic or story.

In the comments of a blog post, it is common to find people debate and disagree with others. While in most cases this remains at a professional level, this gives the reader the ability to consider many aspects of the topic being discussed.

Comments are a very valuable aspect to a blog post.

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11/21/08

MrCheeseburger

They aren't everything but they give you an idea of who is reading your blog.

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1. 11/21/08
  
  garryconn
  
  Right! Comments for sure aren't "everything" but they totally add a tremendous value to your post. Consider this post for example... how valuable would this post be if no one had commented this post created by Bullgrit?
12/06/08

tanijoy

I would love it if more people actually commented. I want feedback. Are my topics on point, or do I need to spice it up? I want comments to see what the people want and think? I don't get many comments but when I do, I get excited. lol

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12/06/08

wehireu

Some comments significantly improved the quality of my blog both in content and in layout. It is also gives you a sense of what to post. Posts that get comments are posts that people read.

You build a following by commenting back to the people who post.

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12/06/08

stevemiller

As a reader, I don't really care. But as a writer, I love it when someone leaves a response to one of my reviews or other posts.

Lack of response is why more or less abandoned the messageboard i started on my website when I had a higher public profile... and moved what I was doing most of anyway to a blog. To me, the blog format feels like it is less dependendent on give-and-take than the messageboard format.

Both on my blogs and on my messaeboard I've typically restricted posting to registered users, because every time I've experiment with letting everyone post, all the comments are junk and spam.

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12/06/08

7masterheathen

I prefer a blog that allows you to leave comments. I think that's one of the best things about blogging- the interchange of ideas.

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12/06/08

burningwindmil

i think comments are about 94% important

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12/07/08

TZY

Comments are important for me because it gives ma an idea that someone is actually reading my blog.

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12/07/08

cumba

I appreciate comments because it shows me that I am posting something that someone is interested in. Blogs that don't allow comments always confuse me, blogging, to me, is a dialogue. When I see something that arouses my interest I want the capability of giving my feedback.

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12/07/08

nplbjirel

I think comments are important. Whether you get positive or negative comments, having comments signifies that your reader got through the post.

From reader point of view as well, I like to read article with good number of comments. It doesn't mean that article having many comments is always good and worth reading. This is because they might have thousands of visitors and among them certainly many of them will leave their opinion.

There are some blogs with few comments but their articls are always worth reading. I try to look for this kind of blog as well.

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12/07/08

bloggernoob

overrated.

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12/07/08

CrisRo

It really just depends on your community, how much your users value their input, and how much you value their input. It seems to me when starting out comments are great, because they are more likely to return (even if they are flaming)

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12/07/08

HolisticMommy

It's exciting to see a new comment show up. On days when there's no new comments I feel a little sad inside *sniff sniff

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1. 12/07/08
  
  CrisRo
  
  It's okay, you have a bundle of joy to cheer you up though
8/26/09

kenyantykoon

they make me feel good that people are reading my posts(am a new blogger). its really encouraging to see that that you are not posting things in a web page for yourself only. but there are many highly successful blogs that get hadly any comments(i mean blogs that get millions of visitors) like bankaholic.com and also steve palvina's blog. i think that if you have quality content visitors will increase. comments are useful because some readers may correct inaccurate info or add on what you said. i get a few commets per post and they give me a nce warm feeling inside

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8/26/09

MissSinema

A very interesting subject. And I must admit I'm exactly the same- I'm more likely to take a blog with lots of comments seriously. I guess this is because it not only proves that alot of other people read this blog (i.e it's worth reading), but also because it makes it appear as though the blog has interesting content that stimulates discussion.
Comments could also be considered useful as many of them give an indicator of what readers specifically like/dislike about your blog. Even the simplest 'Love it!' can indicate an area of interest amongst readers.

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8/26/09

PetLvr

I suppose it's nice to receive comments - I wouldn't really know, because I get more spam comments than real comments, but it keeps my Akismet working.

Some of my friends's blogs are like .. "posts=X .. comments=5X" ... I'm more like comments="0.1%X". I remember stumbling a post that suggested that google actually likes blogs with more comments, because it shows repeatedly new content - good for sites that are commentaries of other news or related sites, PLR sites, and/or for duplicate content with pages, categories, etc. If someone wants to dig thru my SU favorites, I saw it around may/june

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8/26/09

cuteptaguy

Personally I like getting comments on my blog, apart from knowing I am getting traffic to my blog it also is nice to see that readers actually take the time and effort to voice their opinion about what I posted.

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8/26/09

JamCan

I love comments on my blog, not only for the attention and acknowlegement but also for correction. I don't know everything about Jamaica so if someone can correct me and make my posts better, so be it.

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8/26/09

agnespages

I love comments, I am not quite sure why, I just do.

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8/26/09

FaithfulinPrayer

I'm relatively new to blogging (just 5 mths). When I first started I only got about 5 - 15 visits to my site. Then I heard about commenting on other people's blogs and I started going to blogs that wrote about topics similar to mine and read their articles and put my 2 cents worth in. I got over 100 hits the first day. Then I joined different blog networking groups and got 200 hits a day. Right now it is between 100 - 200 a day.

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8/26/09

FaithfulinPrayer

sorry, accidently hit the button twice

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8/26/09

SaNn

Comment is just good as it will somehow reflect the popularity of your blog....I don have a visitor hits 100-200 per day...but I will try to increase the traffic.....

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8/26/09

Multibrand

Comments (good & bad) boost my passion for blogging, motivate me to write more

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8/27/09

bettieblogger

I enjoy getting comments from my readers and always make the effort to respond to them. As for traffic, if you head over to thier blog to reply and they come back and so on, of course you will see some traffic. It's almost an unspoken courtesy..

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