Here’s the deal: We talk to a lot of people. Sometimes we agree and sometimes we disagree, but when it comes to this question, everyone we’ve asked agrees: they think comments help SEO for their website.
But is this true? The truth is, sadly in some cases, no. Google often penalizes websites that allow blog comments and this can be negative for your website. The question is, why?
Why is Google penalizing websites that allow blog comments?
Google is penalizing websites that allow blog comments because they believe that the comments are not providing a good user experience. By allowing blog comments, websites are opening themselves up to spam and other negative content that can ruin the user experience. In addition, allowing blog comments can also lead to decreased website traffic and lower search engine rankings.
There are, however, a few ways to allow blog comments while still avoiding these penalties. One way is to use a third-party commenting system like Disqus or Livefyre. These systems help to keep the comments section clean and organized, and they also help to prevent spam from appearing on the website.
Another way to allow blog comments without penalty is to use the nofollow attribute. The nofollow attribute tells search engines not to follow any links in the comment section. This will help to keep the website’s ranking intact while still allowing users to leave comments.
Ultimately, it is up to website owners to decide whether or not they want to allow blog comments. But, if they do choose to allow them, they need to be aware of the potential penalties that can come along with it. By using a third-party commenting system or the nofollow attribute, website owners can help to keep their website’s ranking intact while still allowing users to leave comments.
What Can You Do About It?
Luckily, there are a few things you can do to help improve your website’s SEO, even if Google has penalized you for something in the past. Here are a few tips:
1. Focus on creating high-quality content.
Google wants to see websites that are providing valuable information to their users. So, focus on creating content that is interesting, informative, engaging, and well-written.
2. Make sure your website is mobile-friendly.
With more and more people using their smartphones and tablets to search the web, it’s important that your website is mobile-friendly. If you don’t already have a responsive design, here’s a resource from Google on how to make sure your site is mobile-friendly.
3. Stay up-to-date with Google’s latest algorithm changes.
One of the best ways to protect yourself against penalties from Google is to stay up-to-date with their latest algorithm changes. This can be a bit tricky, as their updates are constantly changing, but subscribing to their blog or following them on Twitter can help you stay in the loop.
4. Use social media to promote your content.
Another way to get your content in front of more people is to promote it on social media. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook have huge audiences that you can tap into for free.
5. Use Google’s Search Console (formerly known as Google Webmaster Tools).
Google offers a number of free tools that can help you improve your website’s SEO. One of these tools is called the Search Console. This is a free portal that lets you see your website’s activity from Google’s point of view. It also provides information on how to improve your site and get it into better standing with Google.
6. Check what backlinks say about your domain.
You may not know this, but there is a report inside Google’s Search Console called Links to Your Site. This report will show you all of the websites that are linking to your website, as well as how many pages are linked and what the anchor text is. If you see any links in this report that you don’t want to associate with your website, you can use the Disavow Links tool to remove them.
To help you understand more the allowing comments debate, check out our post, ‘Why You Should or Shouldn’t Allow Comments on Your Blog in 2022’