This month marks 15 years since I started blogging. I started with the now defunct site Themestream, and shortly after it went down, I moved to Blogger. Actually, in a sense, I’ve been blogging longer than that. For 3 years prior, I was writing articles for a weekly ezine.
Anyhow, over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks for driving traffic to blogs. One key to building a community around your blog is commenting on other blogs. Here are 4 reasons why:
1. Comments show that you want to engage.
Commenting on other blogs shows others that you’re willing to engage with them. It tells bloggers that you have dedicated time out of your busy day to read their thoughts, ponder on their thoughts, formulate an opinion on those thoughts, then respond to them.
2. Comments show that you have something to say.
It also shows bloggers that you have something to say. And if you have something to say on that specific topic, they might think you have something to say on related topics.
3. Comments are an extension of your blog.
What you write in your comments is an extension of what you write on your own blog. If people like your writing, they may visit your blog to read more of that writing.
4. Comments link to your blog.
Finally, most blogging platforms link your name to your own blog. This way, if someone like your comments, they may click through to your blog to see what else you’ve written. These links also improve your SEO by increasing the number of relevant links pointing to your blog.
Commenting on other blogs is one of the best ways to build a community and drive traffic.