By admin
A couple posts ago, I talked about the importance of blog commenting. I talked about how successful it can be for getting traffic, links, and attracting new subscribers. I thought it would be a good idea to show you my schedule for commenting. Since I wrote that first article, my traffic has grown dramatically, and my links have improved as well, so I can definitely attest to it’s results.
First, I explained the steps about setting up a Google Reader. Google Reader is a great way to subscribe to blogs. I don’t know about you, but subscribing in emails annoy me. I like the RSS feed version much better. Typically people have the full feed option, and so you can read the whole post as well.
Currently I’m subscribed to about 20 sites on it, but that number is quickly growing. I check the reader multiple times a day, and each time there is a new post, I read the post in my feed, then visit the site and comment on it. This way I can get a good 10-20 comments in a day, which is a manageable amount for me, with the little time I have. Practically all of these sites are in my same niche, and I highly recommend you add such sites to yours as well. This is helpful for several reasons:
1. By commenting on all of their posts, I’m starting to build a relationship with them. We’re able to start helping each other out, through guest posting, contest sponsoring, comments, and linking to each other’s posts
2. I get a lot more comments, because typically they will return the favor.
3. I’m getting more publicity for my site, because other people are checking out my site, and they are interested in the guy who comments on every single one of their posts.
4. They are reading my posts, and so when they are looking for a post to link to a certain topic, they have mine in mind.
5. I’m learning a lot as well. Seeing what my niche is talking about, it gives me inspiration on what to write about. And also I learn new things as well.
I highly recommend you set up a system similar to this, because it is very productive. The only problem is if you miss several days, because you will come back and see 20-30 posts to comment on. But at least for me, this has become a highlight of blogging, and I’m sure it will become such for you as well. If you need some blogs to add to your list, Ironblogger made a great list of 100 bloggers that will help your blog succeed.
If you liked this post, please subscribe to my Email or RSS feed by using the link in the sidebar. I would also greatly appreciate a stumble.
By admin
At some point in the next couple days I will be posting my first blog review, and today I’m going to present the format in which I will do it. This is so that you will know how I will do it in the future, in case you want to buy one. This will be my first blog review on MOS and so I’m going to follow a very specific format. I guarantee all of my blog reviews will be over 1,000 words at least, because I will cover every aspect of your site. I will have different sections concerning all the aspect of your site that I can observe. All of these reviews will be 100% honest. I’m not going to beat around the bush, and tell you I love your stuff because you’re paying me to. I’m going to tell you my honest opinion about it, and hopefully be able to give you constructive criticism, if it needs work.
I have been studying different blog reviews on other sites, seeing what works, and what doesn’t. And mainly, what people like, and what people don’t like. I’ve been reading a lot about what all the different parties want to see in a review, including the reader, the writer, and the one being reviewed, so hopefully I’ve covered everything. Here is the format I will use.
At the beginning of every blog review, I will post a screenshot of the blog, with the author’s name, and a link to his site using the keyword of their choice. I will use at least two links to the site in every review, one at the beginning and one at the end, with the anchor text of their choice, following the Yes or No answer.
The different sections I will include are, Blog Template/Theme, Navigation through Site, Any pages they have such as Contact/About/Advertise… The Quality of the Content, Their Use of Ads, I will also try to include testimonials from other bloggers who know the site, Or have an objective opinions about it, that way you won’t always just be receiving my opinion but others as well. Finally I will talk about their current success by sharing their stats, and talk about Their use of Widgets.
I will wrap up with any practical suggestions I can come up with. And a final judgment on whether the site’s stats really reflect the site’s worth or not. Then finally the drum roll question, is this site worth visiting, Yes or No. I will give a one word answer, and then explain it as much as I can. Hopefully I will never have to say No, but it will happen. If I settle with a Yes, then I will also include a link to subscribe to their RSS feed. And links to three of their top posts, picked by the person who asked for the review.
Because the purpose of my reviewing your site, is to help you develop it, I will be giving a large discount for return reviewers. It will have to be at least a month later, but the purpose would be for followup. Hopefully, you will have fixed some of the problems that I pointed out in the first review, and thus you can have a chance to get a better rating.
My wish would be that this could follow somewhat of the same format as the Reader Blog Critique, on Blogging Tips, so that commentators would give constructive reviews as well. Any comments that I think are constructive, I will add in the post, with a link from the person.
If there’s anything that you think I should add to this format, please comment, and I will consider adding it to my list.
If you look in the sidebar I’ve added an advertise page. Right now it only includes the option of getting blog reviews, but starting this January I will be offering private ads. Check out the page now, if you’re interested in saving a spot in the first batch of ad sales.
By admin
If you like this post, please subscribe to my RSS or Email feed, using the links in the sidebar, for more posts on How to Blog.
You have just finished reading a blog post, and you nod your head, it was a good post, and then you click to the next website in your browser. You’ve done that millions of times, why would you do anything else? Why should you bother commenting? Sure you enjoyed it, maybe even learned some things, but your a busy person, you can’t afford the time to comment.
If that’s you, and I know that we are all guilty of that a lot, then it’s time to change. If you run a blog, and you want it to get more traffic, links, PR, comments… you NEED to start commenting Alot. That’s the way most popular sites have started off, from commenting up to 50+ times a day. The three keys to getting a popular site is have great original content, to post frequently, and to comment insane amounts.
On December 2nd, I had a commenting spree. And I sent out about 30-40 comments in one day, which honestly isn’t a ton, but it is when you are really busy. That one day of commenting created incredible results for my blog, in all aspects. My Alexa ranking was 87K for that one day dropping my total down to 153K, my subscribers jumped by almost twenty. And my Technorati, dropped below 100K to 88K because of the new links I got. And these new readers are now coming back.
Not only did this give me a lot of traffic, but it put my blog out for new visitors to see. I got almost 20 new subscribers in two days, and many new links from it. When you comment repeatably on a site, then you can get on the top of their top commentator lists, which gives you a free link as well, and also more traffic because people are curious who the top people are. Commenting is a must for all bloggers, and by getting yourself into the habit of commenting after every post, you’ll greatly help your blog. And not only that, but if you do it right, then you can help your site’s search engine rankings as well. That’s four pluses right there, and now I realize it takes some time, but if you can get in a habit you will immediately start seeing results.
Another important reason, is the relationships you can start to develop. Relationships are really underrated on the internet, but knowing the right people can be hugely helpful for promotion. You can get guest posting opportunities, do advertising together, or you can even start sites together, combining your online talents. Besides my site’s results for proof, there are three bloggers who are pinnacle examples of the commenting art. They are what I like to call the “Comment Kings of the Blogging World,” or just “Comment Kings” for short. These guys are EVERYWHERE. You couldn’t escape them even if you wanted to. It doesn’t matter what your blog is about. I think they should create a wordpress plugin that can block the “Comment Kings,” because if you create a blog on the Internet, they’ll find you and leave a comment lol. And their sites are definitely showing the results of their persistent effort.
They are,
Dennis Edell from http://www.directsaleswebmarketing.com
Danny Cooper from http://www.linkersblog.com
Yan Susanto from http://www.thoushallblog.com
So what does all this mean for you?
Step One, go onto your google account, and create a google.com/reader account.
Step Two, all the blogs that you read, add their urls onto the account by typing in the urls in the add subscription box.
Step Three, check this every day if you can, and everytime they write a new post, comment on it.
Step Four, go to these three secret sites, if you are Yan, Danny, or Dennis reading this post, you aren’t allowed to click on these. 
Secret URL 1
Secret URL 2
Secret URL 3
Why spend all the effort trying to find the new sites to comment on? Yan, Dennis, and Danny, already do the work for us, just follow their accounts, from the secret urls, and then they will show you lots of new sites, that will be easy to get on the top commentator lists, and thus get free links from. You will be able to start building relationships by becoming a frequent commentator, and you will be able to get traffic back to your site as well.
Step Five, add these new sites to your google reader, (maybe on another account) and start commenting on these as well.
I promise you will start seeing results in no time.
If you liked this post, please subscribe to my RSS or Email feed, using the links in the sidebar, for more posts on How to Blog. I would greatly appreciate a stumble, if this helped you, so that others can learn as well.
