Better for SEO: Blog Commenting or Guest Blogging?

[jamesadam]

hi all,

I have question. What is the difference between guest blog posting and comments posted on blogs as a guest?

Which one is the best technique?

Thanks
J Adam

[mjtaylor]

First of all Google knows the difference. A guest blogger has been chosen by the blog owner and is offering (presumably) some content of value, and their link is going to appear in the context of the actual post, not in the comments section. More importantly, the guest blogger has some "authority" going for her or him, and it more likely to be able to establish some trust based on the quality of the blog. That makes users more likely to click on a link, especially if it is directly related to the topic. The use of links as a central part of Google's algorithm is based on the premise of a link's value being determined by the likelihood of a random user clicking on it. The first link on the page is far more likely to be clicked than one several comments down ... and so it is logical to presume that is part of the algorithm. We also know Google thinks lowly enough of comment spam to do whatever it can to denigrate the value of those links.

If you are interested in some insight into Google's likely point of view on link value, you might want to read this analysis of a PageRank patent awarded to Google in May 2010: http://www.seobythesea.com/?p=3806.

[nicolebeckett]

IMO guest blogging is a much better use of time than blog commenting. With blog commenting, you spend alot of time looking for a blog, reading the posts, then writing an appropriate comment. However, there's no guarantee that your comment is going to get approved. There are many, many bloggers out there who delete every comment that has a link in it, or every comment that uses a keyword in the 'name' field. You could spend hours commenting on blogs, and it's likely that it will all be a waste of time.

However, as MJ pointed out, guest blogging makes you look like an authority. And, since you've been pre-approved to write a guest post, you know that your link is going to get published. Plus, you'll get valuable eyes on your link, in addition to a quality backlink. If people like what you have to say in your guest post, they'll be inclined to visit your site to see what else you have to offer. You can't say that about random blog comments!

[ThurstyToad]

A link in a post is much, much more valuable than a "comment link" (IMHO). The only way to get a link in a post is to either be the blogger, or be a guest blogger. I think blog commenting is widely overrated and abused. Go the guest blogger route. :D

[Michandy]

lol.. guest blogging is a hundred times more powerful than a blog comment.. but it is also pretty difficult to get as compared to the comment.. a lot of work goes into a single guest blog post but it's worth it in the long run i suppose.

[domylights]

I had a friend that wanted to rank for a search term in the insurance field. He found the souse of inlinks that the #1 website for the search term he wanted came from about 10 different blogs. The links that the #1 site had were mostly as a guest blogger. My friend got 4x> as many links from the same blogs and after a year couldn't break the 4 page for the same search.

[macca]

So is there any value in Blog Commenting from an SEO perspective anymore? Or should we abandon this technique and only concentrate on Guest Blogging?

[mjtaylor]

So is there any value in Blog Commenting from an SEO perspective anymore? Or should we abandon this technique and only concentrate on Guest Blogging?

If you can get guest blogs that is far and away a better use of your time for SEO, and traffic and trust.

[sudeep13582]

Yes surely guest bogging is far better.. but commenting is far easier than guest bogging..

[Social-Media]

So is there any value in Blog Commenting from an SEO perspective anymore? Or should we abandon this technique and only concentrate on Guest Blogging?

There IS value in blog commenting. It can drive traffic. IF you can find blogs that allow links that are FOLLOW links, then they can even help your rankings. But MOST blogs out there NOFOLLOW all of their comment links. So MOST are only good for traffic.

Guest blogging can provide a lot of benefits. You can build a following and gain credibility faster than by simply commenting on other's posts. You become the authority and leader in the eyes of the readers rather than the follower commenting on an authority's post. You can tailor the topic to promote particluar pages on your own site and you typically get to create your own contextual link(s) with the link text of your choice.

It's more work to get links via guest blogging, but I think the reward potential is greater than that of simply commenting.

[trogers64]

I would suggest looking for some relevant blogs and start by posting some quality comments. Then ask them if you can be a "guest blogger".

[chingsoo9]

So-how do you get to be a guest blogger? Crash the party?

[CKdavid]

guest blogging is much more effective...

[davidgale]

the guest Blogging is not vey effective because Google is monitoring all this and Google knows everything. And Guest blogging is not given any much good rank to website.
Thats why Blog commenting is very useful. It generates more traffic and promotes your website and produce backlinks.
Thank you

[williamc]

guest blogging is much more effective...


Blog posting is better, and its purpose for a long term.

To both of you, why exactly do you feel it is better?

[MrPolarZero]

For me its blog commenting. I have been using this method for several months and it really works :) but others prefer guest blogging as it has a greater exposure. Just make sure you're guesting on your niche blogs.

[almedajohnson]

hi all,

I have question. What is the difference between guest blog posting and comments posted on blogs as a guest?

Which one is the best technique?

Thanks
J Adam

Guest Blogging is best in both :)