Sometimes I wonder who is my audience? I mean I write my blog posts, and get my traffic, and some comments. But everybody knows that the comments are a very small percentage of the actual amount of readers. I looked at my Google analytics results from all of the visitors on mastersofseo ever, and they averaged 1M and 41 S on my blog. Now that’s not very good but it’s not awful either. A minute and 40 seconds is a long time to look at one page. And also each visit averages 1.72 pages per visit. Then I totaled up my amount of visitors and using that information I used an online calculator and figured out what percentage of my visitors commented. It was pretty depressing number, only 0.06521739130434782% or rounding up 7% of my visitors comment.
So I started thinking about that, 7%, that’s not very much, what do the other 93% do? I mean if they’re looking around for almost two minutes, is that just reading time? You must also remember this includes all of my traffic. So lots of 0 seconds visits from search engines and social media sites, so the actual amount of readers time will be much higher. So after realizing a very tiny percentage of my readers commented, I was curious about who commented. After analyzing my comments, I realized, a very large percentage of my commentators are by other bloggers in this same niche. Just take a look at my top commentators, they’re almost all sites about SEO, Social Media, Blogging Tips, or Making Money Online. And this has always been that way for my site. The commentators have always been related bloggers. And I started thinking, is this the same on other blogs? Every site I look at it’s the same thing. Bloggers from the same niche commenting on each other. And after hearing about John Chow’s study on why bloggers comment, and seeing an overwhelming percentage of them comment for the purpose of getting traffic back to their site, I’m becoming skeptical. So I checked another site in the same niche. Almost every other blogging tips or MMO site I visited, the top commentators are all bloggers from the same niche. Now not only is it the same niche, but as I looked I realized, it’s the same people as well. There are about 50 MMO or HTB bloggers, who comment on each other’s site.
Too many people have read the Blog Commenting Blueprint and are taking advantage of it. But commenting is starting to lose it’s innocence as a result. All of these bloggers are subscribed to each others sites, and the top commentators on each other’s sites. So if a majority of commentators are commenting for their own selfish purposes, I wonder how many legit commentators there are? I’m considering removing all comment plugins, because if people are visiting my site and commenting only for the purpose of trying to help out their own site, what purpose am I serving? I always get excited when I have a comment without a url attached, because that means they weren’t doing it for their own benefit, but rather were doing it to actually comment their opinion. Now I’m almost happy only 7% of my readers are commenting, because that means only 7% of my readers are potentially trying to take advantage of the situation. 93% are just reading, and learning. I hope that as time goes on, either that 7% will continue to go down, or the 93% will start to comment, but their blogs will be completely unrelated, or they won’t even have blogs at all. I wonder if they removed the url box for comments, would that completely remove all greed from the commenting situation. Now take what you want from this rant, I’m just saying what I think for once, without buttering it up. I know I said not to rant, but I’ve never done it before, and I’m curious to see the reaction.
Tags: commenting
I think at this time I am one of your top readers, and I also leave a few comments. I come to your blog because of the great articles you have. I think that the information is excellent. I almost feel that your site is a service to people that are trying so hard to get page rank. Just as you supply us a quality link, I love to tweet your posts and promote your site.
So, keep your head up. People are reading and benefiting from the content you provide. Also, many of us are working in different areas of the web development business. For example you blog, and we are just about to release a huge line of extensions. We all need to help each other to succeed. So, yes I fill in the link, but I want you to know that I support you guys on the web. You are doing a fantastic job.
I wouldn’t be too discouraged, Will.
Judging by the Analytics statistics that you’ve quoted, if the average time on the site is 1m 40 secs, that shows that people are reading and finding your blogs interesting. Not everyone feels it necessary to comment, unless they have a strong opinion on the topic, but they could still be learning a lot anyway.
I agree, it is unfortunate that many bloggers comment for their own selfish reasons nowadays and for this reason I hope that Google lowers its priority on backlinks in the near future, as it is diluting the essence of blogging, (especially with countless “thank you’s” only).
I have included a link, but I hope you find that some useful feedback about your “rant” warrants doing so. It is those that have nothing interesting to say that frustrate me.
Look on the bright side, as you say, 93% of visitors are reading and learning from your site. So that’s not a bad percentage!
The 1m and 40s stats is actually a good sign. That time alone indicates the good readership this blog do have.
Also, about the 7% commenters, I think its a bonus and nonetheless, I am sure that it will rise up anytime soon.
.-= Ron Leyba´s last blog ..Webthesurfi Rugs Webdesign =-.
This post could easily be turned around on you, lighting you up as the greedy one…not saying you are, just presenting the flip-side.
Those plugins; commentluv, keywordluv, do follow, etc, were created for simple thank you purposes.
Thanks friend for taking the time to leave your thoughts.
With or without the plugins, if you don’t feel a comment is adding value; delete it.
.-= Dennis Edell´s last blog ..UPDATED – THREE Plugins Needed – What Do You Recommend? =-.
Your audience right now are growing but how about an incentive to get them to bringing two people a day?
I will try that out too.
.-= Olusegun´s last blog ..A-Z Blogging Tips I Have Learnt =-.
A very informative article and very useful.
you should view it as the commentor being selfish. You should view it as giving back to the people who are providing content for your blog. I mean were actually helping you get better rankings by updating your blog for you with fresh new content which of course Google loves. I think that’s worthy of a back link or two. I’ve actually been considering going back to my native comment system and adding keywordluv and comluv. not only because I think my commenters deserve it, but it also provides good anchor text links on my site to other quality sites. they can’t hurt.
.-= Brendan @ Online Marketing Consultant´s last blog ..StumbleUpon Advertising: Worth It? =-.
and it’s also interesting to note that Bing doesn’t even count, comment links in their backlink count for your website.they only count links from inside content
.-= Brendan @ Online Marketing Consultant´s last blog ..Main Street Marketing Machines =-.
I think it is not all your commentators, just come around to take advantage of dropping comment. A good number benefit from both commenting and good information you provide in your articles. used to benefit a lots from your post…
Such a usefule website?wow !!!!
I wouldn’t be too discouraged,
I’ve also thought the same about this. I only recently started learn about posting comments on dofollow blogs to get traffic juice, and what I noticed is that many of these blogs are full of spam.
Makes you wonder how cluttered the internet will be in another 5 years or so.
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This article is very useful. I learn a lot.
I think that every Blogger is wondering who his or her audience is. When you write, you talk to the people who are interested in the topic. Comment can sometimes add to the conversation, even when they may benefit the writer.
This blog is very rich, content, will often come around.