It’s easy to read a post and move on, and even easier to like a blog post without reading it.
But stop and think for a moment. How much more valuable to the writer, and other readers, if you actually bothered to respond. Isn’t that what you’d hope for when writing your next blog post? Nobody wants to invest time in writing something that people are just going to skim over.
Not only that, but you will gain more from the post and from the interaction with others than you realise.
You might gain new ideas or perspectives, or you might just end up feeling a little better about life.
It doesn’t have to be a long or complicated post. Even just saying “thank you” or “I liked this!” does the trick.
However, commenting on a blog post is more useful than just propping up the ego of some blogger who hopes to be discovered one day.
Leaving a comment on a blog post doesn’t have to take more than five seconds, but it can make a huge difference to the blogger by helping them, and whatever they have to say, to become more “discoverable”.
Leaving a comment on a blog directly affects the ranking and therefore the visibility of that blog on both the platform – such as WordPress or Blogger – and consequently on the web. Rankings and visibility affect which posts are chosen to be featured on the highlights pages of blogging platforms, such as the ‘Discover’ page on WordPress which pick up the posts that have had the most interaction and engagement, not just the ones with the most likes or views.
One of the author support groups on Facebook to which I belong has been conducting an experiment over the past few weeks. We’ve made a deliberate effort to read, like and comment on a selected blog post by each of the others.
Those posts have consistently attracted more viewers beyond that initial group. These new viewers also seem more willing to read, like, and comment. This boosts the visibility of the individual post and of the blog overall, and helps to attract even more viewers.
In short, it’s a highly valuable snowball effect in drawing attention to both the post and the blog.
Let’s face it. That’s a pretty cool thing to be able to do for someone.
Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
WordyNerdBird 
Thank you for reminding me of the importance of leaving a comment. I often find your posts helpful, and share them with fellow-writers, but have been negligent in telling you so.
It’s great to know! I love sharing stuff too, so it’s really nice to know that someone is doing the same for me!
I love our Indie writers’ community!
…and Phyllis always shares those posts with me which I repost on the Indy Authors Facebook page! See how it works? Thanks so much for your insights.
I think I’m in that group, too! Thanks!
I’m all for this.
Comments give valuable feedback. They are engagement. And they make our blogs cool places to gather and hang out.
I’m glad you shared this. And I hope it makes us all more intentional about helping each other.
This was a great post. Embarrassingly, I’ve been blogging for almost three years now (I think) and I didn’t realize comments helped a blog’s discoverability. I try to leave comments on most of the blogs I visit, but I didn’t realize it helped in terms of numbers and SEO. And Phyllis was the one who pointed me in your blog’s direction! Thanks, Phyllis!
Welcome, amreade, and thanks, Phyllis!
You can thank Phyllis for directing me here too! A great post reminding me of the importance of leaving a comment, it’s such an easy thing to do, I shall definitely take the time to leave more comments in future 😊
Well done, Phyllis! And welcome to you, Nicole!
Reblogged this on Rick Amitin's Blog and commented:
This is a helpful blog post from my friend, Joanne, for those of you who want to be supportive. A little goes a long way!
Great post!
Thanks!
Thank you for this post. You touched on a very good point. I appreciated the sincerity of helping and commenting.Actually, I found this information encouraging.
This is so true! and one that I have struggled with my own blog. I think people (especially non bloggers) dont understand the benefit of just staying that extra minute to comment. I think most people just read and leave then think no more of it.
Reblogged this on kezysblog.
So true! Thank you for writing this. I will be sharing it on my various social media places.
Great point on comments being helpful! I just shared a similarly related post about the importance of leaving book reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and the like. It really doesn’t have to take much time and means so much!
Reblogged this on Delaney Croft and commented:
A great reminder of the importance of taking a few seconds to leave comments. Goes for book reviews as well!
Great article! Here because of Danielle Bernock 🙂
Thanks for the reminder from someone who wishes more people would comment on her posts. 🙂
Great points! I think also for newer bloggers who don’t have a big following (like myself), people are sometimes afraid to comment because they don’t see other people commenting. It’s like no one wants to be the first person to show up to a party. But someone’s got to be that person!
Thank you for this insight! I’ll be sure to leave more comments on my fellow bloggers’ sites!
Great post gave me lots to think about.
Reblogged this on challenges make champions and commented:
Welcome, here you will learn about how good it is to comment on blog posts.
Thank you for posting. I liked and reblogged it I liked your post that much. Great insight, sharing you words with one of my blogs. blessings Oh I was just going to hit the like button… he he he No I did not …he he he he blessings
So true! Especially on Medium.com where your comment turns into a mini-article because it is considered your published work.
Reblogged this on WordyNerdBird and commented:
I’ve questioned recently why people don’t engage or leave comments on blog posts as much as they do on Facebook or Instagram.
As I wrote in this post some time back, maybe it’s because many people just don’t realise how encouraging or helpful leaving a comment can be.
I comment on WordPress sites because as a WordPress blogger myself I’m always logged in so it’s easy. But I was worried when I came across this post on Facebook that some people there were quite accusatory, saying people were “lazy” for not commenting. We all know how easy it is to spend hours online drifting here and there, sometimes leaving reactions, sometimes not. If people want to try and avoid that and spend their time in other ways, we have to accept that. Sorry if some of this sounds garbled, the tiny little box WP provides for commenting from a phone screen makes it hard to check what I’ve written. Could be another reason people don’t post.
Everyone has different perspectives. I, too, am always logged in here so it’s easy for me.
Some prefer Facebook – though I don’t know why – and that’s okay.
Oh, boy, this one really touched a nerve with me.
I am sure we are in very good and quite vast company!
Indeed!
Reblogged this on The Heart of Applebutter Hill and commented:
If you’re a blogger , a friend of a blogger or someone who values the wealth of information, joy and encouragement made possible by this relatively new option that people have to engage and connect with one another, please consider the points in this blog and start commenting more often. I know tons of folks who would appreciate it, including yours truly. We’re not anonymous or unavailable, we’re right here, hoping to interact with you.
Thank you, Donna!
My pleasure! hugs 🙂
I had no idea that comments affected visibility for bloggers… it makes leaving a comment much more than just a social nicety if it can actually be helpful!
That’s right! That’s why I always try to do so, even if it’s just a simple “great post!” Kind of comment.
NIce to see a post like this, a good reminder for some. If we enjoyed a post, why not let the author know, engage, and expand the community? 🙂