Commenting on Hubs, Blogs, Lenses and other article sites

Comments can become an important part of your article's publishing success. Commenting on articles is a double barreled weapon for article promotion. The helpful blog comment you receive can become a helpful part of your search-able content. Positive comments add to your credibility as an author. Your reply gives you another shot at adding content to your article.

The comments you make on other peoples articles are acts of kindness to them and a promotion opportunity for both the writer and the reader. Commenting is a content opportunity and a promotion opportunity.

My view of comments and commenting on HubPages has evolved. When I first started article writing in 2006, I was, of course, delighted with any comments I received. I was a bit indifferent about making blog comments, unless I was moved strongly. In short, I didn't pay much attention to commenting. I wrote a bunch of articles on HubPages and Squidoo until the fall of 2007. Then I took a hiatus from article writing for a few years.

I came back to article writing, and particularly to HubPages (why I came back here might be a topic for another Hub), the last day of January 2010 and I spent a lot of time looking around, reading Hubs and other articles on the craft of Internet article writing. I concluded that writing Internet articles was a three part process: creating the content of the article, assembling and publishing the article, and then promoting the article. Commenting is an important element in the second and third parts. You see, comments give you additional opportunities to add content and keywords, and a great opportunity to do some social networking.

The settings I currently use are:

• I now give my comment capsule a title, which is another keyword opportunity.
  
• Display most recent comments first - I really like having the freshest comments on top or first to the reader's eyeballs. Most people wont scroll through an old list to see the current comments, which probably are most relevant.
• Email me when comments are posted - It's such a nice atta boy feeling to have the new Email chime and get to see a comment.It also helps to keep you in promotion mode and on a more timely basis.
• Only signed-in users may post comments - I usually leave this unchecked. However if an article seems to be attracting spam comments with 3rd party links (some of my technical how-to articles are targets), I check here to block them.
  
• Initially display at most 20 comments -This seems to be a proper amount of the HubPage real estate to devote to comments. If anybody is interested in the complete history, all they have to do is click the button to

"See 141 more comments"

I do not know if the hidden comments get scrolled by the search bots, but I think I'm willing to give up that (older) content for a better looking and more balanced article page.

I'm making an exception on this HubPage, because after all it is about comments! So I'm displaying all comments.

When somebody takes the time to do you a kindness and leave a comment, the logical thing to do is to say thank you! Don't stop there; think about the texture of their comment and answer or reinforce or agree. It's a content opportunity, so use contextual language that will catch the readers eye and the search bots eye.

Avoid making a single reply to each comment, where possible. Combine a couple of replies in one reply message. It looks better if visitor images appear more often than yours! This is very much traffic dependent. If the comments on your article are sparse and spaced out, then by all means answer each one independently. If you are fortunate to get bursts of comments, then group a few thank yous in one reply message.

Try to avoid leaving a two word generic comment, like "Great Hub!". It might be true, but it looks blah and wastes a golden opportunity. If you can take the time to type two words, you can take the time to craft two sentences. You are a writer, aren't you?

Think about the content of the Hub and your first reactions and say something concrete:

• Agree, but be specific
• Reach into your personal experience on the topic.
• How did the article impact you? How did it make you feel?
• Re-use the authors keywords if possible.

The more concrete your comment, the more helpful it is to the author. Your comment reflects on you as a writer. It's OK to be funny, to agree, to disagree (pleasantly), to add... it is not OK to be dull!

Funny thing happens when you make good comments. Sometimes, the author or the author's readers decide to check you out, What makes them check you out? The quality of your content reflects back on you like a spotlight. Often an author will appreciate your comment effort enough to find one of your Hubs and leave a positive comment.

Content is king, even in comments!

OK, so two words is too short; but, how much can you say in your comment? The best answer I can give is to use good judgement:

• At least  a couple of short sentences.
• A small paragraph or two.
• Long paragraphs can be invasive.
  
• The comment field is not the place for a long rebuttal, or one of your war stories.
• The comment field is not a forum. Unless the author encourages you, resist the temptation to spar with another commenter on somebody else article.
  

I once saw a comment that was linearly longer than the Hub. The commenter tried to show off poetic skills with a long poem. That seemed to me to hijack the author's hub. Be considerate.

Every time somebody new gives you a comment, take the time to visit their profile. Check out their Hubs. If possible find one that inspires you to leave a positive comment. Rate their Hub. Follow them if you are so inclined. In short, spread the Hub-love. It's a good thing to do. It feels good. You'll meet new friends. You'll find some interesting Hubs. You'll get followers. You'll get readers.

And you've got the karma thing going. What goes around, comes around. Do unto others... pick the cliche of your choice, but it is a true thing!

Every time you comment on somebodies article, you are identified, and the reader can click and see your profile. Every time somebody reads that article, there is a chance that your ID will get spotted in the scrolling comments process and a chance you can get investigated. If you write good comments and add good and interesting content, you have an opportunity to catch somebodies wandering eye, and may pick up a reader.

Generally speaking, the link in your ID is enough.

A hyperlink to one of your articles or blogs in the body of the comment is
generally considered spam by the author, by other readers, by HubPages. Not
good. Marisa Wright wrote a great article on HubPages etiquette that is relevant on any article or blog site.

If you have an honest third party link that helps the author or article, then spell it
out but don't make it a hyperlink. Then it is less like a click trap.
It's OK to link to your own Hubs in your own articles, including replies to
comments made there.

Vote in the polls. Rate the Hub. Leave a comment. All feedback is appreciated.