Blogs are a great asset for both your SERP as well as audience engagement. As part of your on-going SEO plan, you should be posting blogs to your site on a regular basis. At a minimum, you want to publish a new blog post at least once a week. Three is even better!
Here are some general topics you should address:
- Current events related to your industry.
- New products or services provided by your business.
- Common customer concerns or questions.
Don’t forget to throw in some personal anecdotes about yourself and your employees, too! People trust a brand they feel a personal connection to.
The Power of Blog Comments
Blog comments serve three major purposes:
1. Blog comments help increase reader engagement, which in turn creates trust and affinity towards your brand.
2. Blog comments add information and content to your existing articles, turning them into an even better source of information for readers.
3. Blog comments help your SERP by adding keywords and length to your web-pages.
How to Increase Comments
Blog comments don’t just happen. They need to be nurtured from within your site. Fortunately, you can get great results with just a few simple steps:
Solicit Comments
One of the easiest ways to encourage blog comments is to simply ask for them. Now, this doesn’t mean ending every post with something like “Post a comment below.” Instead, ask for advice, ideas or even corrections. Here are some examples:
- “These tips have always worked great for me, but I’m sure there are more ideas out there. What are your favorite ways to increase reader engagement?”
- “While the plug-ins I’ve listed above are effective tools, my list is my no means definitive. Please let me know about your favorite WordPress plug-in!”
- “Finding the right host for your site can be a pretty big ordeal. If you think I’ve missed anything crucial, don’t hesitate to drop a note in the comments.”
People are more likely to comment when they feel invited to do so. Treat each blog post like the start of a conversation between you and your readers. You’ll be surprised at how often people respond when they’re directly (and politely) asked to do so.
Respond to Comments
Keep the conversation going by responding to each comment in a friendly and timely manner. This can be something as simple as “thanks for the tip” or an in-depth, back and forth discussion.
Don’t ignore negative comments. There will always be complaints. That’s just the nature of business. Customers will judge you on your response to complaints. Address complaints directly as fast as possible. No matter how angry or bizarre the complaint might be (this is the internet, after all), always respond in a polite, professional way.
Your ultimate goal should be to rectify the situation. Don’t worry – if the complaint is truly without merit, people will notice and appreciate your professional attitude.
Take a Side
No matter what industry you’re involved in, there are bound to be some controversial subjects. Don’t be afraid to actually have an opinion. People tend to shy away from middle-of-the-road opinions which try to please everyone.
Note that there are some limits here. Having a purposefully abrasive, controversial opinion will usually backfire and cause readers to lose interest in your brand. But if you have a thoughtful idea which many in your industry might not like, go ahead and make your feelings known.
Be Yourself
There are over seven million personal blogs out there. How on Earth can you stand out? The answer is easy – because you’re like nobody else in the world.
Be yourself. Write your blog like you’re writing to a trusted friend. Here are some quick tips:
- Write in first person. Use “I,” “me,” “my” and so on.
- Address the reader directly by using the word “you.”
- Write casually with slang, figures of speech and humor
- Get personal. Relate your subject a personal anecdote when possible.
- Be brief. Paragraphs should be no more than six sentences max.
Create Great Content, and Blog Comments Will Follow
People love to share their opinions online. If you create an easy going, intelligent, welcoming place for people to share their thoughts, blog comments will start rolling in. Even better, engagement with your audience often has a positive snowball effect. The more you respond directly to your audience, the more people are likely to comment in the future.
These are just some tips I’ve had success with over the years. I’d, of course, be remiss if I didn’t ask for your thoughts below. Let’s get a conversation going! I can’t wait to hear your tips and tricks…