It's no secret that comments are essential for blog posts. They offer a way for readers to interact with the content, ask questions, and provide feedback. But what about SEO? Does enabling comments on websites help boost their search engine rankings? Let's take a look at the data.
*Updated 8/6/2024
What Is SEO, and Why Is It Important?
SEO stands for search engine optimization, and it refers to optimizing your website or blog to improve its ranking on search engines like Google.
Because so many people use search engines to find information online, having a high SEO ranking can help bring more traffic and visibility to your blog.
There is an entire content marketing industry that helps businesses and bloggers improve their SEO; many companies use sophisticated tools and data analysis to identify areas where a website can be improved, such as using keywords more strategically or optimizing the structure of the site for better navigation.
If you've just created a website for your business, boosting its search engine rankings should be an essential priority–after all, the higher your rankings, the more revenue you will generate.
But will enabling comments help your Google ranking?
What Does the Data Say About Comments and SEO?
According to data from HubSpot, the number of comments does not correlate with the number of views a web page gets. This means a high number of comments on your website will not necessarily translate to increased traffic.
There is also no correlation between the number of comments on a post and the number of backlinks it gets. Backlinks are essential for SEO because they indicate that other websites are linking to your site and therefore deeming it valuable.
According to Neil Patel, one of the most famous names in content marketing, this may be because comments appear at the bottom of a page, and Google may not place a high value on them.
But before you rush over to disable comments on your website, it might be a good idea to discuss the potential benefits they offer.
What Are the Benefits of Having Comments Enabled on Your Blog?
There are several potential benefits of having comments enabled on your blog, even if they don't directly impact your SEO.
First, comments offer an opportunity for engagement. If you have a blog post that generates many comments, it means people are taking the time to read and respond to what you've written–this is a good sign that they are engaged with your content.
Second, comments can help you generate ideas for future blog posts. If you see that a particular topic generates much discussion in the comments section, you could consider writing a follow-up post. This can help you keep your content relevant to your readers’ interests.
Finally, comments can be a form of social proof, indicating to other readers that your content is valuable and worth engaging. This may encourage more people to visit your blog and interact with your posts.
What to Do if You’re Getting Negative or Spam Comments
Negative and spam comments are a significant reason why many website owners disable blog comments. Moderating these comments can take time and energy, and many people don't think it's worth it.
If you decide to keep comments enabled on your blog, there are a few things you can do to minimize the impact of negative comments:
First, you can use a comment filtering plugin to remove any comments containing specific keywords or phrases automatically. This is an excellent way to quickly remove any comments that are clearly spam without having to moderate them manually.
Second, you can respond to negative or spam comments constructively, showing other readers that you are taking the time to engage with all comments, even if they are negative.
Finally, you can disable comments on specific posts if they generate negative comments. This will help you focus your moderation efforts on the posts that need it most.
Overall, whether or not you enable comments on your blog is up to you.
Still, if you decide to do so, it's essential to be aware of the potential downsides and understand that these comments will likely not directly impact your SEO. Instead, focus on creating high-quality content that engages your readers–this is what will help boost your search engine ranking in the long run.
