Comments are everywhere; on blogs, websites, and social networking sites. But what is the point, why do people take time out of their busy schedule to comment on other people's blogs?

To be honest I did not see the point at first. When I started my first blog several years ago, I had people leaving all kinds of comments, some were great, but others did not make any sense; they were unrelated to my content, which told me that they had never even read my posts. I did not understand why someone would waste their time in this manner.

However, it did not take long for me to figure out why these comments were left. Each and every one of these senseless comments had a link back to their site. They were doing it to get more free traffic and back links to their own websites. Now don't get me wrong, leaving comments is a great way to get more traffic, but that should never be your sole reason for leaving a comment.

Leaving comments on other people's blogs is one of the fastest ways to both build and destroy your credibility online. So think about each comment which you post, and the reasons why you are leaving it.

Reasons Why You Should Leave Comments

There are many reasons why you should leave comments, and when you understand them you will be able to leave comments which will help you to grow your online business.

Back Links. The number 1 reason of course is to get free traffic and back links to your website.

To Be Helpful. Reason number two is to be helpful. You would be surprised to find out how many people are helped more by the comments than the actual article itself.

Build Your Credibility. Leaving comments which help others or add value to the article in some way is a great way to show off your expertise in any market. When people see your comments on a regular basis they will begin to respect you as an expert.

Read Other Blogs. When leaving comments you have to read the work of others in your market, and this will help you to stay on top of your market.

The Do's Of Leaving Comments

There are many thing to keep in mind, but some of the rules of leaving comments are:

Always Stay On Topic. This is a very important rule for you to follow. By staying on topic your comments will more likely be accepted, and you will have a much higher click-through rate.

Add Value. Always add value to the content of the article. Sometimes the blogger may have missed an important piece of information, and this is your opportunity to show off your expertise and add value to the post.

Be Courteous. Always, always be courteous in every comment you make. If you happen to disagree with a particular point, do so respectfully. Every one has their own opinion, and you should always respect them, even though you do not agree.

Share Your Story. If the blog post reminds you of a similar experience, share it. People love personal stories, and there is no better way to build your credibility than to share your personal stories.

Provide Helpful Links. If you know of an article that could help the readers further on the topic, by all means, post the link to it. This is part of being helpful and adding value.

Ask Relevant Questions. Relevant questions will get others thinking, as well as encourage them to participate in the commenting.

Know The Facts. This is very crucial that you know what you are talking about. I have had people bash my content, accusing me of not knowing the facts, only to have them return telling me that I am right. Doing this does not make you look good, but can destroy your credibility very fast.

Be The First. This is not always necessary, but being the first will help you to get the highest amount of traffic because your comment will stay on top, and will be the first one that others will read. Don't make it a point to always be first, as this could make you look like a spammer, and that is the last thing that you want.

High Page Rank. Look for blogs with a high page rank, so that your link will be of more value to the search engines. But don't limit yourself to these because even though other blogs are not raking high yet, they could be in the future.

The Don'ts Of Leaving Comments

There are many things which you should never do when it comes to leaving comments, and most of them are common sense, but for some reason you still see them happening.

Never Spam. There is a lot to be said when it comes to spam comments, but what it basically boils down to, is leaving irrelevant comments which have nothing to do with the post itself, or leaving numerous comments on a certain post. Doing these will get you blacklisted faster than anything, so put this at the top of your not-to-do list.

Dominate The Thread. Many times you will see discussions going on in the comment sections, and while it is great to participate, make sure that you are not dominating the thread.

Post Before Reading. Never post any comments before you actually read the content. Doing so could make it evident in your post, and make you look like a fool.

Keyword Stuffing. Keywords are great, but this is not the place to do it; one or two keywords is all you really need in your links.

Two-Word Comments. Ever get those comments that say "Great info!" or, "Nice work". It really makes you wonder...did the people really read your content, or are they just posting for the sake of leaving a link?

Remember: With every comment you leave, you are also leaving behind your footprint. If people like your footprints, they will follow, and this is your ultimate goal.