Carmilia C.
In this week’s Q&A section, we have selected the following topic from our subscriber: “Do Comments Affect SEO?”
Question From Juliet Sebbage:
“I’ve been advised by some SEO gurus that we should open our blog comment section since they can help to boost the page’s overall SEO. Can I confirm if this is correct?”
One aspect that is often debated is the inclusion of comment sections on websites and how they may impact SEO. Comment sections are interactive spaces where users can leave comments, engage in discussions, and share their opinions about the content of a webpage.
They are commonly found on blogs, news websites, and online forums, and have become an integral part of many online communities. In this article, we will explore the benefits and drawbacks of comment sections in SEO and discuss whether they can improve a website’s SEO performance.
Benefit 1: User Engagement
One of the primary benefits of comments section is that they encourage user engagement that can indirectly affect SEO. When users leave comments on a webpage, they are actively interacting with the content and expressing their opinions.
This level of engagement can be valuable for SEO, as search engines like Google prioritize user engagement signals when determining the relevance and quality of a webpage. Higher levels of user engagement, such as comments, likes, shares, and time spent on page, can signal to search engines that the content is valuable and relevant to users, which can potentially improve the webpage’s SEO performance.
Moreover, comment sections can foster discussions and debates, which can generate additional content on the webpage. This user-generated content can add value to the webpage by providing diverse perspectives, insights, and information related to the content topic.
It can also keep the webpage fresh and relevant, as new comments are added over time, which can help with SEO by signaling to search engines that the webpage is actively maintained and updated.
Benefit 2: Social Proof
Another benefit of comments section that can affect SEO is that they can provide social proof for a webpage. When users leave positive comments about a webpage, it can create a sense of credibility and trustworthiness. Positive comments can serve as testimonials or reviews, endorsing the content or the website itself. This social proof can influence other users to view the webpage as reliable and authoritative, which can potentially lead to increased traffic, longer time on page, and lower bounce rates – all of which are favorable for SEO.
In addition, comment sections can also facilitate interactions between users, allowing them to connect with each other and build a community around the content or the website. This sense of community can create a loyal following of users who regularly visit the webpage, leave comments, and engage with the content. This type of user loyalty and community building can contribute to the overall success of a website and potentially improve its SEO performance.
Benefit 3: Keyword Opportunities
Comments section can also present keyword opportunities for SEO and affect it overall performance. When users leave comments, they often use keywords related to the content topic or the website’s niche. These keywords can provide insights into the language and terminology that users are using to search for information online. Website owners and digital marketers can analyze these comments to identify relevant keywords that can be incorporated into their SEO strategy.
For example, if a blog post is about “best hiking trails in California” and users leave comments mentioning specific trail names, such as “Yosemite National Park” or “Sequoia National Park,” website owners can use this information to optimize their content and meta tags with these keywords. This can help the webpage rank higher on SERPs for these specific keywords, potentially driving more targeted organic traffic to the webpage. Therefore, comment sections can serve as a valuable source of keyword research and optimization opportunities, which can positively impact a website’s SEO performance.
Drawback 1: Spam and Low-Quality Content
Despite the potential benefits, comment sections also come with some drawbacks. One of the main challenges associated with comment sections is the risk of spam and low-quality content.
Spam comments are irrelevant, low-quality, and often contain links to unrelated websites. They are typically posted by bots or individuals with the intention of promoting their own websites or products, without adding any value to the discussion or the content of the webpage. Spam comments can clutter the comment section, making it difficult for users to find genuine comments and engage in meaningful discussions. From an SEO perspective, spam comments can have a negative impact on a website’s SEO performance.
Search engines like Google consider user-generated content, including comments, when assessing the quality and relevance of a webpage. If a comment section is filled with spam comments, it can signal to search engines that the webpage may not have valuable content or may not be properly moderated. This can potentially result in a lower ranking on SERPs, as search engines may view the webpage as less reliable or trustworthy.
In addition, spam comments can also harm the user experience. Users may be discouraged from engaging with the comment section or even visiting the webpage altogether if they see spam comments dominating the discussion. This can lead to lower levels of user engagement, reduced time spent on page, and higher bounce rates, which are all unfavorable for SEO.
To mitigate the risks associated with spam comments, website owners and digital marketers need to implement proper moderation strategies. This may include using anti-spam plugins or tools, manually reviewing and approving comments, setting up commenting guidelines, and providing a way for users to report spam comments. By actively moderating the comment section and removing spam comments, website owners can maintain a clean and valuable comment section that contributes positively to SEO.
Drawback 2: Negative Comments and Toxic Behavior
Another drawback of comment sections is the potential for negative comments and toxic behavior. While comment sections can be a platform for healthy discussions and debates, they can also attract negative comments, hate speech, offensive language, and other forms of toxic behavior. Negative comments can create a hostile environment, discourage users from engaging with the content, and even lead to conflicts among users.
From an SEO perspective, negative comments and toxic behavior in the comment section can have a detrimental impact on a website’s SEO performance. Search engines may view a webpage with a toxic comment section as having low-quality or harmful content, which can result in a lower ranking on SERPs. Moreover, negative comments can also discourage other users from engaging with the content or leaving comments, leading to reduced user engagement and interaction on the webpage.
To address the issue of negative comments and toxic behavior, website owners need to implement strict commenting guidelines and enforce them consistently. This may include setting clear rules for commenting, moderating comments for offensive language or hate speech, and providing a way for users to report inappropriate comments. It’s also important to foster a positive and inclusive commenting culture by encouraging constructive discussions, acknowledging diverse opinions, and promoting respectful interactions among users.
Drawback 3: Time and Resource Investment
Implementing and managing a comment section on a website requires time and resources. Website owners need to invest in setting up a commenting system, moderating comments, and responding to user inquiries or feedback. This can be time-consuming and may require dedicated personnel or additional tools or plugins to manage the comments effectively.
For small websites or businesses with limited resources, managing a comment section may not be feasible or may not be a priority compared to other SEO strategies. In such cases, it may be more beneficial to focus on other SEO tactics, such as creating high-quality content, optimizing meta tags, building backlinks, and improving website speed and performance, which may have a more direct impact on SEO.
Bottom Line
Comment sections can have both benefits and drawbacks when it comes to SEO. On one hand, comment sections can improve SEO by enhancing user engagement, providing social proof, offering keyword opportunities, and fostering a sense of community. On the other hand, comment sections can also have drawbacks such as spam comments, negative comments, and the need for time and resource investment in moderation.
To effectively utilize comments section that can affect SEO, website owners need to implement proper moderation strategies to tackle spam comments and toxic behavior. This may include using anti-spam plugins or tools, setting up commenting guidelines, and actively moderating comments to ensure a clean and valuable comment section. Additionally, website owners should also encourage positive interactions among users, acknowledge diverse opinions, and create a positive commenting culture.
In terms of keyword opportunities, website owners can optimize comments for SEO by using relevant keywords in their comments, but it should be done in a natural and meaningful way. Keyword stuffing or irrelevant use of keywords can be seen as spammy and may have a negative impact on SEO.
Furthermore, website owners should also be mindful of the time and resource investment required in managing comment sections. For smaller websites or businesses with limited resources, it may be more practical to prioritize other SEO strategies that have a more direct impact on SEO performance.