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Do People Read Blog Comments?

Real Estate Broker/Owner with City Realty, Inc. - Olympia, WA 24805

March 10, 2011 06:59 AM

Do people really read all those comments at the end of your blog post? In a word....ABSOLUTELY! That is half the fun of a good blog post. Think about your own web browsing behavior. If you read a well crafted, thought provoking article do you find your eyes being drawn to the comments to see how other people have responded to it? It seems only natural to want to see how other people have interpreted and reacted to the information being presented.

Do People Read Blog Comments? Our virtual world of today is driven by our social desires. We crave transparency and we are drawn to platforms that provide it. Facebook is built around comments and interaction. Twitter draws you in with the @mention feature. The blogging world of today is no different. Sure, we all have strong opinions about a variety of issues and it is fun just to have a platform to write down those thoughts. But the real attraction of blogging is to solicit a response from our reader and start a conversation.

The art of commenting is no less important than creating the content in the first place. By leaving a thought provoking comment, you have created an opportunity for yourself. You have shown your personality and character, opening the possibility of further interaction. You don't have to be a skilled writer to have success in the blogging world. People love to know they are being heard, and a thoughtful comment can flip the blog on its head. Instead of the blog post being a method of attracting new contacts for the blogger, it becomes a way for you, the commenter, to have people interested in you.

But what about negative comments? There will always be people who disagree with you, or who just like to be argumentative or negative. Rather than fight it by moderating comments or getting into a public slugfest on a comment thread, try taking the high road. Use that negative comment as an opportunity to let your true professionalism shine through. Each online interaction we have is a chance to show our character in an otherwise anonymous virtual world.

So, now that you have taken the time to read my thoughts on blog comments I'm curious to know your thoughts on a few things....

What makes a good comment?

Is there a place for moderation in comment threads or should you leave it totally open?

Does a blog have to provide great content for you to want to read the comments and/or comment yourself?

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John J. Dean, Jr.

Engel & Voelkers Boston - Boston, MA

I have several websites and I always read the comments .. they are the one thing that truly gives us a barometer on your writing and comments.

Mar 11, 2011 02:49 AM

John J. Dean, Jr.

Engel & Voelkers Boston - Boston, MA

I have several websites and I always read the comments .. they are the one thing that truly gives us a barometer on your writing and comments.

Mar 11, 2011 02:49 AM

Evelyn Santiago, Managing Broker Heart Realty Group, Inc.

Heart Realty Group, Inc.. - Oswego, IL

Passionate About Real Estate & Our Clients!

I try to read as many comments as possible because I learn so much from them. Trying to understand other's viewpoints helps me either confirm my own position or consider other options. Sometimes we have to delete certain comments because they are either off topic, or when the commenter is obviously having a bad day and may not be thinking logically and you might be doing them a favor by deleting the comment.

Mar 11, 2011 02:51 AM

Dawn Crawley

Dawn Crawley Realty - Pinehurst, NC

Find Pinehurst Homes

Thought provoking as evidenced by the comments. I sometimes read comments on other blogs and always read comments on my blogs. For example on this blog, there are too many for me to read them all.

Mar 11, 2011 02:54 AM

Brian Schulman

Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage, Lancaster PA - Lancaster, PA

Lancaster County PA RealEstate Expert 717-951-5552

95% of the comments are made by other professionals, who get incentive points for comments. The public may indeed be reading the blogs, but it is much harder to measure since they don't comment nearly as often.

Mar 11, 2011 03:01 AM

Tammie White, Broker

Franklin Homes Realty LLC - Franklin, TN

Franklin TN Homes for Sale

I try to read all the comments before commenting myself. I especially love those posts that have a heated debate ensuing.

Mar 11, 2011 03:03 AM

Brad Baxter

Brad Baxter, Weichert, Realtors - McDonald-McKinney - Fishers, IN

Indianapolis Real Estate Broker

I do like the comments on topics that I can learn from and relate to my business. I have noticed that when I am more active here in the rain, you start to see the same people commenting on blogs and you start to get to know their personality through their comments. This is one reason I like AR better than other blogs.

Mar 11, 2011 03:06 AM

Tammy Emineth

Personal SEO - Website SEO and Real Estate Marketing - Marysville, WA

Content Marketer, SEO Teacher, Website Fixer

You bet they do! One of my latest blogs was all about how leaving a comment can help or harm your online reputation. I read comments and it really makes me wonder if I would refer that person or not. Some can be mightly attacking... Congrats on the Feature! :)

Mar 11, 2011 03:50 AM

Kathy Streib

Room Service Home Staging - Delray Beach, FL

Home Stager - Palm Beach County,FL -561-914-6224

Mike- this is an excellent post and had it not already been featured, I definitely would have suggested it. The content of the post dictates the comments;but by the same token a person can write a comment other than "thanks for sharing" that will generate a dialog between the blogger and themselves or others. I know that I've learned of new (to me) bloggers because of comments they've left on my post. You can learn as much if not more from reading the comments.

Mar 11, 2011 03:53 AM

Bill Burchard

3B Realty: 951-347-3818, CA - Murrieta, CA

Broker, Realtor, Representing Buyers and Sellers

Good morning, Mike. I find that whether I leave a simple or thought-provoking comment depends on the nature of the post... and the same is true for whether I decide to read the comments. Some posts are just beautiful photos. Reading the comments of those type of posts don’t necessarily provide any additional insight. But some posts (such as those often authored by Karen Anne Stone) are deeply thought-provoking... and occasionally controversial. With Karen Anne’s posts, I eagerly devour every comment... and sometimes respond not just to Karen Anne’s post, but to the comments of others.

As to whether to moderate comments, the only comments I moderate on my blog are those that are obviously spam... and those I just delete.

Mar 11, 2011 03:56 AM

Ronald S. Accornero

OC Signature Properties - Villa Park, CA

Your title draws us in to reading the blog.

If the content is short and interesting we continue to read.

If the content delivers the title.

Mar 11, 2011 05:20 AM

Michelle Francis

Tim Francis Realty LLC - Atlanta, GA

Realtor, Buckhead Atlanta Homes for Sale & Lease

Mike,

Some blogs are totally fascinating and everyone doesn't have to be in agreement. Respectful is important, but agreement is NOT!

I do read most the comments. Best comments are ones that continue to keep you thinking on the post topic.

All the best, Michelle

Mar 11, 2011 06:51 AM

Christine Donovan

Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA

Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

Sometimes I read the comments, sometimes I don't. It depends how involved I am in it.

As to moderaition, I do some, but not a lot.

Mar 11, 2011 03:20 PM

David Bruce, Jr.

Frederick Web Promotions - Frederick, MD

Local SEO Apex Predator

One reason to pay attention to blog comments is because Google pays attention to blog comments!

I'm a local SEO contractor, and my battle testing shows me that the comments add to the both the "Google Page Rank" and the "Freshness" of a blog post.

Google patented the "fresh" part of their algorithm: Query Deserves Freshness is what they call it.

Mar 12, 2011 03:37 AM

Mike Conner

City Realty, Inc. - Olympia, WA - Lacey, WA

Thank you all for your thoughtful answers to my questions. I see the answer to my overall question of "Do People Read Blog Comments?" is a resounding YES!

Mar 12, 2011 08:12 AM

Lawrence "Larry" & Sheila Agranoff. Cell: 631-805-4400

The Top Team @ Charles Rutenberg Realty 255 Executive Dr, Plainview NY 11803 - Plainview, NY

Long Island Condo and Home Specialists

Great question Mike. We usually read others after we have made our own comments so that we aren't swayed one way or the other. Okay, let's go back up to the beginning and see what everyone has to say!

Mar 12, 2011 10:49 AM

Donna Malone

Waterfront, Luxury, Family, Affordable, Cottage, Deals - Bridgewater, NS

Homes and Property for Sale Nova Scotia

I like the comments that show a little humor or add to the knowledge component. I read the blogs for good content, if I don't find any, I move on and don't look at the comments.

Mar 23, 2011 06:09 AM

Adrian Willanger

206 909-7536 AdrianWillanger-broker.com - Seattle, WA

Profit from my two decades of experience

Mike, I must confess I only read about 29 of the comments on your post, I typically enjoy reading the comments as much as the post. It gives me a wider perspective and much fuller insight. Thanks for asking the question.

Apr 04, 2011 01:56 PM

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Dec 11, 2011 07:41 PM

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