I received a comment from a reader who seemed disappointed that my blog comments are nofollow.

For those who don’t know, nofollow means that my site’s PageRank is not transferred to your site when you leave a comment along with a link to your site.

In other words, the link from my site to yours, has no influence on your backlinks and PageRank in the eyes of Google.

To make a link nofollow you simply add rel=”nofollow” inside the href HTML code of your hyperlinks like this…

<a href=”http://www.anysite.com” rel=”nofollow”>Name of Site</a>

I’ve never even considered making my comments dofollow (the opposite of nofollow).  In fact, WordPress 1.5 and higher automatically assigns the nofollow attribute to all comments, and most bloggers never bother to change this.

The major benefit of having a dofollow blog is you may get more comments.  Many bloggers seek out these blogs, and there are numerous directories that list dofollow sites.

The downside to using dofollow, however, is that you could be inundated with spam.  This also means you are flowing PageRank to potentially spammy/inappropriate sites, and this could hurt the reputation of your site in Google’s eyes.

So to preserve and protect my reputation and PageRank with Google, I use nofollow for my comments and sponsor ads.

The Obsession Continues

My personal opinion is that the dofollow/nofollow issue is blown out of proportion.

Of course, a few dofollow links from some very relevant sites can positively impact your backlinks and PageRank, but is it worth spending hours per day looking for these sites when you could be using that time to focus more on building quality content?

At the end of the day, if your site is useful, fresh, unique and you are promoting it effectively, you will naturally earn plenty of voluntary dofollow links from other site owners who value your content.

There’s nothing wrong with keeping track of your PageRank and backlinks, but when it becomes obsessive, you could be putting too much attention in the wrong areas.

Let’s also not forget that you can still generate plenty of traffic from commenting on nofollow blogs.  Even though you may not be earning a backlink for SEO purposes, you can still build quite the traffic flow if you perfect your commenting strategy.  (See How to Write Killer Blog  Comments.)

Remember, you are not just working to please spiders.  Humans read blogs too, and capturing their attention is just as important.

I wish people would stop obsessing over dofollow links (especially on blogs).  Posting solid comments on nofollow blogs can still lead to dofollow links in the long run simply because people may value your site and recommend it to their readers.

The case study I posted last week is a great example.  Because Kiesha has an outstanding blog that I wanted to feature, she still earned a voluntary dofollow link from a relevant blog.

Why did I feature her?  Because she has an outstanding blog with fabulous content.  Thus she was rewarded with a dofollow link.  These are the results you get when you publish quality content.

You’ll also find that you won’t have to spend so much time actively seeking out dofollow links.  Instead, they will find you.

Even though my comments are nofollow, most links in my posts are not.  So I’m happy to reward and recommend sites that are worthy of a mention.

What Does Google Say About This?

Matt Cutts (Google’s lead engineer) published a video about this a few months back, and it made me even more confident that I made the right decision about nofollow comments.

What’s your blog’s linking policy?  Why did you choose it?

Good content is king.

The more useful, relevant and unique it is, the more likely it will connect with its intended audience.

So why don’t people keep this in mind when commenting on blogs?

I’ve been generating decent traffic from this lately, and it’s mainly because I’ve revised my commenting strategy.

I used to reply with a quick comment like “Great post, thanks.” That may be cordial, but it’s not very unique or noticeable.

So of course my comments got lumped in with all the other “Great post” variations.

Now I take a little time to craft my comment and the results are paying off. Here are some tips to help you become a more effective blog commentor.

1. Don’t Be Afraid to Disagree

When I’m scanning comments on other blogs, I always find myself reading comments from people who disagree. Why? …

Because their comment stands out among all the “Great post!” comments.

Disagreeing doesn’t have to be rude or disrespectful. There is a tactful way to do it. Simply state that you disagree and more importantly explain why.

This is your time to shine and potentially prove you are a credible source. This may also engage other readers and the author.

Back up your reasons with facts and useful information. Saying you disagree just for the sake of disagreeing is pretty pointless.

2. Make ‘em Laugh

Lighten up and inject some humor where appropriate. You’ll be surprised how this will make people look twice at your comment.

Most blog comments are serious. Make yours stand out with some light-hearted fun.

3. Create a Powerful Opening Line

Just like writing content for your blog or website, you want to get people’s attention. Consider that opening line to be your comment’s headline.

Most people scan, so if they their eye happens to catch your witty opening line, you’ve just increased the chance they’ll read your comment instead of skimming to the next.

4. Add Another Item to the List

I often look for blog posts where the author mentions an ordered list of items – for example, “5 Ways to Build Traffic.” In your comment, why not suggest a 6th way, and if #6 has worked for you, briefly explain how.

Obviously people reading this post are interested in ways to build traffic, so naturally they’ll find your addition relevant and hopefully useful.

5. Impress The Author

Nothing impresses Webmasters more when blog commentors show they are familiar with their work. When it’s relevant, refer back to previous content the author has written and tie it into your comment.

Sometimes this puts you on the author’s radar. Perhaps they’ll even visit your site. It never hurts to seek out a few brownie points… especially if the author has a large audience. They may decide to feature your site in one of their posts.

I always look twice at someone who makes a well thought out comment, especially if it’s clear they’ve been reading my work.

Who doesn’t need their ego stroked once and a while, right?

6. Look for Highly Relevant Posts

Use the blog’s search function to find posts that match up well with the theme of your site and comment on them.

Say you have a blog about fantasy football and you are reading a sports blog. Do a search for “fantasy football” and look for posts that will allow you to show off your knowledge and expertise.

7. Use the Name of Your Site Instead of Your Name

When you fill out a comment form, most blogs will link your name to your site’s URL. Instead of using your name, use a catchy, keyword-focused name that may encourage people to click on your site.

I have to be honest. I’ve never done this, but may try this in the future. I added this strategy to the list because I was reading a comment on my own blog, and I actually clicked the person’s link because their title caught my attention.

Keep It Short and Simple

No one wants to read a novel. While it’s important to add something of substance, you also don’t want to get ignored because you wrote too much. More is not necessarily better.

Make your key points quickly, and do so without a lot of fluff and fillers.

9) Comment on Other Comments

If you can spark a meaningful conversation with another commentor, this can also draw some attention to your site. Not only will this increase your visibility, but you get a chance to show off your knowledge.

10) ???

I’ll leave #10 to you. Have you done anything useful I did not mention? What were the results?

(Hint: This is where you put Tip #4 into action.)