Blog commenting is one of the easiest ways to build relationships with other bloggers and people in your industry, with an opportunity to link back to your website.
Participating in discussions on other bloggers’ posts will give you an opportunity for backlinking. This simultaneously enhances your brand’s visibility. Yes, this is a technique for building links.
How effective is it? Is it good for SEO?
I want to point out that the primary goal here isn’t merely to boost your site’s SEO domain authority through link acquisition.
Typically, links from blog comments are set to “nofollow,” limiting their direct SEO value.
Instead, the focus should be on cultivating your online presence and, as a byproduct, improve your website’s authority.
Remember, as we’re in 2025, there are no shortcuts to establishing online credibility and authority okay?
What is blog commenting?
Blog commenting is the action of leaving a comment on a blog post. It allows for content curation between the blog author, bloggers, and blog readers.
This is a great way to exchange ideas and opinions about a topic, clarify, and ask questions about the blog post. Blog comments improve SEO, attract traffic, and build social proof.
Anyone can leave a comment in the comments section of a blog post.
Leaving insightful comments on a blog is an intentional effort to engage in a topic and build relationships.
At the start of my blogging journey, I used to spend 2-3 hours per week commenting on blogs.
The benefit of blog comments is that they provide a link from an external website to your own. As mentioned earlier, blog comment links are by default nofollow.
So, no SEO link value has been passed to increase the domain authority of the website.
But when you comment on high authority websites and niche blogs, this exposes you to a wider audience and potentially attracts new readers to your site. It also increases your reputation in your niche. Because now people know about your website and opinions. This is what we pay attention to.
Blog comments are part of off-page SEO
Commenting on blogs with a link to your website is a natural part of blogging. It is part of off-page SEO because when you comment on another blog, you can add your website URL in that comment.
This is a link placement on another domain to your own.
At the end of a blog post, there is a form where you can fill in your personal details and post a comment. In the ‘Website’ field option, you can enter your website URL.
Voila! A backlink was built. You have built a link from another blog post back to your website.
Easy.
Building links from commenting on third-party blogs is an easy to increase your website’s exposure online.
You just need your name, email address, website URL, and a short message to comment.
Blog commenting best practices:
- Use your real name when leaving a comment. Google’s Matt Cutts advised using your real name rather than a keyword-rich anchor text as a link back to your website.
- Don’t focus too much on blog commenting to build backlinks. It is bad if your backlink portfolio has a high percentage of blog comment links with no natural backlinks from real people.
- Don’t abuse it. Don’t treat it as a link scheme. Remember, you are commenting on another blog because you have something to say and you actually care about the topic.
See how when I dropped a comment on another blog, I did not add any URLs in the text? The backlink is just my name, which is where I link to my homepage. It is natural.
Blog comments are NoFollow backlinks
As mentioned earlier, backlinks from blog comments are NoFollow links. They have the Nofollow attribute or the nofollow tag.
This means they don’t pass ‘link juice’ that will boost your domain authority (DA) and SEO rankings.
But they DO contribute to your overall domain authority profile. A natural and healthy backlink profile has a mix of DoFollow backlinks and NoFollow backlinks such as from comments, forums, and YouTube.
Neil Patel did a case study on whether blog comments help with rankings. The experiment found that building links through blog comments did help with SEO rankings. Despite blog comments being user-generated content (UGC).
He found that NoFollow links from high DA websites helped a bit with rankings, compared to the control group which had no link building.
So despite the nofollow attribute, blog comment backlinks from high DA websites seemed to have a positive impact on higher keyword rankings on Google.
But of course, DoFollow links from high authority websites helped more with rankings most because of the DoFollow attribute. This was expected.
Blog comment backlinks work but make sure they are quality links from authoritative websites.
So it is always a good idea to build relationships and connect with high-quality and relevant blogs.
The majority of your backlinks should be from DoFollow Blogs
Most of your off-page SEO efforts should be building links from DoFollow blogs and websites. These are natural links from real people who hyperlink to your website.
DoFollow backlinks increase your domain authority and search engine rankings. Learn more about Google PageRank.
The higher the authority of the referring page linking to you, the more valuable the backlink. High-quality backlinks are an important factor to increase organic traffic from Google.
Avoid keyword-optimized anchor text
Google advised against keyword-optimized anchor text that links to your website.
Use your real name
Use your real name when commenting on blogs with a link back to your website.
Avoid publishing low-quality comments
Low-quality comments tend to have little value to the blog post content. They are usually considered as spam and would be deleted by the website owner.
The best way to comment on blogs is to read the content first and leave a thoughtful response. This can take a lot of time but it is the right way to do it.
High-quality comments
A high-quality comment is thoughtful.
- You have a question about the blog post
- You have feedback about the blog post
- You have something to add to the blog post topic
- You want to exchange opinions or ideas
- You want to share your thoughts or feelings about the topic
Always read the blog post first and leave a comment with at least 2 sentences that add to the conversation.
Blog owners usually moderate comments on their blogs and would either approve your comment or move it to trash.
So if you’re using blog comments to build backlinks for SEO, you want to get your comments approved.
Why is blog commenting important?
Blog commenting is beneficial for SEO and traffic. It builds inbound links to your website and this has positive results for ranking on Google search results.
It doesn’t cost anything, except your time.
If you’re new to SEO, this can be a great way to kickstart your link-building efforts and increase search traffic.
Besides SEO benefits, blog commenting plays a major role in driving referral traffic and networking with the right people in your niche.
As this process takes a long time, it is best to prioritize blog commenting on high-authority blogs.
Increase traffic and new visitors
When you comment on relevant blog posts, you are also putting your website out there and getting your brand more visible. Valuable comments are topically relevant to the blog post and add to the conversation.
Quality third-party blogs already have an audience and their blog posts have a good number of views.
You can potentially tap on that readership if the author and their readers notice your comment.
They might click through to your profile which contains your website URL if your comment was meaningful. I know I do!
I try to reply to every legitimate comment on the blog and tend to check out their profile’s website if their comment stands out.
To allow blog comments on your website or not?
Now, if you are the website owner and have a blog, should you allow blog comments or not?
The answer is: YES!
Google’s John Mueller said that Google factors comments into the ranking of web pages.
Google sees comments as part of the page’s content. Removing comments on a page will impact its search engine rankings.
“If a comment contains information a searcher is looking for then it can help a page get surfaced in search results.”
Blog comments are a good thing
Keyword-rich comments contribute to a page’s content and would therefore help with rankings. Though this would be a lower-priority SEO factor.
Because the actual content on the page influences SEO rankings the most. But the extra content from comments wouldn’t hurt.
Over the last 3 years, I have accumulated about 1,857 comments on the blog.
A good amount of high-quality comments are related to my niche and marketing expertise. This does increase the richness of specific keywords and topics on my articles.
I find blog commenting a necessary part of the blogging experience. It is a natural and intuitive way to connect with my audience.
People who leave a comment on my blog post found it compelling enough to write something.
Most are leaving clues to the content and solutions they are looking for. This becomes an important source of primary data about my target audience.
I am also able to drop links to my SEO courses and services as a reply to their comments. So it is an opportunity to promote your products and services organically.
Prevent spam comments
You want a comment moderation plugin to approve and delete comments on your own blog.
This is important. Spammy comments are penalized by Google.
On WordPress, Akismet is a good plugin to moderate comments and protect against spam.
Most website owners have a comment moderation system to approve or delete comments. This prevents comment spam which is really important in search engine optimization.
Spam comments are usually part of a link scheme. They could be automated bots publishing low-value comments for the sake of building links only. Usually, a spam site does these things.
They could also be manual. People can be purposely leaving comments without meaning but for the sole purpose of earning a backlink to their website. You want to prevent spam comments on your blog comment sections.
Social proof
Blog comments are a sign of social proof. It is a great thing to have lots of comments on your blog posts.
The number of comments shows that people have read and engaged with your content.
And it demonstrates the value of your blog posts and your subject expertise.
High-quality content naturally attracts comments, feedback, and social media shares.
How to get more comments on your blog posts
You can get more blog comments on your articles by asking people to comment.
Send an email to your subscribers to check out your blog post and ask them to leave a comment.
Write a sentence at the end of your blog post asking for their thoughts.
Adding a call to action can easily attract 5-6 comments on a blog post. Don’t ask, don’t get, right?
High-quality content attracts relevant comments naturally
A better idea is to get comments naturally. High-quality content tends to attract engagement on its own.
A good post is at least 1,200 words and can hold someone’s attention.
A great post tends to be long-form content and is packed full of valuable information. Pillar articles with 3,000 words do this well. Great content can bring about a small transformation to readers and compel people to take action.
I consider quality content as information that is able to help someone. Good content is inherently helpful.
When someone visits your blog for the first time, the only thing to do is to convince and convert with beneficial content.
SEO Demystified: Beginner to Advanced SEO Strategies
To learn more high-level link building strategies, check out my course, SEO Demystified. Depending on when you’re reading this, it may be closed for enrolment. You can drop a comment below if you want to be added to the waitlist. You’ll learn the fundamentals of SEO, building authority, plug-and-play templates for outreach to increase your reputation online.
69 people reacted on this
Really helpful, so many blogs don’t even include commenting these days and the other routes to building backlinks are tricky when there’s no budget. As a counsellor in the UK, I’m trying to find affordable routes to build SEO to help avoid the high costs for listing on specialist platforms – I wonder if these help with AI ranking at all?
Great insights, Leanne! Blog commenting is often underrated in link-building strategies, but your approach really highlights how valuable it can be when done authentically. I’ve seen noticeable engagement improvements by focusing on niche-relevant blogs and contributing meaningful comments.
Thanks for the practical tips — especially about avoiding spammy tactics. Looking forward to applying these ideas!
Hi Leanne! This was so helpful. I launched a new website earlier this year and have been looking for a post that explains proper etiquette when commenting on other people’s blogs. Of course, I would love to generate more traffic to my blog but not at the expense of violating the written and unwritten rules of blogging!
Question for you: I’ve tried to set up a profile where my username links back to my blog. It hasn’t worked on other blogs I’ve commented on. Is that because of settings on that other blog or did I do something wrong in setting up my profile? Thanks so much!
Hey Matthew! Thank you! I’m glad you found the post helpful — and congratulations on launching your new website. Hmm, it sounds like that may be the setting on the other blog that may or may not allow the hyperlink.
Great Read!! Thanks for the amazing insights!!
Awesome! Thanks for dropping by.
Thank you so much for the informative details about blog commenting.
It’s my pleasure!
Thank you so much for your article, I receive a lot of comments but they all seem to be spam only, it’s disheartening to be honest. I started to wonder if I should just let them be. as my posts seem to have no interaction with no comments. But I guess it’s better than negatively impacted by spam only comments. Anyway, thank you very much, this helped me a lot.
Hey Maria! Spam comments are definitely out there, and they aren’t good at all. ☹️ I would recommend having a setting in place or a plugin that can moderate comments so it doesn’t harm the quality of your site!
Great article! I’ve been reading articles and blogs about SEO to boost our website’s DA, and this helps a lot. Thanks Leanne!
Glad to hear that 🙂
Thank you for the insightful article on SEO, Leanne! Your tips on optimizing content are really helpful. I am looking forward to putting them into practice. Will keep you posted
Appreciate the kind words, Lauren!
Your post has great info, but it’s a bit all over the place. Trim the redundant stuff about “nofollow” links; once is enough. Focus on how blog commenting is more about networking and getting noticed than about SEO boosts. Sure, the SEO value is minimal, but these comments are gold for driving traffic and upping your cred. Clean it up, and it’ll pack more punch and keep readers hooked!
Hi William! Thanks for your feedback and suggestions. I’ll definitely think about it when we update the post 🙂
Fantastic read! Your insights on SEO are incredibly valuable, especially the tips on optimizing content. I can’t wait to implement these strategies. Thanks for sharing your expertise!
I’m glad you found the article helpful! I’m happy to hear the SEO tips resonated with you. Good luck with your implementation!
Informative read! Understanding the current landscape of blog commenting for SEO is key, and your post breaks down the benefits and pitfalls effectively. I appreciate the emphasis on meaningful engagement over spammy tactics. It’s a timely reminder to focus on quality backlinks and genuine interactions for sustainable SEO success. Thanks for the valuable insights!
Glad you enjoyed the article! Yeah blog commenting is a natural way to engage with other blogs out there essentially 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing all these amazing tips! Much appreciated!
My pleasure 🙂
I have spent a lot of time commenting on posts for backlinks but have found the results fluctuate very quickly as well. Especially if you get comments onto a site that has the comments widget on their side bar as it shows as a backlink on every page.
But when your comment drops down the list, so do your backlink numbers. Once you build up, this obviously doesn’t impact as much but is a trick to know for new players.
Thanks for the post
Paul
Hey Paul! Hmm I think if the comment entry is still on the website (even though it is pushed further down the widget), the link back should still be there. 🤔
Thanks for the clarification. I’ve been using blog commenting as a tool in my SEO strategy for a few years. I am able to see the external links from the sites I’ve commented on in Google Search Console, where they are alongside ‘do follow’ links that I am aware of. I also get a small but steady flow of traffic from these sites over time. Overall my approach has been that even a ‘do not follow’ link could count, and at worst is not having a negative affect on my SEO ranking. Plus in the skincare industry there’s always a healthy debate to be had about products and opinions, so it’s kinda fun too!
Yeah! even though NoFollow links don’t pass authority, it can bring referral traffic to your website.
I am really grateful for this post on SEO.
That’s awesome!
I love this detailed explanation about link building using blog comments. This is a comprehensive post that includes information about how to comment properly, best practices, and the pros and cons of using blog comments for backlinks. I love reading other people’s blogs. And I am happy to comment on their work as feedback but also as a way to support them through additional content. If it happens to help me a bit with a nofollow link that’s an added bonus. Thank you for this great article on building backlinks with blog comments.
Yeah it is a natural part of blogging!
Could you provide more specific examples of how to identify high-quality blogs for commenting? I’m always looking to improve my backlink strategy and would love some practical pointers
Hi Henry! How about industry blogs, other bloggers that you may follow?
Thank you for this informative article I really am struggling to build backlinks and overwhelming to approach high DA sites and established websites to attempt to get a backlink. .I am new to this entire process as I have a product that I am marketing on a Shopify website. I am learning and implementing SEO best practices over time. However. Link building I struggle to make any progress. However this post gives me some hope as I can sincerely comment due to the value I gained from it without selling out just to get a backlink.
Hi Charles! That is understandable. I’d say to keep trying!
This is very interesting content! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your points and have come to the conclusion that you are right about many of them. You are great.
Thank you!
thanks for sharing this site its really help full.
Backlinks have always felt like a bit of a mystery to me. How do you get them ethically? Especially if you are only starting out. Why would others link to it? I am still looking for more info about that but today it hit me while commenting on an expert blog post just to let the writer know that I really appreciated what he had to say that hey – I can add my professional website link there too and perhaps it has some effect- SO when googling the topic, I landed almost immediately on this great post by you, answering my questions about links in blog post comments and their value so thanks a lot. I was a bit surprised about another claim you made here about posts with 3000 words doing well. That’s like six pages of text, right? I wonder how many people put in the effort in today’s world when short form seems to be the trend? Anyway, thanks again! I will definitely come back to read more about what you have to say.
Btw, why isn’t your site enabling adding URLs to comment profile?
Thank u soo much for sharing this article. I Love it. Keep it up…
Successful SEO isn’t tied in with deceiving Google. It’s tied in with partnering with Google to give the best indexed lists to Google’s clients.
I am also in the digital marketing field and I love to read a blog related to my field especially on blog comments. This is a very helpful blog for me. And by the way if you are interested in seo guides here is the link https://www.myoptimind.com/shopify-seo-guide/ that will help you. Thanks again Leanne:)
I thought blog commenting was No Follow, though?
Yeah they are nofollow backlinks
Thanks for this article, its very helpful. Will read other articles too. 🙂
Thank you!
Low quality comments dilute your work. If I post something serious and someone says ‘great job,’ I am just working really hard not to roll my eyes, or say, ‘hello??’ Better not to comment at all than to not read it and comment with anything. Why visit if you’re not reading. I don’t get it. Anyway, have a great day.
Indeed! I would hope people leave a comment in a genuine way to build relationships too
Ooohhhh..I didn’t know blog commenting was this important when it comes to SEO! It’s good to know this.
Yeah! It is a great way to build referral traffic too!
Wow this is such a informative post, so many takeaways. It’s very helpful, since I am trying to grow my blog.
Cheers 🙂
Who wouldnt’t want more blog traffic! Great tips!
Indeed 🙂
this are good tips for all bloggers, thanks for the info.
Happy to help!
I try to do as many as possible. These are very helpful tips and I will keep working on them. Thank you for sharing!
Cheers!
Leanne.. THIS IS SO GOOD!!! I was getting a bit nervous when I started reading through DA and no-follow backlinks, but I am happy that my commenting helps.
It does! It’s a low-cost and effective way to build a natural backlink profile, even though they are NoFollow links, but from an authoritative site, can be quite beneficial!
I’m glad to know that blog commenting still helps boost our blog’s SEO. I heard that it’s not as that effective as years ago though.
It can be quite impactful for driving referral traffic and building some natural bcklinks- though NoFollow.
I love to leave comments on sites that are in the same niche as mine. I’m glad to know the benefits of it.
Me too! I feel blog commenting is a natural part of blogging.
Thanks for confirming that blog comments are still a valid SEO and traffic driving tactic. I was first reading up about this on Neil Patel’s blog article, ‘8 Blog Commenting Mistakes You Need to Avoid’. But he doesn’t date his content. So I wasn’t sure if this was still a good tactic and then found your article and helpful advice.
Happy to help! Blog commenting can be great for building natural backlinks (though NoFollow) and increasing referral traffic. 🙂
Great Article! Thank you for sharing this is very informative post, and looking forward to the latest one.
Cheers
I loved this article! It hadn’t occurred to me before to leave comments or encourage comments on my own blog! Thanks for sharing
I’m so happy to hear that! Cheers