Successfully Commenting On Other Blogs

In an earlier post I wrote about How Link Building Works and Faux Pas to Avoid; the main purpose of that blog was to explain how to gain more relevant traffic to your site.  Just like Link building; commenting on blogs will begin to build relevant connections to your site, personal blog, and articles which are directly related to your real estate properties and services. Though commenting on blogs and forums is only listed on the second stage of my link building pyramid it doesn’t make it less valuable.  The sooner you dive into the world of blogging the sooner you will become better well-known on the web as an expert real estate professional.  So start making an effort to leave comments on other blogs that have an audience you would like to target.  The comments you leave (if approved) will not only show your participation and contribution but will also offer a link back to your own site.  The idea is that this will present an opportunity for the audience reading your comment to visit your blog or website through the link you have left.

When you have successfully left a comment, it should accomplish at least 2 things:

1. Offer some contribution to the original article.  If you agree with the article, but feel there is something that could be added to enhance the message – say so.  If you disagree with the article, and have a clear idea as to why – say so but offer constructive criticism.  
2. Inspire the reader of your comments to ‘check out’ who you are.

Why bloggers love readers’ comments:

1. The added comments are seen as a valuable addition to the original article and are spidered by search engines along with the original article. A great comment can be see as a trusted voice to your target market.  
2. Comments create community.  Not only is the article being read, but readers are participating, which inspires more participation.  
3. It is difficult to write the ‘perfect post’; sometimes it takes many voices to round out a particular topic.  
4. Comments are accompanied by contact info. This contact info can: -Be a new lead -Be a new acquaintance -Be a new destination for like-minded knowledge  

Be forewarned, not all comments are created the same.  In order for a comment to be successful, use this formula:

1. Start by being polite, compliment the article when appropriate.  Blatantly tell the author you have something to add and state if it is positive or negative to their article and polite words always soften constructive criticism.  
2. Next, give your advice, criticism, or insight to the article in a polite tone.  Make sure the comment flows well with the original article and will inspire others to continue reading this bloggers bogs as well as visit your blog or website on a regular basis.  Make sure you re-read your comments to ensure that the tone is appropriate especially when posting a negative comment.  
3. Then add a relevant link! – Most comments are to be accompanied by a web address and name when posted.  However, if your comment merits a link back to one of your articles on your blog or website related to the subject at hand, don’t be afraid to include it as well.  Not all moderators allow for hyperlinks (or HTML tags) in their comments, so you may be left with a text non-link that needs to be copied and pasted into a browser but that’s better than nothing.  
4. Lastly, proofread! Confirm that the information is well written without grammatical errors. Your name and web address are connected to your comments.  Treat your comments as you would a polished blog post: check spelling, grammar, link URLs and contact info for errors.  

Some Benefits to Commenting Besides attracting traffic with successful blog comments on real estate articles, there are also added benefits in search engine optimization for your own blog.  By adding a link back to your site or blog in each comment you enter, you’ll slowly start to weave your online web.  As the search engines spider the article where you made a comment, it automatically establishes an inbound link from said blog.  Leaving successful comments on the blogosphere is just as important as social networking* your own blog entries.  Running a consistent commenting campaign is going to produce visible results similar to any kind of link building efforts that some companies charge thousands for.