We all want traffic - that much is a no brainer, but where we get it from and the methods we employ to actually get it can make or break the growth of your blog.
Like a good pasta sauce, a slight tweaking of the ingredients can make a huge difference to the resulting flavor, so let’s examine some of those ingredients and see if we can help you to spice up the traffic coming to your blog.
How to Cook the Perfect Bloghetti
If you were to cook up a pasta sauce, would you just go and throw every ingredient in the cupboard into the frying pan and hope for the best or would you meticulously add a pinch of this and a spoonful of that, slowly testing each time until you had the balance of flavors just right?
(Note from Ana: are we talking about hurrying up with dinner while the kids are bawling and the husband/wife are nagging or a gourmet meal here?)
I won’t even wait for an answer; the question was a rhetorical one anyway and because it’s quite obvious what you would do.
You would order Pizza, who makes their own pasta sauce anyway? I mean really?!
So why then, when you are building backlinks and backchat to your blog, do you just open the Browser and throw everything at it?!
Ingredients have a history, a reason for being added in the first place and and if you start assessing every backlink in the same light you begin to see the bigger picture, which will help you get noticed - a lot sooner.
Let’s examine the best and worst ingredients out there.
Without doubt, the best ingredient will always be the blog comment.
A blog comment takes about the same time to complete as manually social bookmarking your latest post on a site like Digg or StumbleUpon for example, but the difference in taste is huge.
When you Blog Comment, you need to look at the bigger picture as to why you are commenting there in the first place.
- Who is this blogger?
- Who are their readers?
- What are they trying to achieve?
- What drives their readers?
- How can I help them?
Big Fish
Big name bloggers are great to build relationships with because they open the doors to so much more.
Engaging on a bigger blog can get you exposure that social media, for example could never achieve and not only are you building backlinks to your site and a relationship with the blogger, you are boosting your online credibility (assuming the comments you leave are worth their salt).
Little Fish
Everyone else basically.
Limiting your engagement to the bigger blogs is a bad idea, and will ultimately limit the flavour of your blog.
Just like ingredients, the seemingly insignificant ones can add the most incredible tastes to your sauce - and until you experiment with them all, you can never know what works.
Smaller blogs are run by motivated bloggers who are still in their prime. They are also usually looking to engage just like you are - so take advantage of this!
Is it better than a Guest Post?
Most definitely!
If I comment regularly here at Traffic Generation Cafe for example and then submit a guest post, then it work wonders (Crosses fingers and waits for residual traffic from Ana 
)
This is only because I have already built some basic relationship with Ana and the readers (hi, I’m Alex in case we have not been formally introduced), so when I guest post, it simply cements this.
If I were to have submitted a guest post here without ever visiting or commenting before (assuming it was accepted and published), then I highly doubt my post or my name would be remembered all that well.
I don’t care how awesome the post. In fact, write an awesome post and give it to a blog where you have no relationship and chances are your post will be forever remembered as THEIRS!
There is nothing Del.icio.us about it
What about Social Bookmarking?
Surely you must do that right? I mean everyone does that.
There is nothing wrong with social bookmarking, in fact I have to go on record now and say that I recommend it, but to what end?
It realistically takes about the same amount of time to bookmark your page on a few sites as it does to leave an insightful comment on a blog, so which ingredient do you prefer?
Social Bookmarking, especially on the bigger sites like Digg and SU would be like adding tennis balls to the meal, or overcooking the fish perhaps.
Why? Because the only thing these sites are going to bring you is an increased bounce rate.
Social Bookmarking traffic is far from targeted, and although it is a numbers game in the end, is it really worth your time?
I tested out using StumbleUpon heavily for a month and received over 1200 visitors from there alone. That month my bounce rate went from 40 to around 65%.
(Note from Ana: interesting statistics, Alex - I’ve been thinking of learning more about StumbleUpon; I guess what’ the rush?
Marketing (Eat In or) Take Away
Building relationships through blog commenting is without doubt the most powerful way of building both the backlinks and the credibility of your blog.
Like a good ingredient, a blog has a history and a unique story, and each one that you engage with and bring into your own circle increases the tastiness of your own blog and spices up the possibilities to no end.
Stop worrying about Social Bookmarking and Directory Submissions and all the other links you build simply because it seems like the right thing to do and concentrate on what will actually make your own blog delicious!
I’m not saying to only limit your backlinks to blog commenting; far from it.
I am simply suggesting that if you look at each link and each comment, and each relationship as an ingredient, you might start to see the blogosphere and where you best fit, in a whole new light.
Will this ultimately be better for your own growth? Without a doubt!
Will you finally find your own flavor?
Only Thyme will tell…
- Have you found Blog Commenting to be the most effective way of getting your voice heard?
- What other “Ingredients” do you use or recommend?
Marketing TakeOut from Ana
I was entirely blown away when Alex submitted this guest post.
Of course, mostly because Alex is such a smart cookie and I LOVE reading his posts, but there is another reason…
You see, Lisa from TheFriendlyBlogger.com and I (well, most Lisa really - she did all the work ) were working on an experiment/research on whether blog commenting REALLY does bring traffic. Stay tuned for the results - coming later this week!
Image source: sweetwheat.com
I am a wife to a great husband of 13 years (here ya go, now I have to make changes to this sentence once a year), a mother to a beautiful and, no doubt, genius little girl, and a successful internet entrepreneur. I also devoted my life to Jesus Christ many years ago, and He remains my true priority, focus, and hope.
{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
Alex,
I really enjoyed your post. I’m so glad you said the blog comment was the best ingredient in your Bloghetti. My Google Analytics report, confirmed that I am getting a lot of traffic from my blog commenting. I didn’t know if this was the norm, and now I do. I feel that commenting gives you a real sense of community.
It certainly is a win win situation. Building relationships, getting traffic, and gaining knowledge all at the same time - what more can you ask for?
Thanks for writing such a tasty post.
Connie
Hey Connie!
Thanks so much for sitting down to enjoy my pasta
I definitely agree with your summary of blog commenting, and really who can go wrong with a trifecta like that!
Again, I appreciate your energy in my (Ana’s) comment thread
Alex´s last blog ..Keyword Winner Version 20 -Sneak Peak and Review
Hello Alex,
I must agree with you on this one, because commenting doesn’t only get you one beneficial thing like directory submission or some social bookmarking gets but it also helps you build a relationship with both the blogger and the readers, practically you can hijack some of the blogger traffic and redirect it to your own website, while, like I said, you also build a link back, and increase the probabilities you will have a new friend that can help you in the future (I am referring to the blogger here).
But, because we are talking about a recipe here, no food is delicious if you only use one ingredient, you have to add some alternatives link building techniques, relation building (like twitter, facebook), traffic sources in order for someone’s blog to really be setup in a redundant way (if one method fails you know you can focus on an other to bring up the rear).
Alexandru Petru´s last blog ..Impuscaturi misiuni
I swear I just responded to this? I am slowly losing my noodles
Thanks for continuing my analogy into the comments Alex, I can always count on you~
Alex´s last blog ..Keyword Winner Version 20 -Sneak Peak and Review
Ah, this post was like sweet, sweet comfort food (funny enough, spaghetti *is* my comfort food, lol!). I comment on over 100 blogs a week, and there are so many pieces and tidbits and lists of the 5, 10, and 20 best methods for generating traffic.
However, the best one I’ve found is plain ol’ commenting. Even though for my own personal blog I barely leave comments attached to my blog’s URL, I’m still making a name for myself and showing up here and there occasionally. It’s enough for now. I’m seeing growth.
Delena
Delena Silverfox@Natural Parenting Blog´s last blog ..Hostgator Coupon Code
Delena,
I really appreciate you sampling my cooking, honestly if you knew the risks you were taking coming in…
Blog Commenting is so underrated and I think that because people use it to build links, it opens the doors for people looking to engage to get noticed that much easier.
Thanks again Delena,
btw, there is nothing natural about parenting
(at least not at 5am)
Alex´s last blog ..Keyword Winner Version 20 -Sneak Peak and Review
Well done Alex. On my last blog before switching everything over to my current, blog commenting was my ONLY promotional method; it is still my #1.
Note to Ana and all…it works; it works well.
Alex, I’m a little confused on the social bookmarking though…you went out of your way to say you recommend it, then, well…..kinda trashed it. What’s the end word?
Dennis Edell@ Direct SalesMark´s last blog ..March Comment Contest Begins! February Info Forthcoming…
Hey Dennis, thanks for confirming the facts mate.
Now as for me confuddling you - sorry. LOL I was saying that its not as effective but I could never go on record and say it was no good, so I had to say it was good, just not in this case when compared to the potential that blog commenting has.
Alex´s last blog ..Keyword Winner Version 20 -Sneak Peak and Review
I think commenting is a great way to initiate that first conversation with a blogger without just sending them a direct contact. It’s like being at a networking event and chatting with the speaker and follow up with their ideas, but just on a computer.
From there you can build the relationship and take have a lot higher chances of getting a guest post accepted or even a backlink because they like you and know you.
I had really good luck with this on one of my niche blogs where I commented a ton on authority sites and was able to guest post on the high ranking sites which gave me a ton of exposure, but it all started with commenting.
Like your ideas, and creative title!
Ryan´s last blog ..Websites Versus Blogs- What’s the Difference
Ryan,
I really like this:
It’s like being at a networking event and chatting with the speaker and follow up with their ideas, but just on a computer.
Thanks so much for adding value to the post, and for the awesome feedback of course!
Alex´s last blog ..7 Reasons Why Your Article Titles Suck!
The amazing thing about a good article or rationally presented information is that after having read it, the conclusion seems obvious and elementary. And this post is no exception.
The difference between blog commenting as discussed here and social bookmarking is similar to the difference between depth of friendship and width of acquaintances. My own experience is that I have had the pleasure of receiving far greater number of visitors on my blog from the blogs that I commented on than all the social bookmarking that I have done. I always thought that I am missing some trick in the SB domain, but after having read this I have realized that that is not the case.
Thanks for confirming my hunch. I’ll continue to comment even though it takes more time than social bookmarking (this is the only point on which I am not completely in agreement with Alex).
Sanjeev Sharma@Random Raves & Rants of Sanjeev´s last blog ..India Vs China – What Price Democracy
Sanjeev my friend!
Your comment means a lot because that is the reason I like to use analogies and metaphors where possible. Not only does this make it easier for people to relate to the topic, it also - as you so eloquently pointed out -makes the conclusion seem obvious
I appreciate your comment, and have to say that you are allowed to disagree with me on that last point because if all your comments are this insightful - it would clearly take longer than a bookmark
Thanks again Sanjeev, and thanks for popping over to Alexwhalley.com as well
Alex´s last blog ..Keyword Winner Version 20 -Sneak Peak and Review
Without a doubt blog commenting does bring in traffic. I’ve had numerous people contact me via my contact form at the IEJ and tell me that they came from a blog I commented on.
Great way to connect both with the readers of the blog as well as the blog owner. Definitely be strategic about it. I look at the amount of traffic and conversions from all sources and divide up my commenting time accordingly. That way I can be sure to get reach but also focus on those places that are the most useful from a business standpoint.
Robert mate, I have read your comments before and it is no surprise that most of your (converting) traffic comes from this source/
Its all about engagement after all, and a comments thread provides the first point of contact in most cases.
Thanks for sharing your experiences and insight mate
Alex´s last blog ..Keyword Winner Version 20 -Sneak Peak and Review
Alex,
It makes sense to make commenting a complete package by becoming a guest blogger. You would really be adding to the blog community you are in.
Big fish and little fish is another package. For me the little fish and their readers are usually become my subscribers.
Sheila Atwood@landing pages best practices´s last blog ..How About a Chocolate Donut A Danish- Maybe
Hi Sheila,
I think you put it best when you said that the little fish are the ones that will ultimately become your readers too.
There in lies the key
Alex´s last blog ..Who Stole My Pagerank
mmm…bloghetti…. Great analogy, Alex.
Your point about building relationships makes so much sense, but can be time consuming. And it can be difficult to find something meaningful to say.
Ronika´s last blog ..Its Bad Business to Let the Killer Get Away With It- The Sam Spade Guide to Better Business
Haha thanks Ronika!
I agree and disagree with your last comment, because although it may be difficult to find something meaningful to say, who says you have to always be meaningful? You can be engaging, helpful, and just ‘there’ without necessarily having to provide thought provoking discussion with each comment.
I have to say on a side note though - if you take this attitude to your comments, you will make a name for yourself very quickly!
Thanks for your comment Ronika
Alex´s last blog ..Why Everyone Should Manage Their Reputation Online
I was wondering if Digg and StumbleUpon was helping or hurting my blog. I too noticed that my bounce rate is higher when submitting to those sites. I guess trial and error is part of the process. Thanks for confirming what I knew to be true. I’ll stick with commenting on blogs that I like, and participating in forum discussions.
Ah Participating in forum discussions, now there is a medium through which the same principles can be applied!
Thanks for sharing Justin
Alex´s last blog ..Keyword Winner Version 20 -Sneak Peak and Review
hey Alex, I love your writing. I liked the comparison betwen cooking and blogging. You are right to emphasize the caution we should exercise when writing comments in order to focus more towards adding to the discussion rather than only taking a link to our blog.
StevenPapas@Norton360DiscountCoupons´s last blog ..World Of Warcraft Collector’s Edition Review
Thanks Steven!
I appreciate the compliment, and I’m glad you thought the post was tasty
A Perfect example of someone who summarises the point you are making is Patricia the Lavender Blogger because she did not even realise that blog commenting was building backlinks!
Her small niche blog now gets hundreds of comments from those she been engaging in the blogosphere.
Go Patricia! LOL
Thanks for your comment Steven
Alex´s last blog ..Keyword Winner Version 20 -Sneak Peak and Review
I liked this subtitle Alex, “How to Cook the Perfect Bloghetti”. I agree with the piont you made on social bookmarking being like adding tennis balls to the meal. Of course you want more traffic, but you want that traffic to convert.
Sending traffic to your blog that only increases your bounce rate is pretty much a useless ingredient. Thanks for sharing Alex, and I look forward to checking out the results from your blog commenting experiment Ana.
THanks John, I actually came up with that about 2 seconds before I penned it LOL, the irony is that all my other attempts at metaphors took ages to get right. SUch is life
Thanks for commenting John, and Yes - Ana I am looking forward to the results too
Alex´s last blog ..Keyword Winner Version 20 -Sneak Peak and Review
Yup I have been searching on few ways how to bring more traffic to your site.
I think commenting on Commentluv enabled Blogs is one of the best sources to bring traffic on your blog.
Rahul´s last blog ..Is Content The Prominent King Of Your Blog
Hey Rahul
I also have been searching about how to get more traffic in website/blog but it is effective and efficiency for website/blog.its not fake users enter in website.My focus on search engine traffic.When users enter in website/blog.
@Rahul - if you have some idea on search engine traffic so tell me about that.i want tutorial also.
Facebook Applications´s last blog ..Introducing the Facebook Photo Theater- Here to Stay whether we “Like it” or Not!
Definitely agree Rahul, especially if you can craft a winning headline everytime
Hint hint, comment luv
Alex´s last blog ..7 Reasons Why Your Article Titles Suck!
Hi Alex,
This is one of the greatest posts I have read recently.
I completely agree with what you are saying about SU traffic. I have experienced a huge hike in my bounce rate as well from 42% to 76% when I used to submit my posts to SU myself. I then stopped submitting my posts to SU for a while and then it drastically came back to normal.
In most cases I experience that if I submit my posts to SU myself; I get fairly large numbers and hence a bad bounce rate. But if I leave it, there are indeed some people stumbling that post (lesser compared to me submitting it directly) but this doesn’t affect my bounce rate much. I don’t know the secret.
Jane.
Jane | Find All Answers´s last blog ..How To Ruin Your Relationship
Now that is how you start a comment! LOL, thanks so much Jane, I appreciate the feedback.
I also thank you for taking the time to share your experiences with some of these (supposed) traffic sources.
BTw, if you find out the secret, I’ll give you a million dollars for it
Alex´s last blog ..How To Build an Amazon Niche Site in 11 Minutes Watch Me Live!
Hey Alex,
What an awesome post you’re sharing here. Loved it.
Blog commenting is one of the most effective way to get traffic and build relationship with blog owner (that’s how we started connecting with each other?) . I’ve awesome success with it.
It is something that I’m never going to stop doing.
I try to leave long comments (something like mini guest post). Actually i learned this technique from Ryan Biddulph.
Anyways, Thanks for sharing this awesome guest post Alex. Keep up the good work.
~Dev
Devesh @ Make Money Blogging´s last blog ..15 Free Thesis Skins for Your Thesis WordPress Theme
Thanks Dev.
I think having you as the first commentator is quite fitting because you are one of the first bloggers I connected with through commenting that then enabled me to connect with others.
In fact, I believe that through TechnShare was how Ana and I first met - so there you go.
The power of blog commenting and community comes full circle.
Thanks Dev- and it is YOU that is awesome my friend, your a great Blok(ub)e indeed
Alex Whalley´s last blog ..How To Build an Amazon Niche Site in 11 Minutes Watch Me Live!
Alex,
Interesting topic and some points to ponder because even though i’ve heard many times that blog commenting is a great source for backlinks and traffic I haven’t done it on any one blog consistently enough to really see a huge difference. It sounds as though it’s worth a try.
The concern about using the other social media sites to syndicate content and bounce rate is another point that caught my attention. I belong to a syndication tribe and that’s primarily the sole purpose behind the tribes to spread content over the social media universe and increase traffic.
I can see your point on how a lot of that traffic may not be targetted and thus increasing bounce rate…hmmm…so all traffic isn’t good traffic.
Thanks for sharing Alex
Roger
Roger Holmes´s last blog ..What Duke Basketball Has Taught Me About Network Marketing!
Roger,
Blog Commenting works just like good content and guest posting, in that if you do it inconsistently and without focus then it all goes to waste.
Staying and becoming part of multiple communities helps bring those communities back to your blog and I think this is what makes the blogosphere so powerful. Its just about harnessing the viral power that community can bring, and of course the only way to get that is through commenting
Don’t get me wrong, your syndication is still a great idea - just keep in mind that if you are sharing content that is not necessarily of interest to your target audience, then you are mirking the waters of your own community before you have a chance to dive in.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Roger. Glad you enjoyed the pasta, I mean the post
Alex Whalley´s last blog ..Who Stole My Pagerank