Want an easy backlink to your site? Become a motor mouth. Really. Allow me to explain…
Many blogs reward their Top Commentators with a shout out in the side bar. You’ve probably seen them on some of your favorite blogs, or maybe even use the feature on yours. The concept is simple: the more comments you post, the more likely you’ll end up on this list. And this list usually includes a hyperlink back to your site (the one you’ve included in all your comment forms).
How’s that for cool?
The best part is that many bloggers don’t set this feature to “NoFollow.” Whether it’s on accident (I’m sure there are a few) or by design (I’m willing to bet that most people fall into this category), the point is that YOU can get even more benefit out of leaving comments on your favorite websites – something you should be doing anyway, if not, read my Why Blog Commenting Rocks post.
… And if this whole backlink discussion sounds like a doctoral Latin presentation, check out What Are Backlinks?
An Easy Backlink Menthod
I really love the Top Commentator plugin for a number of reasons. But in terms of backlinks, it’s a super-amazing-awesome way to get some quality love to your website in a very short amount of time – while helping the original blogger build a community at the same time. Win-win. I’ll cheers to that!
What’s so amazing about leaving enough comments to end up in the Top Commentators shout out? Two BIG answers:
1. Most comment forms are set to “NoFollow.” It’s a geeky web term that I’ll go into some day, but the point is that Google (theoretically) won’t give the same amount of backlink love to NoFollow links. However, the Top Commentators plugin is NOT usually set to NoFollow, which means you get crazy good love… Like a puppy!
2. A Link From Every Page In The Blog. The sidebar plugin runs on every single page, which means it shows up on every single page within the blog – meaning you’re getting a backlink from every teeny tiny corner of the other person’s site. A regular comment, on the other hand, is relegated only to the page/post you commented on. Imagine if the blog is super huge, say, 300 posts and pages… that’s a lot of backlinks!
The best part is that becoming a “Top Commentator” is super simple: just keep on commenting like you normally do. If you’re the type that doesn’t leave comments – I used to be that type – than I’d highly recommend giving it a shot. Not only are you building backlinks to your site, but you’re also building friends.
And who doesn’t need more friends?
On a related side note: I love the blogging circle that has developed between Search Engine Viking and several other blogs. We frequently read each other’s stuff, leave comments, recommend links sometimes even email back and forth. And it would have never developed had I not broken out of my lame little shell and started leaving comments… Just food for thought for those of you who haven’t bit the bullet and started commenting yet.
Limited Lifetime
Such an awesome tip couldn’t come without a catch, right? Sort of. The only catch here is that most of these Top Commentator blogs automatically reset after a predetermined amount of time, usually at the start of every month. So if you want to keep the link love flowing, you’ll have to keep commenting over the long haul – it’s not a “set-and-forget” strategy.
But all in all, you won’t find an easy backlink strategy any easier than by ranking high in Top Commentator sidebars throughout the Internet.
Tags: Backlinks, Blog Commenting
Very interesting. I still need to understand the NoFollow and DoFollow a little better, but if you say DoFollow helps build backlinks then that’s cool. I’ll look at adding the plugin to my site as well.
.-= Mike Roosa´s last blog ..I’m Giving Away The Farm — Read This If You Like Free Stuff =-.
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Lee Reply:
May 12th, 2010 at 3:49 pm
A “NoFollow” tag supposedly tells Google not to treat it as a backlink to you site. Technically, there is no such thing as “DoFollow Links,” as those are regular links that aren’t slammed with the “NoFollow” tag in the code.
The thing is, only Google listens to NoFollow, so all links still count in the eyes of the other Search Engines like Yahoo, MSN, etc…
Personally, I think Google still gives a little love to NoFollow links, but that’s just my hunch.
.-= Lee´s last blog ..Alexa Update: 1,195,786 =-.
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I don’t understand the no follow versus follow either!!
What I’ve noticed is that Ryan on Planting Dollars is a “follow” blog, so when we post on his blog, it will show up on Google.
When I post on a “no follow” blog it doesn’t show up on Google.
Personally I like it when my comments are on Google, it helps page rank with them.
.-= Scott Barron´s last blog ..What is Your Website Grade? =-.
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Lee Reply:
May 12th, 2010 at 3:52 pm
I have to admit that I’m kind of lazy and don’t always check who has NoFollow and who doesn’t, because I just like commenting.
But yeah, many bloggers like ripping out the NoFollow tags out of the comments.
.-= Lee´s last blog ..Alexa Update: 1,195,786 =-.
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Scott Barron Reply:
May 14th, 2010 at 1:10 am
I don’t know how to check to see if a website is no follow or not.
.-= Scott Barron´s last blog ..What is Your Website Grade? =-.
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Lee Reply:
May 14th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
The easiest way that I’ve found is to:
1. Bring the page up in your browser
2. Click “view” at the top level command bar of your browser
3. Select “page source” (it’ll show you computer code and all that jazz)
4. Use the search function
5. Type in the name of someone who has left a comment in the comment section
6. Look for the “NoFollow” tag in front of the URL in that line of code
I’m sure there are other (easier) ways, but this is how I do it – hope it helps
Rock On
Great tip Lee! You should create a list of bloggers using the top commentator plugin, I reckon that could get quite a bit of publicity.
.-= Tom@Timothy Ferriss scam´s last blog ..Can you Value An Entrepreneur Salary? =-.
[Reply]
Lee Reply:
May 12th, 2010 at 3:55 pm
Hi Tom!
There are quite a few of these lists out there already, maybe I’ll make a list of those lists???
Or, better yet, maybe I should let readers of this blog create a Follow page and we’ll post that – it’d help people find some love and boost readership across the board
.-= Lee´s last blog ..Alexa Update: 1,195,786 =-.
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Nice post Lee. Some great points raised here – and even more in the comments thread. And a no no-follow thread at that – your post’s point in action. I like it.
I found you through Scott and I’m glad I did. There’s some good stuff here mate.
Cheers, Alex.
.-= Alex´s last blog ..How does your Blog Stackup? =-.
[Reply]
Lee Reply:
May 21st, 2010 at 8:56 pm
Thanks Alex, I give you serious mad points for noting that my comments are NoFollow, but my Top Commentator plugin is not – nice work, you get my “Super Sleuth For The Day” award
p.s. I might be experimenting with taking the NoFollow out of my comment section, I’ll let you (and everybody else) know if/when that happens.
.-= Lee´s last blog ..Weekly Rockstar Blog: May 21, 2010 =-.
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One free, easy way to get backlinks is to monitor forums where people are discussing your areas of expertise. This is really easy to do with Google Alerts.
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Quality backlinks are links that are pointed to your blog or a web site from other place on the internet….
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