This weekend is a weekend for discussion here at ProBlogger and I’m posting some questions submitted by readers via Twitter.
jophllips asks:
“should you add keywords to the name field when you leave comments”
So another way to put it – should you leave your name, blog name or some other keywords in the ‘name’ URL when you leave comments on a blog?
This is a question we’ve debated previously here on ProBlogger and it generated some great discussion. Looking forward to hearing your answers.
I personally don’t like the key words. I Don’t mind a name with a site. I prefer just a name that is a hyperlink. It just seems more classy.
If you are branding yourself and you can use it that way, then sure. I think however there is balance to this. If your site is for hair loss for example, perhaps..
John Fighting Hair Loss Doe
Works, BUT (and a big one), make sure the comment is worthwhile and offers value to the readers and the blog owner.
I don’t have a problem with it unless the comments is pure crap – why not give back a little bit for a good comment? Of course, many people have nofollow added anyway, so it doesn’t matter what is used as the name.
I wonder, is “John’s Weight Loss Blog” better to use than “Weight Loss Blog” because it is more personal, or for those of you who don’t like keywords in the name field it’s just as bad either way?
Do you actually delete or mark as spam valid comments that simply has a name that contains a keyword?
[Lara Says: Hi John! I do a lot of the comment modding around here and no, I don’t delete or mark as spam valid comments that put a keyword in the name on ProBlogger or on any of my own sites – I don’t think Darren minds (much like he feels about signatures in comments) IF and ONLY IF they’re actually commenting with value of some sort. However if someone says “nice site thanks you for this informations” and their name is keywords only, it’s pretty clear they’re not up for participating or adding value to the discussion, they’re trying to spam. That said, it’s sometimes not easy to know, so I also look at things like the age of the post they’re commenting on (older ones tend to see more spammers around here) and factors like if they’ve left the same thing several times on several posts.]
Wow! This discussion caused quite a stir. It’s interesting that many people here are so adamant that keyword-commenting is “spammy.”
If a comment is thoughtful and shows effort and interest on the part of the respondent, what’s the problem? Half the time, I don’t even look at names when I’m reading a discussion anyway.
These days the term “spam” is becoming so misleading. Why is it somehow “spam” to leave an honest comment just because you plug your site? If anything, a name should be left within the comment box itself, not the name field.
-Jason
what purpose do keywords have in the “Name” field? particularly if you don’t leave your name or blog address? and do spiders crawl the comments/name fields? if so, key words would then be applied to the blog/page they are posted on correct? so again, what purpose do they serve?
if you want key words to drive traffic to your own site wouldn’t it be more prudent to work on the meta tags or other aspects of your own site?
as far as blog name goes – there is a separate field available for it already “Website” – is that broken?
I have never done it but i will try.
Well, my opinion is that you should be careful not to come across as to pushy, or even desperate. Make sure you communicate properly, because otherwise bad rep for yourself. Once you do that, it will be hard to turn it around.
I agree with Tim B from Wordjot Newsletters. I use my name | blog name. That way my comment seems personal by using my name, readers know what my blog is, and they know where my link is going.]
If you want to use keywords instead of blog name that is ok with me. But I prefer to have an actual name to go along with it.
I would say it depends on the site and what you are trying to do. If you are trying to ultimately build search engine traffic to sell to disconnected consumers, then leaving keywords might be a good tactic.
For me, leaving keyword-based comment links might give me a short-term bump in traffic, but (and I hate to use the word “brand” but I guess I will) for my blog, the “brand” I’m trying to promote really is me. I use the blog to disseminate ideas and build relationships with people in my field. Long-term I think that my name is a better strategy for my blog and what I am hoping to accomplish through it.
Random people won’t put in my name into Google, but that’s okay for me. I’m not hoping to make big money off the blog, and I am getting most my traffic through referrals through sites in my niche that I’ve interacted with the respective blog owners. If I had used keywords in name links on blogs, I might be getting more search engine traffic, but I bet I wouldn’t have had the email conversations or been added to the blogrolls and rss readers of the authors I have gotten to know through the blogosphere.
Leaving loads of keywords would certainly be spam
Double spam if the content of the comment doesn’t fit the post and is just an advert
Treble spam if the advert is for the usual rubbish about body parts being made bigger etc.
Those of us with blogs and podcasts are always looking to grow our audience and this can be done with all the social networking sites easily perhaps. Commenting on other blogs with good relevant content is OK because content is the king on your own blog and it would be rude to treat someone else’s blog with less respect than you would like for your own.
Anyone remember the early days of internet when netiquette required less than one line of text at the bottom of an email. My how things have changed online.
Since I have a personal website/blog I prefer commenters to use their name, or a nickname. I’m interested in hearing what a real person, with a real name has to say, and think that including their URL with a comment provides sufficient promotional opportunity.
I usually delete (rather than mark as spam) commenters using keywords if I can’t edit the “name” they used by looking at their email address or URL.
If someone entered their name as a string of keywords on my blog I would mark them as spam. I use my posting name to my blog which I see no problem with at all, this is my “identity” if you will.
I don’t mind it, long as the post has meaning to the topic. In that case use keywords and names after all everyone has to promote their own site or they wouldn’t be here learning from problogger.net. Now posting just to put your name and or keywords onto a sight to try and draw traffic without putting something meaningful is just as good as spamming.
I think it is probably a little spammy to include the keyword in the name, but the name of your site/blog is not a big deal to me as long at the comment is valuable and not an advertisement.
I think it’s a movement in the direction of spam. The content is in the comment, you get the link already, just come and provide some good stuff for all to see. Comments have a nice time-honored tradition…I wouldn’t want to see that minimized.
My policy is that if you leave keywords instead of your name on my blog, your comment will be deleted. Comments are content. My blog is not your billboard.
I think that you should show some respect and not use keywords. It’s nice already that you get a link to your site, even it is nofollow. Why should you try to stuff sites? I’d delete those comments.
I actually like it when people include their blog name with their name as it helps me to identify commenters with their blog.
I also don’t mind the plug in that allows you to leave your name AND a keyword link in the name field.
But a keyword for the sake of a link can be a bit off-putting. And it’s not very personal is it?
It’s a Name field, so use your name, your site’s title, or both.
Including keywords simply makes the comment look like spam. If I feel nice, I’ll simply remove the keywords. If not, I’ll delete the comment. If I’m in a bad mood, I might sic the spam filters on it.
I always leave my name instead of the keyword.
I dont like this spam kinda thing, rather be unique and bring your name some good branding.
I delete the URL where comments are left with keywords instead of a name. People commenting for SEO purposes should probably be happy just to get a no-no-followed link from a comment!
Comments are also like little tasters of your blog or site. Leaving a name, as you can clearly see from the comments above, gives a more positive perception of that comment, and by extension the site as well.
I do brand myself, mostly it has not been a problem. I’m flexible on my sites as long as the commenter has something to say and does not spam keywords with no indication of their identity.
Personally when commenting on the blogs about my niche, I don’t put my keywords in, so not to piss off the web masters and build up reputation by leaving legitimate comments, however I still do leave keywords on non related blogs with high pr and follow to rank higher at search engines. So I believe both of these methods should be practiced, and they work fine for me.
I use my real name, although I thought about using my Blog’s Name before. However, I still think I’ll continue to use my real name. If people want to see what my Blog is about they can click on it.
A timely post. Only yesterday I noticed on my analytics that my biggest referring link was “george.” I figured I should change that and made a post to a high quality blog under the name “Top Blogs.” Immediately after I had submitted the well considered and long thought out post I began to feel like a guilty spammer.
I didn’t continue with my postings as planned but stopped. I guess I believe it is not a good thing. I have posted this in exactly the same way by way of demonstration and tomorrow i shall be changing my name by deed poll to Top Blogs Smith. There is usually a way round most things.
Until Tomorrow
George
I have always went ahead using my name because I don’t want to be known with a certain brand. If I were to sell my site, it would mean I lost my identity.
I posted about this a few days ago
http://www.balkhis.com/for-starters/what-name-should-you-use-when-commenting-on-blogs/
I use my first name and no key words. Actually I want to communicate with real names and not with some kind of funny invented name. If i like the comment, I take the time to click on the name and see what’s behind it. But maybe I am bit old fashioned (being a bit over 50 years old…)
I only use my name and never keywords. I am not sure how people think keywords in the name help them on the no-follow blogs. On the other hand, when I read comments, like on this thread, seeing a blog name (if it reflects the nature of their content) could clarify the commentator’s views, without me clicking to their site. Using “brand name” is OK, since that’s how many people want to be recognized.
The most sure way is to follow the blog’s webmaster policy on comments. Without such a policy, deleting a comment, or blocking the commentator may not be fair. The “offender” may not have known what is expected on a particular site. These expectations vary, as evidenced by this comment thread.
Yeah, When I get comments I get all exited and go rush to see them and approve them. But alas when I get their I see something like “Casino Cards Online” and a bunch of links in the comment…
That just bothers me.
I will obviously have to agree with what “Jeff Scienceblog” said. Amazingly, he not only had the same point I do, but he also has the same name. I put my domain after my name simple to distinguish myself. It is not meant for spam, but simple a way to show which “Jeff” I am.
Also, as John Cow mentioned, I make an effort to make sure the comment itself is not spam. If it is a quality comment, then it shouldn’t matter as much what is in the name field.
It’s wild; I never once considered leaving my site’s name as keywording. I prefer to remain anonymous on the internet, though I do have a “handle” of sorts. I suppose I should start doing that so that people don’t think I’m trying to keyword spam. It really, truly never occurred to me.
Toblerone @ Simple Mom
As another ‘Jeff’, I’ll throw my hat in the ring here. I include my site name when I comment to differentiate me from other ‘Jeffs’. I also consider it a way of branding. I too like it when other bloggers do this on my site. It lets everyone know who’s commenting and their credibility. Of course, I do expect comments to be relevant and not just a blatant spam link.
Bad idea. I view comments with keywords in the name space as spam. Using your website or blog name is just fine (I frequently go as Expat Mom on parenting sites to differentiate my mommy side from my business side as Genesis, which is my real name). In fact, I recommend using blog names if you have more than one.
I’m with Genesis on this. It’s spam all the way, but I personally always post as “a husband” as sort of a keyword, but it’s also who I want to be known as in the commenting circles.
Whoa! This conversation has really sparked a nerve. Personally, I have done both although will never do it with the blog that is my newest baby because I do not approve as I think it is rather spammy.
The reason that I have done it in the past is that I was in a race (still am) for a ridiculous over rated keyword called “LipSense”. Most of the world has never heard of it but the 3 women (including me) that hold those beloved google rankings think that it is worth a million dollars…NOT! It has just become three women in a personal horse race.
I think this is extremely bad. It seems to me that the person is not wanting to comment, but to let a link of his site in my blog. This is very bad in my point of view.
Hi. I’m relatively new to blogging and wasn’t even aware this was an issue! I just figured that’s what most people know me on the forum as! I’ll just continue to do what I’ve been doing, I think it’s OK. I haven’t had anyone use keywords so to speak on any of my comments, but I’m more aware of it now thanks to your post!
Yup. I’ve done it for three years. You don’t get paid for adding to other blogs’ content, so it’s a small price to pay — provided it’s a relevant comment and not spam.
I dont see anything wrong. Ia heve done it for some time with good results.
I have done it for some time with good results.
I am blown away by this discussion. If someone takes the time to provide me with a useful comment, I don’t care what they do with their name. I even encourage on my terms of service to use your url after your comment.
To go further, I added link luv so your latest post show up. Aren’t we in this together? If I can help someone to get a new reader because of their thoughful comment, then I am happy for them.
There is enough at the table for all of us and perhaps we should start thinking like that.
I always leave my own name, using the keywords, not sure whether it is ok for me and also the blog that i leave comments.
Leaving a comments along with your name is like in the real world, giving a name card to others. For example : Is your name card, only contain your company name, and your company products. Would this be good? Not sure it will be the same usage as in leaving a comments.
Darren, i think if you have a poll here on this one, it would be nice. Lets see how many agree on this one and how many disagree on this discussion or not sure for it.
http://twitter.com/davcheong
I think it’s actually a great idea to help brand your site as long as it is relevant but at the end of the day, if there is a risk of getting your comment deleted, what’s the point?
There is also the ‘no follow’ issue which would make it pointless.
The real point in commenting is to build up a valuable dialogue and build a relationship which should have a far higher long-term value than building backlinks.
I think that as long as your comment ads value to the site, it doesn’t matter what the name field says. If you put the name of your site in there, people may see that, recognize that your site is about something that interests them, and visit your site for more information. If I just put my name in there, how would that differentiate me? And who really cares what my real name is?
I know this comment thread is quite long but I had to give my two cents.
Beyond whether or not someone should do it. You should ask why would someone want to do it. I doubt there is any extra click ratio when you do it with keywords.
I would also point out that most blogs use the nofollow tag when linking to comments. THe only advantage I would about using keywords for links is the potential link juice, but the nofollow tag clearly takes that away.
so in the end… why would you want to use keywords?
Then again this is coming from a guy with the last name miracle.
I say no.
When someone comments on my blog with their ‘name’ syndicated like that, it comes across as spammy to me.
It seems to say, “I only am commenting here so I can get the link bait.”
While that isn’t always the case, that is what comes across to me.
Hell no! It’s the spammiest thing ever. Even if the comment was largely valid, it would stick in my throat to leave a comment from someone who was obviously SEO baiting.
The *worst* I’ve done from time to time was to use Gerard @ Unreality Music in the title, but I’d rather not overdo it.
The main reason for leaving comments is to join in a discussion. In real life, do you introduce yourself as “Cheap Payday Loans”? No, identify yourself and stop trying so hard to market your product.
The most important thing is that the content of the comment are a reflection of the topic or the question being asked.
I like to promote my sites as well as feed back on posts on other people’s blogs, but I also see that many publishers would not like it on their sites…
I think it depends on the comments that people are making as well as the sites that they are commenting on.
It is good to see that people are having discussion about the subject anyway…!
I think its ok as long as you’re posting something relevant or meaningful.
I have a business blog attached to my business website. The intent of my blog is to be more personal and laid back – so if a guest wants to start participating, I will not allow any “titles”. I prefer to be on a first name basis with my guests, so I will modify their “spammy” names if need be.
I haven’t had any problem when asking my guests to drop the keywording, either – it’s a comment from a person – not a keyword.