Poor Comments
I have started to get some organic comments since I have been posting to Quora. Just a few but it is still exciting!! However, the quality of these comments varies greatly.
The first one was great since it was a person whose question I answered on Quora and she read my answer, followed my link and read what I recommended for her cat problem. She was so interested in my advice that she left a comment with a question! Yay!! This is great progress! Most all my comments previously have been from WA members.
The following organic comments have been less than stellar however. One just said "great post" and the second on another one of my posts a day later said "great site". Thats it. Just two words! The first letter was not capitalized and there was not a period at the end. These aren't even complete sentances! I see they are actually from the same person. She has a cat site and I wonder if she is just trying to get backlinks (not that my site has a really high domain authority yet) and so she is leaving the shortest possible comment hoping I will approve them. If I do approve them, she gets a backlink. I am torn. I want to help people out but if they can't even bother to write one complete sentance then do they deserve my help? I edited the first one to make one complete sentance. I feel really guilty editing comments and hardly ever do it. I just don't like the whole idea. It feels dishonest. I am literally misrepresenting someone's words and thoughts. I could just not approve it and move on but then I feel bad too. What if they are new and just don't know any better? They did not probably have training such as WA and might not know two words is not an acceptable comment. However, she had a VERY lengthy affiliate disclaimer and privacy policy so she has someone helping her or some training.
This is not a huge issue. I just need to edit them, delete them or tell her why this is a problem. I wanted to share this however since it is an issue we will all have to face eventually! With WA members who leave such "comments" I try to give them a pass and let them know why I can't approve their comment but still go and leave a comment for them.
Jessica
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When I receive organic comments on my dog site, they are all genuine and always ask questions.
The only comments I request at WA now are through Site Comments and they are always good value.
I'm not sure about the 'two word' comments, whether organic or otherwise. Some people do not know how to leave a comment, and some are shy about writing.
I wondered if it might be young people who leave comments like this since they are used to texting and not writing in complete sentences!
I would say that any organic feedback is great. As long as it is not spam that is not related to your site or post content. Take it and enjoy it! Use it for your benefit. Even a two word comment is fine. Especially if it is positive!!! Others will see the comments and it will make them more likely to leave a comment and give positive feedback as well.
This engagement will help your site seo and keep you pumped up. Unless I am missing something. The length or " relative quality" of the comment is not important unless it just is idiotic comment spam . Which is not helpful in anyway but instead harmful
I am not sure. I don't know if Google looks at the length of a comment and judges whether it is legitimate. Thanks for your thoughts on this.
I think anyone who has their own website pretty much knows that a two-word comment is unacceptable input. I think someone mentioned getting more out of this person. I think that's a great idea.
If she said "great site" then respond and ask what she likes best about your site. If she responds, great! If she doesn't respond then it's perfectly reasonable to delete her coments.
Just my two cents. Quora can be a mixed bag, but you can get a lot of really intelligent comments from there. I'm glad you're getting organic traffic.
That is a good idea Wendy. Yes, that would help perhaps. I think someone like this probably won't bother to come back though.
Hello Jessica!
I would personally take one or two on each blog post and respond to them. Ask them what the best thing they saw about that particular blog post, or if they had any questions that they might have had.
This way when others come along and see it they see that you're actively trying to engage your readers. This might help the quality of the comments you get, too.
That's my opinion. Having not had very many organic comments it might not be the best opinion out there.
Good luck!
That is a good idea. If someone is just trying to get backlinks they may not bother to come back however. They seem to want to put in the bare minimum of effort, hence the two words. I could try it though. Thanks!
Hello, Jessica! Thank you very much for sharing this. It's great to know you received a really good comment from a reader that came from Quora. Thanks for also alerting us that not all comments from people that come from Quora are great!
Diversifying our source of traffic is great and I have read acceptable results concerning Quora. I have found your post very useful!
I'm really grateful that most members here at Wealthy Affiliate know how to give good comments. And once in a while a new member could leave the "good site" comment type, but it's just because they are new.
Have a really nice day! Thank you! :)
Thank you. I am sure the range of quality in comments can be found anywhere, not just on Quora. I have had amazing comments of hundreds of words from WA members that turned into thousand word conversations about a product. I have also had this kind of terrible comment that either says they don't like the look of the product I am reviewing (really!) or just a few words from WA members. You never know what you might get.
Hi Jessica,
I have received similar comments and one was from one of my friends and i felt bad to disregard it. She thought comments on a website are just like those of Facebook posts. Atleast she had written four sentences so what I did was just to edit some spelling of words she had shortened.
So I agree that it's an issue we all have to encounter at one time here.
Paul.
Yes, I wondered if this is more common with young people who are used to texting and social media.
Thanks,
Jessica
Does she have comments on her site? Has she replied to any of these comments if she has some?
I am sorry, I don't really know what is best. But I have just signed up with Quora myself and the answers there vary enormously - from really well thought out answers to sentences that are barely literate and almost impossible to understand.
~ Isabella
Good Morning Jessica,
Here on WA we can contact a person on PM to ask them to modify a comment if one is not completely pleased and therefor does not want to authorize it.
With comments from people outside WA they have put their email right? If you want to go through this trouble you can contact them and explain the problem.
Greetings from the south of Spain, Taetske
Yes, it is just a matter of deciding what feels right. A person who only leaves two words doesn't seem to have any interest in leaving a good comment so I don't know if it is worth the trouble to contact them. Thanks Taetske.
There I agree with you Jessica. If they are too lazy why should they be visible on the website.
All the best, Taetske
I'd feel the same about editing. I'd rather not accept them.
And when you feel there is no genuine contact being made - just a drop in for a backlink... do you just accept that this is part of the blogger's life, accept both comment and backlink, or draw a firm line in the sand?
Is there a sense that you belong to a community of interest to whom you must surrender some ground every now and again, offering up goodwill for the group, or will the decision always be personal?
Do people have a sense for any tacit or explicit rules or customs in this circumstance? And why? I do find it fascinating!
I love your philosophical nature Ivy! You would be such an interesting person to hang out with!
Yes, it is interesting there are such varied feelings on this subject.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Jessica
Hi, Ivy! I totally agree with Jessica. I love your approach to every topic.
Concerning the comment matter, I believe most bloggers have a sense for tacit rules. For most, common sense plays a huge roll. I'm glad that inside WA the good practices for leaving comments are explicitly addressed. But outside WA, the lines on the sand are a bit blurred. That's just my point of view! :)
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You have a big heart and a lot of empathy. I feel it. I believe other affiliate marketers would delete without a second thought. I'm like you, I'd want to delete, but I'd linger on the idea of helping someone. The unfortunate bottom line is, if that person needs help, they will have to learn how to do a better job at getting it. You deserve amazing comments on your website. You don't need to settle, although I would probably settle. lol It's a rough and tumble world. :)
Thanks Jaime. I really appreciate your honest reply here. I wonder if I am strange having such a hard time with this issue so it is nice to hear others have the same kind of hesitation.
Thanks for always being so sweet and encouraging!